TNTOS

TNTOS i cant sign a contract without my layerbut i don't have onealso we all know by now if we ask you something you will just tell us it will be explained in the next/later chapter“So they kept that a secret from you, too?” asked the thief in amazement. “I never knew Klio and Kolora were so good at lying and deceiving like that. But what the Kra-Matoran Empire was is unimportant to the story. All I will tell you is that it was a bunch of evildoers seeking to conquer a universe to which they had no right, which my team and I defeated easily and righteously with help from the allies of Mata Nui. Any questions?”​best way to end an explanation ever“Whenever you make a decision in a universe, multiple other dimensions pop into existence featuring what would have happened if you had made a different choice,"i wonder if you evade an univerce and made a decision would that univerce stilt of and make two of you​also would a universe be created where you didn't evade and make it impossible to collect every signal stonethat lock is a nice concept but there's alot of room for a devils advocate TNTOS

@first point: I do say that a lot, don't I?As for your last point, not sure I understand what you're saying, but I think I get where you're going. I'd say Dimension Hoppers's biggest flaw is the way the multiverse works. If you make a decision in one universe, multiple others will come into existence where you made a different choice or something else happened.So, theoretically speaking, if Isarot and Kiriah succeed in stopping the thief in this universe, another universe where they failed to stop him will come into existence. Sort of makes things seem less urgent and makes DiH as a whole feel less epic than it is.As good as this epic may be, I have not been able to think of anything that could fix that problem. I just try to ignore it, for after all there is nothing I could do about it expect maybe delete this story and pretend it never existed. But that would be dumb and backwards, so I am not going to do it.-TNTOS-

I'm loving the ninjas' new armor/backpack pieces. The bike looks cool, too, and fifteen dollars isn't a bad deal for a set like that. Might pick it up if I see it.-TNTOS-

Chapter Nine

Nasis could not believe what had just happened. One moment, he and Tajah had been about to take this Dark Hunter by surprise; the next, Raider had struck both of them down with ease. It was even worse because Nasis was having a difficult time concentrating or even thinking. Blood trickled from his wound and he could feel the hard bullet lodged somehow below his throat, causing him severe pain.

“How-?” Nasis said, still looking up at Raider.

“How did I sneak in without anyone knowing?” Raider finished for him. “Easy, Toa. My special ability allows me to deafen all sound around me. I am an expert at stealth. It is my specialty. And as for how I snuck in, well, I used the secret back entrance, of course.”

In the shadows, Nasis could not see the back entrance, but he knew what Raider was talking about. The secret exit had been built only a few years after the creation of the Temple of Time many, many years ago. It had been created in case of an attack on the Temple. In that situation, the Time Stone guardians could easily transport the Time Stone out of the Temple to safety.

Nasis had thought only he and the other Toa, the Chofier, the elders and the Time Stone guardians had known about the entrance, but somehow Raider had learned of it and used it to his advantage. How that was possible, Nasis did not know.

“Your people are very talkative, Toa,” said Raider, as though reading Nasis’ mind. “Given the right, ah, incentive, they can be made to tell anyone about anything. It is how I learned of the back entrance and also how I know you have Toa and Chofier everywhere in this Temple . . . except at the back, that is.”

“What . . . are you going to do, Dark Hunter?” Nasis gasped as he struggled to get up, but failed. He was bleeding too quickly. He felt like he was going to fall unconscious any minute now.

Raider glanced around the room and said, “I originally came here to investigate rumors of the theft of the Time Stone. Evidently they were correct, for I see no Time Stone in here.”

“Then you’re . . .” Nasis took a deep breath and continued, “You’re just going to leave?”

Raider tilted his head, like the idea hadn’t occurred to him before. “Eventually, yes. But it has just occurred to me that all of the Toa and Chofier are in this building. If I were to somehow cause it to collapse, I could kill them all. Tanjo Nui would be mostly undefended, easy picking for the Dark Hunters.”

“Never,” Nasis gasped, seizing Raider’s ankle, for that was all he could do.

“Oh, you don’t think I’m serious, do you?” said Raider as he looked down at the Toa in disgust. “I think I’ll just kill you and the old Tagiki and get out of here. Now that I know for a fact the Time Stone – and, in all probability, the guardians as well – is gone, I can report back to the Shadowed-“

Without warning a burst of flame exploded from the shadows and struck Raider. The Dark Hunter shouted in pain as he stumbled away, light from his now-fiery armor barely illuminating the room.

Shocked, Nasis looked over and saw, by the dim glow of the fire, Tajah just barely standing, right hand outstretched. Blood was bleeding from his left shoulder, but he evidently wasn’t going to let that wound stop him. He looked enraged as his black eyes focused on Raider.

“I will not allow you to kill me or Nasis, Dark Hunter,” said Tajah as he slowly walked forward. “I am the leader of the Chofier. The Chofier protect Tanjo Nui from all threats, which includes you!”

Raider did not appear to be paying attention, for his armor was still on fire. But Nasis noticed Raider reach into his bag and pull out some kind of blue orb. The Dark Hunter squeezed it and a bubble of water exploded into existence around Raider for a brief second before disappearing, effectively extinguishing the flames on his armor and plunging the room into darkness again.

“You can’t get away from me, Hunter!” Tajah yelled as he snapped his fingers, causing fire to burst forth from nowhere.

The bolt of flame shot straight ahead, but it hit nothing; Raider must have already moved. Nasis, barely conscious now, looked around, but could not see the Dark Hunter anywhere. And if Raider had been telling the truth about his ability to deafen sounds, then Raider had a huge advantage over the two heroes. He could pick them both off and neither of them would ever know where he was.

Nasis struggled to get up, but a bullet flew from the shadows and struck his arm. He cried out in pain and hit the ground again, lying in a pool of his own blood. He felt like he was dying, but he didn’t want to die yet. Raider had to be stopped somehow, though Nasis was in absolutely no condition to do anything about the Dark Hunter. Only Tajah could stop Raider, and Nasis wasn’t so sure he trusted the Tagiki to win this fight alone.

“Come out, Dark Hunter!” Tajah bellowed as he snapped his fingers again, sending more fire in the direction the bullet had come from, although like before it hit nothing. “You can’t hide forever, you know!”

Tajah suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. He wasn’t moving, but Nasis could see Tajah’s heartlight still lit, which meant the old Tagiki was still alive. He was clearly unconscious, however.

Nasis looked desperately around the shadows, but could not see nor hear anything. Raider could be anywhere; he must have his heartlight concealed, for Nasis could not even see that in the darkness. Nasis was sure the Dark Hunter knew they were still alive. He guessed Raider was only playing with them. Once the Hunter got bored toying with them, Nasis knew that he and Tajah were as good as dead.

Then a foot went flying out of nowhere and smashed into his face. Nasis was sent tumbling away, his eyes watering as pain spread across his skull, which he was sure was cracked. Cracked skull, bullet in chest and arm . . . Nasis figured he was going to Paradise very soon.

He heard the cocking of a gun and through watering eyes saw the barrel of a long sniper rifle aimed directly at his face.

“It is time I finished this, Toa,” said Raider. “I could complete this mission without having to kill you and the Tagiki, of course, but I always try to go the extra mile when completing missions. For instance, I don’t just steal a treasure. I kill the guards, steal anything else of value, maybe cause a couple of fires and then leave.”

“You’re . . . you’re a Piraka,” Nasis said weakly.

“And you are dead,” said Raider.

Before Raider could pull the trigger, the doors to the Chamber suddenly flew open. Light poured in as eight beings spilled through the doorway. Nasis looked over and saw that the other five Toa and three Chofiers had arrived.
They must have heard the fighting going on in the Chamber and had come to investigate.

Raider – who had clearly not been expecting that – quickly lifted his gun and fired into the group at random. The assorted heroes scattered to avoid being shot while Raider turned and ran toward the back exit. Nasis weakly raised one hand to stop Raider, but the Dark Hunter was too fast and soon disappeared behind the secret door.

Nasis struggled to remain conscious, but it was a losing battle. He had lost too much blood and the pain was far beyond his tolerance level.He fell unconscious, lying in a shallow pool of his own blood.

Review Topic.

Chapter 17: Explanations

Isarot.

To be honest, I was quite shocked at the revelation of the thief’s true identity. He was the Toa Darranas, the one whom had worked with Turaga Klio 100,000 years ago? It couldn’t be true. He had gone insane and died from using the Olmak, according to Kolora. There was no way this could be the same Darranas Kolora and Klio had known, for that Darranas was long dead.

However, that whitish orange Mask of Charisma the thief wore looked exactly like the one I’d seen Toa Darranas wear in my dream. Now that I thought about it, his voice also sounded similar, if a bit older and rougher than from what I remembered. His eyes were the same shade of red as the Toa Darranas I had seen in the dream as well.

I glanced at Kiriah. Even without telepathy I could tell she was in a state of total shock, based on how wide her eyes were and how far her mouth was hanging open. She appeared very still and unmoving; for a moment I feared she had literally died of shock, but I dismissed the ridiculous notion quickly.

Finally, Kiriah voiced my objections, saying, “You can’t be Toa Darranas.”

“Why can’t I be him?” asked the thief as he surveyed my friend. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her, but he didn’t do anything. “Is it because I am supposed to be dead?”

“Well, yes, you, er, I mean he is,” said Kiriah. “According to Turaga Klio and Baiji Kolora, Toa Darranas went insane one hundred thousand years ago after he, Klio, and Kolora went after the original thief. He then died. That is a fact.”

The thief chuckled, like he was amused by the tale. “I suppose, in the eyes of Klio and Kolora, I did die. But that is inaccurate. I survived, although I suppose the lie can be forgiven since I do not believe either Klio or Kolora knew that I survived.”

“You still can’t be Darranas,” I said. I wanted to get his attention away from Kiriah, since I didn’t like that Mask of Charisma after seeing its true power. “The original thief and Darranas were two different people. The thief died when he fled into a dimension of flames, while Darranas died due to insanity, as Kiriah has already said. If you truly are the original thief and Toa Darranas, then you ought to be dead either way.”

Now Darranas – er, the thief, I mean – looked at us with pity, like we had disappointed him. “Really? Is that what they told you? If they lied to you like that, then perhaps they don’t hate me as much as I thought they do. But I believe I should clarify what really happened one hundred thousand years ago, when I first took the Time Stone away from Tanjo Nui. Would you like to listen?”

“Yes, please,” said Kiriah, nodding vigorously. “Of course, we may not necessarily believe you-“

“You will after you hear this story,” the thief insisted. “Now, where do I begin? Ah, here’s what happened:

“Shortly after the fall of the Kra-Matoran Empire-“

“The what?” I asked, puzzled. “What’s the Kra-Matoran Empire?”

“So they kept that a secret from you, too?” asked the thief in amazement. “I never knew Klio and Kolora were so good at lying and deceiving like that. But what the Kra-Matoran Empire was is unimportant to the story. All I will tell you is that it was a bunch of evildoers seeking to conquer a universe to which they had no right, which my team and I defeated easily and righteously with help from the allies of Mata Nui. Any questions?”

Darranas’ tone made it clear that he didn’t actually want us to ask anything, although I was still intrigued by the Kra-Matoran Empire. Kiriah looked curious but kept quiet just the same.

“Anyway, back to the story,” continued the thief. “Now, shortly after our righteous victory against the Kra-Matoran, Klio and I were searching their main fortress on Shika Nui and discovered a certain Kanohi mask, an Olmak. The same Olmak, in fact, that is currently resting on your face, Kiriah.”

Kiriah reached up and felt the mask she was wearing as she said, “You mean this one?”

“The very same,” the thief said. “Now, as I was saying, Klio and I, after searching the main fortress of the Kra-Matoran, discovered that Olmak in the secret laboratory of Toa Jero, one of the leaders of the Kra-Matoran. We took it with us, for we did not feel comfortable with leaving a Kanohi of such power where anyone could get it. We believed it would be safer with us.“

It was at that moment that I remembered my dream I had had earlier, where Darranas and Klio had searched a secret room and discovered the Olmak. Could he possibly be referring to the same event? If so, then perhaps he really was Darranas after all, but I kept quiet about it, for I was still skeptical.

“And then . . . they contacted me,” said the thief, his voice even more ragged than usual. “They asked me to bring them the Time Stone on Tanjo Nui, to bring it directly to them. They did not tell me why they wanted it, but I felt a strong urge to obey. And so I took the Stone and began my dimension-hopping journey to find them, after I discovered that they had granted me the ability to dimension-hop without the need of a Kanohi such as the Olmak.”

“Who are they?” asked Kiriah, looking at the thief cautiously. “You aren’t being very specific.”

“The Almighty Ones, of course,” the thief replied, as though it was obvious. “The Almighty Ones requested that I bring the Time Stone to them. They contacted me through dreams and visions, until it became clear to me what they wanted.”

“But who are the Almighty Ones?” asked Kiriah, sounding just as puzzled as me. “I remember we came across that name in the Brutaka universe and you told Ehlek he had been ‘touched’ by the Almighty Ones in the last dimension, but we still don’t know who they are.”

“That is because they are just as much of a mystery to me as they are to you,” the thief said as he folded his arms. “All I truly know about them is that they are an ancient, powerful, and – as their name clearly suggests – almighty group of beings who have a greater knowledge of the multiverse and how it works than anyone else. I have searched for answers, for their true identity, but even after one hundred thousand years I have found little-to-nothing. They are very good at covering their tracks, it seems.”

The Almighty Ones didn’t sound realistic to me. Based on his description of them, they had to be gods or at least god-like. If they had so much power and knowledge, then why didn’t they have the entire multiverse under their command? Why weren’t they revered as dictators by the inhabitants of every universe? Surely with that much power they did not just sit around and do nothing all day, right?

I figured he was making it all up, but then I remembered the writing in Brutaka’s study, how it had mentioned the Almighty Ones. Then again, Brutaka had been insane, so maybe he had somehow been having the same delusion as the thief. I suppose that was about as unlikely as the existence of the Almighty Ones themselves, but I still chose to remain skeptical until the thief could offer some definite proof of the Almighty Ones’ existence.

“Anyway, let’s get back to the story,” said the thief. “Before I left, Klio and Kolora discovered what I was doing and they tried to stop me, but ultimately I escaped. Then they got a hold of that Olmak I mentioned earlier, which turned out to have the ability to track the Time Stone. Thus, they followed me across the multiverse, until they finally caught up with me in a universe where the Kra-Matoran ruled.

“Because I was tired of running, I foolishly chose to fight my former friends. When it became clear I was losing, I used my dimension-hopping powers to open a portal to escape. However, one of the two – I cannot remember which – hurled a bolt of whatever elemental power they were using, which struck me in the back. I dropped the Time Stone in that universe – luckily for them, unluckily for me – but I myself, mortally wounded, fell into the portal I had created for myself, most likely to die.

“But, due to the grace of my true patron, I ended up here, in this very dimension, where I rested and healed up for a while. I was far too weak to go after Kolora and Klio, you see, and besides that, I needed time to reevaluate my own personal goals anyway.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“I mean, I had to rethink why I was obeying the commands of a group of beings I didn’t even know,” the thief replied, like I was being stupid. “Once I concluded I had no particular reason for following them, I forsake the Almighty Ones then and there. My new goals were clear to me. After traveling through so many alternate dimensions and seeing so much evil running rampant and free, I decided that the multiverse needed to be saved . . . or perhaps rebuilt from its own rubble.”

“Uh, what does that mean?” asked Kiriah, who sounded a little scared.

“It means I had lost faith in the Almighty Ones,” Darranas answered. “They have so much power and knowledge, yet do nothing to heal of the multiverse of its endless suffering even slightly. They are cowards who do not deserve the kind of power they have.”

“Then who does?” asked Kiriah.

“I do,” Darranas said, pointing at himself. “Although my knowledge of the Almighty Ones themselves is severely limited, I have, through my own research, discovered that a secret storehouse of the Almighty Ones is located in this dimension. I do not know what is hidden inside it, but I feel it might be exactly the power I need.”

“So, you’re going to take that power and use it to save the multiverse or something?” I asked as I nonchalantly reached for my axe. I didn’t like Darranas – if that was indeed who he was – one bit and was going to take him out as soon as I got the chance. “Is that what you plan to do?”

“Why, of course,” Darranas replied. “But I cannot save it in its current state. It is too far gone, too broken . . . too imperfect. Something at some point went wrong a long, long time ago, before your universe was ever even thought of. I will destroy this multiverse with this power of the Almighty Ones and recreate a newer, more peaceful and happier multiverse where evil shall be exterminated before it can ever get the chance to rise again.”

“You’re going to destroy everything, just because it is imperfect?” Kiriah gasped with her hands on her mouth. “That’s crazy! Think of all the innocent lives you will kill if you do that!”

“Innocent?” Darranas snorted. “I do not believe there is a single truly innocent person in the entire multiverse. Everyone has committed evil at some point, including you two. Everything is unclean and flawed. I am not the only one who has thought this, for on my travels not long ago I met a Toa of Water named Tuyet who agreed with my views, but she merely wanted to rule her own universe to fix its problems. Her scope was too narrow, too confining, which is why I sent her on her way home rather than ally with her.”

“The multiverse can’t be that bad,” Kiriah reasoned, looking at me. “Right, Isarot?”

“Yeah, Kiri,” I said, nodding as I looked at Darranas. “The multiverse isn’t entirely beyond redemption, Darranas. There are good people everywhere you look.”

Darranas laughed softly. “Oh, naïve Tagiki, I believe it is beyond redemption. I have visited countless dimensions during my travels. I saw millions of broken and imperfect universes where evil ran amok while good were squashed beneath its feet. I saw dimensions that were dying because a villain made one crucial mistake that resulted in the deaths of billions. I once visited a universe where Toa ruled with an iron fist, but they were no better than the villains they had destroyed. Everything must be reborn, and in order for rebirth to occur there must be destruction. Even our own universe was beyond redemption, after I saw just how cruel and evil the Kra-Matoran really were.”

“And just what gives you the right to use that power to judge the multiverse?” I said. I had my axe now, but the time to attack hadn’t come yet. “You seem to be just as corrupt and imperfect as those you wish to see destroyed.”

“Exactly, Isarot,” said Darranas as he spread his arms, like I’d just gotten to the point. “I know I am imperfect. However, I also know that I am far more noble and respectable than most beings in the multiverse. I know that, in order for me to achieve the perfection that would allow me to transcend even the Almighty Ones, I must steal their power. That is why I have been stealing the Time Stones, for they are the key to everything.”

“Key to everything?” asked Kiriah. “What’s that mean?”

“It means that the Time Stones can unlock the door to the storehouse of the Almighty Ones,” Darranas answered. “The Time Stone is a literal key, in this sense, and in a figurative sense it is the key to the future of the entire multiverse.”

“But why do you need more than one?” asked Kiriah, tilting her head in confusion.

Darranas smiled evilly as he said, “Allow me to show you both this storehouse of the Almighty Ones. I believe it will answer your question.”

He turned around and, raising both hands slowly through the air, said to nothing, “Arise, warehouse of the Almighty Ones! Show these fools the fruits of over one hundred thousand years of hard, dedicated work!”

At first, I figured he was insane, because he appeared to be talking to nothing at all. In fact, I was just about to call him crazy before a large tremor shook the ground beneath us. I nearly fell over, but managed to regain my balance. Kiriah, predictably, fell over as soon it was felt, but Darranas stood completely still, like the ground wasn’t shaking at all.

“Where’s that shaking coming from?” Kiriah said, looking around the area wildly. “Is the entire island going to fall apart?”

“No,” Darranas replied, shaking his head slowly. “Not until I recreate everything anew, it won’t.”

I, too, was looking around everywhere, but it was difficult to see anything in the darkness. All I could hear was the splashing of the waves, the trembling of the earth, and the moans of the disembodied voices that seemed to grow ever louder as time went on.

I braced myself for whatever was going to happen next, but I was not prepared for a huge dome-like structure rising slowly, majestically out of the ocean. It wasn’t just big; it was gigantic. If I had to estimate its size, I’d say it was about five hundred stories tall, perhaps larger, for it soon rose above the clouds. No wonder the ground was shaking; anything that large was bound to cause an earthquake.

Once it stopped rising, there was nothing but darkness and silence for a brief period until – without warning – a huge flash of bluish light blinded me. I raised my hands to protect my eyes from being permanently damaged until the hue faded away, allowing me to lower my hands and see what had happened.

“What . . . is that?” Kiriah asked as she pointed with a finger that trembled as much as the island itself. “What is-“

“It is the storehouse of the Almighty Ones,” Darranas answered calmly, without looking at her. “The true power lies beyond that door.”

He gestured at the immense structure, which towered above our tiny island like a giant. The only part of the building that I could see was what appeared to be the front gate, which was studded with what looked like billions of light stones all giving off that same blue glow that all light stones do. They lit up the area well, but I did not see anything on the island that I had not already noticed before, besides what looked like the ruins of a temple on a plateau below us.

Darranas turned around and, gesturing behind him, said, “Look at this. Can either of you tell me what is covering that door?”

“Light stones,” Kiriah breathed, her eyes fixated on the storehouse entrance. “Millions – perhaps even billions – of light stones.”

“Not light stones,” said Darranas, shaking his head. “Time Stones. Billions of them.”

“Billions of Time Stones?” I gasped, looking at the doorway in shock. “Where’d you-“

“There are an infinite number of universes out there, Isarot,” said Darranas, spreading his hands again. “And almost every universe has a Stone of its own. Thus, in order for me to unlock the door, I had to steal each and every one of these Stones from a different universe.”

“But why is the Time Stone the key?” asked Kiriah. “I mean, that seems awfully convenient to me, that the Time Stone would ultimately end up becoming the key to ultimate power.”

“That is because the Time Stone was not created by the Great Beings, as the peoples of Tanjo Nui believed,” Darranas said as he dug in his cloak pockets for something. “It was created by the Almighty Ones. Indeed, it is probably the best possible security method ever devised by any being in the whole multiverse.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Whenever you make a decision in a universe, multiple other dimensions pop into existence featuring what would have happened if you had made a different choice,” the Toa of Plasma answered. “Thus, the Almighty Ones knew that, by simply placing the Time Stone in even just one universe, a million more would come into existence in a million other new universes. And then countless more dimensions would spring into existence from those dimensions, making even more copies of the Time Stone. As a result, it is nearly impossible to gather the exact amount needed to open this storehouse, for there are so many and dimension-hopping is so difficult that it would be almost impractical to try. I doubt even the Almighty Ones themselves have managed to open the storehouse since the day they locked it up.”

Then Darranas pulled a couple of things out of his pocket: Two Time Stones. I didn’t know if one of them was ours, since it was impossible to tell at this distance. I glance at Kiriah and could tell purely by her expression that Darranas was indeed holding ours, although I didn’t ask her which one belonged to us.

“These are the last two keys,” said Darranas, his breathing heavy. “I have been traveling all over the multiverse, searching every universe I’ve came across. Although I was temporarily delayed by the loss of one of these Time Stones in the Brutaka universe, all of my hard work is now nearly completed. I just need to fit these two into the door and the multiverse shall be saved.”

At the sound of those words, the voices all around us began moaning and whispering louder, but their words were still unintelligible. All it did was make me feel more than a little frightened, even though there was nothing to be afraid of. It wasn’t like the voices could harm me, after all, but I looked over my shoulder anyway just to be sure there wasn’t someone lurking in the darkness behind me, waiting to strike me down when I least expected it.

“Oh, be quiet!” Darranas snapped at the voices, like they were obnoxious little children. “No one wants to listen to your moans!”

“Who are they?” asked Kiriah as she, like me, glanced over her shoulder. “Where are the voices coming from?”

“As I have already explained, they belong to the villains who lived their lives wrongly,” Darranas explained, glaring contemptuously into the shadows. “When they died, their spirits were drawn here, to this dimension. I do not know exactly how it works, but it seems to me that this is where villains go to pay their debts.”

“Are we in the afterlife, then?” Kiriah asked fearfully.

“No,” Darranas said as he shook his head again. “Not necessarily. I would say it is a place a dead person goes who is given a . . . second chance, so to speak. Once here, they feel the pain, wrath, and torment that they exacted upon the people they knew in their lives. In order to move on, they must experience several years of retribution. It is absolutely glorious, which is why I am going to spare this particular dimension out of all the universes in the multiverse once I achieve full power.”

“Glorious? It sounds awful,” said Kiriah as she looked around the area. “Even going to Karzahni or some other horrible place would be better than this.”

“It is glorious because justice is served to those who did not feel its wrath and punishment in life,” said Darranas, his voice hard. “Those villains such as the Shodios can have their just deserts. It is exactly what I want to remake the universe as; a place where justice is administered as soon as the evil deed is carried out. Once I am in charge, not even one little white lie will ever escape punishment.”

“So, basically, you’re going to control everyone through fear of death?” I asked bitterly. I gestured at this place and said, “This place is already bad enough. If people live with fear that even the tiniest wrong thing they do will be punished severely, then that is not true freedom or happiness.”

“There is no need for freedom or happiness in a world full of pure, good people,” Darranas responded coldly. “All free will has ever done is cause evil and pain, anyway. Once I recreate the universe, there shall be no imperfections or evil thoughts or deeds. All shall be one; all shall be perfect.”

“Doesn’t sound perfect to me,” I said, staring him full on in the eyes. “Sounds like a dictatorship, except a million times worse.”

“It is only just,” Darranas insisted as he turned around. “After all, if I become superior to every other being in the multiverse, then it is only logical that I should be allowed to recreate it however I wish. The insignificant opinions and ideas ants like you hold will count for nothing, for I could wipe you both out of existence like you never existed in the first place once I have achieved total power.”

He raised both of the Time Stones which he held. As slowly and majestically as the storehouse had risen, the Time Stones flew out of his hands and fit themselves into niches in the titanic door, holes so small I couldn’t even tell which ones had been in Darranas’ hands anymore.

Then Darranas shouted, “Now, open to your new master! Allow me to devour the power of the Almighty Ones so I may right what went wrong so many, many eons ago!”

At first, the door looked just about the same as always. Then it momentarily lit up brightly and began to slowly creak open. The miserable voices all around us got louder and actually sounded frightened, like they knew something bad was about to happen. The ground beneath us shook again, except even worse than before, like the Great Spirit himself was awakening. This time, even I hit the ground, but Darranas kept his balance.

Finally, after several long minutes of rumbling and trembling, the twin doors stood wide open, but I could not see much inside because it was so dark. I watched as Darranas – his eyes fixated solely on the entrance – began walking over a huge metal bridge that had extended from the mouth of the storehouse to where he stood, allowing him to cross the ocean without having to swim.

“Hey, get back here!” I shouted as I rose hastily to my feet and raised both hands. “Don’t think you can get away from us!”

I fired twin beams of ice and light at Darranas and they struck him dead on the back. However, he didn’t seem to notice my attacks, for he kept on walking, totally unaffected, until he finally disappeared in the shadows of the entrance. I could no longer see him, so I knew trying to shoot him would be pointless.

Now there was total silence again, save for the voices of the ghosts that seemed to have calmed down now, although they still sounded nervous. I glanced at Kiriah, who was on her feet and leaning against a boulder, looking quite tired and apprehensive.

She looked into my eyes and asked, “So, um, what do we do now, Isarot?”

I didn’t want to have to say it, but I said anyway, “Well, the Time Stone is safe where it is for now. I think . . . I think we’re going to have to go after Darranas. If there is indeed ultimate power in there and if he decides to use it exactly the way he said he would . . . it would be wrong of us to let him succeed.”

I would like to say, in my defense, that I was not against saving the multiverse. My problem is that I wished we could simply take the Time Stone and go home, rather than risk our lives fighting some crazy old ex-Toa. The entire multiverse rested upon our shoulders now. There was always the possibility Darranas was wrong, that the storehouse did not hold any power in it, or even if it did, that he might not actually get it.

However, I realized the chances of him finding and using that power were far higher than him not finding it. We were the only people in any position to stop him from utterly destroying all of reality. I didn’t care if he thinks he can create a ‘perfect’ multiverse. If he’s the one ruling it, it would never be truly perfect. He had no right to judge beings just as imperfect as himself.

But, as I looked at Kiriah, who seemed frightened, I realized that perhaps not both of us had to go after Darranas. I didn’t want her harmed or possibly killed, not if I could keep her out of harm’s way.

So I said to Kiriah, “Kiri, I have an idea. Take the Time Stone and use the Olmak to get out of here. I’ll go after Darranas.”

Unsurprisingly, Kiriah said indignantly, “What? You just said we have to stop him. Not you. I’m . . . I’m going with you. I wouldn’t be a real Toa if I didn’t help, would I?”

“But you do realize that we could both die, right?” I said. “We could die brutally at his hands if he gets that power.”

“Sorry, Isarot, I don’t want to go back home without you,” said Kiriah, shaking her head. “Unity is one of the Three Virtues, after all. And besides, even if I did take the Time Stone, it would all be in vain if you failed to stop him anyway. I think you need all the help you can get, personally, especially against someone like Darranas.”

“So you’re not afraid?” I asked as Kiriah pushed herself away from the boulder and walked toward me.

“Of course I am,” Kiriah replied as she drew her sword. “I am afraid of Darranas. I am afraid of failing. I am afraid of dying. I am afraid of you dying. I am afraid of both of us dying. But I’ve been scared plenty of times during our journey and yet I didn’t run away once, did I? Why should I do that now just because you told me to?"

I smiled. Kiriah could have a pretty thick skull and be very absentminded at times, but one thing I liked about her was how she was capable of making the right choices when the time came. I still feared that perhaps her absentmindedness might get her killed in this battle, though, but I hoped it would not.

So, raising my axe, I turned to face the looming doorway and said, “Let’s do this, then. We’ll make sure Darranas doesn’t destroy our multiverse, at least not without a fight.”

I had to admit I was secretly afraid myself, but I realized we had no choice in the matter. We couldn’t run now, not unless we wanted Darranas to destroy everything we loved. We couldn’t let him do that.

And with these thoughts I entered the storehouse with Kiriah by my side, ready to save the multiverse, as cliché as that may sound.

Review Topic.

As promised, I have been closely following this epic since my initial review. Of course, another eight chapters of story have transpired since then, and your work continues to impress. I glanced above at your worry of events being spoiled, so I won't say anything that might ruin certain surprises. What I can say is that the latest worlds you have painted are so vivid, and full of life in their own ways. Imagery, landscapes, and sensory details are omnipresent, and that makes your worlds feel inches away.Moreover, the characters introduced in later chapters have that same spark of life, containing touches of your own creativity without betraying where their influence comes from. As for the characters that are your own, homegrown entities, their depth remains as real and strong as those from the official storyline. Over the course of a story, the audience begins to have an expectation of how the main characters interact with their surroundings, and that early dynamic I discussed has flourished - your first person perspective certainly paid off in this respect.If the first post remains correct, and Dimension Hoppers concludes at twenty chapters, then the end is certainly close. I'm curious to see how you'll wrap things up. Reviewers of this epic have made reference to your other stories, so whether this is a story that will tie up all the loose ends, or leave certain questions lingering overhead, there is a little doubt in my mind that it will be a satisfying finale. Once again, excellent writing, TNTOS.-Ced

Thank you for the review, Ced . Really appreciate it.No, Dimension Hoppers will not conclude my stories. I am planning another epic that will conclude them, which will also answer some unanswered questions from DiH.But yes, I think DiH's ending will be satisfying. At least, I hope y'all like it. The ending is the part I've worried about the most, so I hope I did it well. Only way to know is when I post it, I guess.Again, thanks for the review. I really do appreciate it.-TNTOS-

Furno looks to me like he has a lot of ideas going on, but little structure to how they work with one another. I'm not going to buy him, although he doesn't look like a terrible set I'll give you that.-TNTOS-

A rather serious chapter, but like I said before, a comedy can't be all jokes all the time otherwise it'll get boring. I was still surprised at the seriousness of this chapter, though.Also, they have fifteen Jewels already? I must have not been paying attention. I knew they had a few, but I didn't know they had that much.And I found all of the white letters and put them together. The Planet Saron is what I put together, which wasn't hard for me to do because I just highlighted the chapter and looked for any letters that looked different from the others. Pretty simple.-TNTOS-

So glad I got Lifetime Preimer Membership when I did. Forty dollars is too much, IMO, although the price increase is understandable.-TNTOS-

Congrats to the winners and honorable mentions!Even though I didn't vote for it, I think Ignition definitely deserved to win. I'm going to need to read Fractures now, though, just to see what it is like.-TNTOS-

Caught up, and loving it! The thief is awesome, and he is Toa Darranas, which just makes it all the more amazing!I kinda guessed it just a few paragraphs before, like Hervanax, which is good writing, letting them know a very short while before, then giving them conformation. The Kiriah puppet thing was epic (when she was controlled and attacked Isarot).I'm sad we won't get to know what happens to Krekka though...or maybe we WILL...hmm...In that "Ghost King of World's End" short story. Maybe. Hoping for it.Also can't wait for inevitable epic battle...

...which probably results in the Time Stones spilling out of Darranas's cloak

 

I find it interesting that no one has yet asked me how Darranas is the thief when he supposed to be dead. Of course that will all be answered in the next chapter, so perhaps that is why no one has asked about it.Technically, Kiriah was not being controlled by Darranas. He was simply heavily influencing her, using the power of suggestion to make her attack Isarot. So it wasn't true mind control, although it was pretty close.As for Krekka, no, he will not appear in The Ghost King of World's End, which will take place in the Shikaverse, in which Krekka is dead. Perhaps I'll write a short story or something dealing with the fate of Ehlek and his crew. Or maybe I will be able to work it in a future story, depending on if I see it as necessary or not. We'll see.And thank you for the reply. Always appreciate it .-TNTOS-

muharax blame bzpowernow that they have changed the set up i don't know where the spoiler tags areTNTOS guess what your story's are now facing a problem many great books face: people spoiling the ending for othersyour on the road to greatness

Then I am afraid I must ask you to sign a contract that says you will agree to never spoil major plot points from my stories ever again.Now if I only had this contract, then we could make this official .Seriously, though, I do worry about people spoiling my stories, although it never amounts to much because so few people read my stories. Not much I can do about it, really, except hope that people read all the way up to whatever the latest chapter is before checking out the review topic.

Wait there was a time when TNTOS wasn't on the road to greatness, I must study this more in depth.

Oh, yeah. There was a time when I was definitely not on the road to greatness (and arguably I may still have a long way to go). Any of my early fanfics can prove that, heh.-TNTOS-

Pretty good chapters, although I must admit I am surprised at how violent they are. Most comedies don't go into that much detail about violence, so to see you do this is surprising, to say the least.Oh, and I found all of the bold letters and put them together (wrote them in white). The Toa Cerun? Or did I get it wrong?-TNTOS-

actually i figured it out THEN remembered all the hints and thought "now it all makes sense"also since i figured it out it wasn't super effectivei did not get confused and did not hurt myself

I love it when stories hint at things but never explicitly reveal them until the end or near the end. The Harry Potter series, for instance, does that a lot, which is why I always enjoyed the books.Hence why I do these kinds of mysteries in my stories; I enjoy them in other fictional works, so why not use them myself? -TNTOS-

“You are correct, Kiriah. I am Toa Darranas, Toa of Plasma and deputy leader of the Toa Avha, the one and only,TNTOS used plot twistnot counting my infinite alternate universe counterparts.bad guys are always the funnyist :lol:it funny how i started to get the feeling that it was toa darranas a fue paragraphs before it was revealed it was himand now i remember Mask of Charisma from a flash backi cant wate to see how this turns out

First point: It's super effective .Second point: I didn't intend for that line to be humorous, but it kind of is, now that I think about it.Third point: Ah, that means you were paying attention to the hints and clues leading up to the reveal. Or maybe I wasn't being subtle enough, heh.Anyway, thanks for the reply. Really appreciate it .-TNTOS-

Chapter 16: Questions Answered, Questions Raised

Kiriah.

I swung my blade at Isarot, which he blocked with his axe. But he left his left side wide open and with one swift movement I kicked him as hard as I could in the abdomen, causing him to shout in pain and nearly drop his axe before he redoubled his grip on it. I could tell he wasn’t trying to hurt me, which suited me just fine. I would kill him whether he went all out or whether he didn’t even try.

Righteous anger coursed through my body, giving me unparalleled strength. I was even a match for Isarot, forcing him back with all of my might. I was going to teach that selfish Tagiki a lesson. He only wanted me for himself, the scoundrel. I knew that if I were offered a spot on the Toa Tanjo, Isarot would do whatever he could to keep me from joining. I was so sick of his selfishness by now that I wanted to kill him. Then I would be free to pursue my true dreams, rather than going on this silly quest to retrieve some silly rock from a person I didn’t care about.

Isarot pushed me back hard and sent me stumbling. I regained my balance, however, and dove at him with a flurry of attacks that he was only barely able to block.

We were evenly matched. I slashed. He blocked. I kicked. He dodged. He knew my fighting style too well and now seemed to actually be trying to defeat me. This wouldn’t work. If this went on for too long, Isarot might defeat me and prevent me from ever joining a Toa team ever again.

Then a new thought occurred to me. I was a Toa of Psionics. I could control the mind, influence it to an extent, and – although I had never done it before – I could crush it into a million little pieces if I wanted to. I knew how fragile most minds were. Just the simplest exertion of my elemental power would be enough to kill him, I was sure, especially since Isarot was probably not prepared for attacks on the mind. Then he wouldn’t be a threat to me – or anyone else – ever again.

I rolled to the side to avoid his next attack. I was out of his reach now. Without even hesitating, I struck at his mind with my powers, which worked very well, for he dropped his axe as his hands flew to his head. He yelled in shock at the unexpected attack.

Since that wasn’t satisfying enough, I decided to up the pressure until he was on his knees and practically screaming in pain.

“Please, Kiriah, think about what you’re doing!” Isarot yelled. “Think about who you’re attacking! It’s me, Isarot, your best friend! You’re killing your best friend!”

“You’re not my best friend anymore,” I responded coldly as I folded my arms. “You just weigh me down, keeping me from achieving my true dreams. What’s the point of getting the Time Stone back? Why’d we have to go on this stupid adventure anyway? All because we were told to, not because we wanted to. Well, I’m not going along like a well-behaved little girl anymore. I’m doing what I want, when I want, regardless of what some old hags want me to do.”

That seemed to break Isarot’s will, for the next moment, he fell to the ground, completely unmoving. I didn’t need to read his mind to know he was dead. I’d finished him, as I ought to have done long ago, and I did not regret it one bit. Why should I?

“Very good, Kiriah,” said the thief as he walked up to me. “Very good. You took care of that villainous Tagiki extremely well. You could make a very good Toa, just like me, and I am certain you would be able to gather a Toa team in absolutely no time with your skills, as long as you follow me.”

“Of course,” I said, turning my back on Isarot and looking at the thief’s eyes. Even standing in front of him I could not see his face, but I didn’t really need to. “If you will help me achieve my dream, then I will do anything you ask.”

“Your devotion is admirable,” said the thief. “Indeed, if I had any further use of you, I’d say you would be a great apprentice.”

“Wait, did you say ‘if I had any further use of you,’ sir?” I asked, confused. “I don’t get it. What do you mean by ‘if?’ Am I not still useful to you?”

The thief merely shook his head, like I was a little child who didn’t understand what he was saying. “I am saying, Kiriah, that I will shortly be gaining power beyond imagining. I will be so powerful that I will no longer need the help of weaklings like you, even though you are useful sometimes. Therefore, I am afraid I must dispose of you, my gullible friend.”

Moving faster than lightning, the thief seized my neck and lifted me up, nearly strangling me.

“Wha-?” I said. “You promised me a Toa team!”

“I do not need any kind of help, especially from you,” said the thief as he tightened his grip on my throat. “My Mask of Charisma works quite well, I’d say, but eventually its effects will wear off and you will be just as bumbling and useless as before. I might as well dispose of you now before you become a serious problem in the future. Good bye, Kiriah.” Then he added, “And by the way, I was lying about giving you a Toa team.”

Suddenly, my neck felt searing hot. I could barely breathe and couldn’t say a word. I somehow knew what he was trying to do to me: He was trying to melt my neck. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle as I realized what was going to happen to me.

I almost gave up all hope of escaping when – a mere second after he began the burning process – the thief cried out and threw me to the side as he stumbled backward, cursing a ton of words under his breath as he did so. My neck still burning, I looked at the thief and saw one of his legs was nearly frozen solid, with ice up to his waist.

I wondered how that was possible when the thief snarled at somebody, “Still alive, are you?”

I looked in the direction he was glaring at and saw Isarot – still alive, although appearing badly bruised – lying just a few feet away from the thief, one hand raised. Isarot’s smile was as cold as the air that trailed from his outstretched hand. I realized he had tried to freeze the thief’s leg when the thief had been busy with me. How Isarot had survived my attack on him earlier, I didn’t know, but – although I had hated him with all of my might earlier – I suddenly realized I liked him better alive than dead.

“Sorry, thief,” Isarot said with a cough, his eyes focused firmly on the thief in front of him. “Can’t let you kill my friend, even if she did just try to kill me.”

“How did you survive her attack?” asked the thief angrily. “Kiriah killed you!”

“Yeah, well, that’s where you’re wrong,” said Isarot as he sat up painfully, with his legs crossed. “I took advantage of one of Kiriah’s personality flaws: Her naiveté. She saw me fall dead and so believed it was the truth, a mistake she used to make all the time during our training sessions when she thought she’d knocked me out. True, I get annoyed by her naiveté at times, but this time it saved me. And for that I am grateful.”

The thief smashed his frozen leg against a nearby boulder, freeing it from its gelid cast, and said, “Very clever, Tagiki, just like Kolora, I see. She used to pull stunts like that, playing dead and striking when her opponent least expected it. It was what I always hated the most about her.”

“Wait, you knew Baiji Kolora?” Isarot asked in surprise. “Who-“

“Am I?” the thief finished for him. “I am an old friend of that witch, and of that Toa of Lightning, Klio. I knew them both one hundred thousand years ago, when I first stole the Time Stone-“

“You’re the original thief?” I asked as I sat up against a small boulder. It was difficult to talk because my neck still hurt, but I didn’t care about that right now. “You were the one who first stole the Time Stone, all those years ago?”

“Yes,” said the thief, “although ‘thief’ is a term I do not prefer to use. I would call myself a hero, a crusader of righteousness and light who was chosen by destiny to purge the multiverse of evil. Any sane person can see that.”

“Then I must be insane,” Isarot shot back, “’cause all I see is a power-hungry dimension-hopping thief with an ego bigger than the entire multiverse.”

The thief hurled a plasma bolt at Isarot, but Isarot stopped it with a wall of ice, which melted instantly upon making contact with the projectile. I’d been worried there for a bit, but I knew Isarot was a lot faster than he appeared.

“Do not insult me, evildoer,” the thief growled, “or else I’ll punish you, as I should rightfully do.”

“I’ll insult you all I want, thief, regardless of whether you ‘punish’ me or not,” Isarot responded as he got to his feet. He staggered a bit, but seemed perfectly fine despite receiving such severe damage to his mind. “We just want the Time Stone back, and we want it back now. Got it?”

“I will never give the Stone to villains such as you!” the thief said. “I will die before I ever let that happen!”

“Then maybe I’ll kill you if you’re that stupid,” said Isarot as light and ice energy began swirling in the palms of his hands. “And Kiriah’s gonna help, right, Kiri?”

I got hastily back to my feet, rubbing my neck and not at all sure I’d be able to kill someone. But I said, “Yeah, I’ll help beat him.”

“You would fight against one of your own, Kiriah?” asked the thief, looking at me again. “I am a Toa, just as you are. To fight me would go against Unity, Duty, and Destiny! Kill the Tagiki for real this time!”

“No way,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not falling for your Mask of Charisma again. Besides, if you’re evil, then it is my duty as a Toa to defeat you, even if you are a Toa yourself.”

The thief’s shoulders sagged, like he didn’t know what else to do. “Well, let me put it this way. Would you attack a respected and beloved hero, one who is known throughout your culture as a hero of justice? Would you attack one of the legendary Toa Avha, one of the heroes who saved your universe from the darkness all those years ago?”

I faltered a bit at the implication and said, “Wait. You’re a member of the Toa Avha?”

“Impossible,” said Isarot, shaking his head. “All of the Toa Avha went on and became Turaga of their own lands, as the legends said, or died, as in the case of poor Toa Darranas-“

“He died?” asked the thief in amazement. “Is that what they seriously say happened to Toa Darranas? That he died?”

“Of course,” I said, somewhat exasperated. “You should know that, if you’re the original thief. Didn’t Toa Klio, Toa Darranas, and Kolora go after you when you first stole the Time Stone all those years ago? Darranas died trying to get the Stone from you.”

The thief laughed, a rough and old kind of laugh, and said, “That is a huge lie you have been told, it seems, for if Toa Darranas were indeed dead, you wouldn’t be talking to me here right now.”

“Wait,” I said as I realized what he had just said. “Do you mean to say that you’re-“

“Indeed,” said the thief he reached up and took off his hood, revealing an orange Kanohi Casoria, the Mask of Charisma. “You are correct, Kiriah. I am Toa Darranas, Toa of Plasma and deputy leader of the Toa Avha, the one and only, not counting my infinite alternate universe counterparts. Perhaps you’ll realize who you’re dealing with now that you know my true identity.”

Review Topic.

First I am starting to relate to Kiriah a little more that's always good. Also I like the two Toa, even two minor characters you can give good personalities to. The flashback was nice and new. The referencing of your Shika Trilogy was a plus I liked it.

Thank you . Glad you liked the flashback, although it is a bit more than a simple reference to the Shika Trilogy. That's all I'm gonna say for now.

I feel the bolded part is a little redundant mainly because the cloaked has told us that she is on the run. Also Toa of Lightning are blue and white not yellow and white that's for Toa of Light. Lariska is kinda coming off as annoying to the people who saved her but she can be redeemed.

First point: If I remember correctly, that is from Kiriah's POV. She is often redundant and more wordy than Isarot, hence the "probably on the run all the time" line.Second point: I know that, but I made Klio's color scheme before the official colors of Toa of Lightning were confirmed to be blue and white. I like yellow and white better anyway, since it adds a bit more variety among the female Toa elements (although since all elements can have both genders in the Shikaverse, I suppose that isn't very good reasoning).Also, Toa of Light are gold and white, not yellow and white. Gold and yellow do look similar, true, but they're still not the same.Third point: I am not sure what you're saying here. Are you saying that you think Lariska is annoying or that she is annoying to the other characters? Please clarify.

How dare she not know that Shika Nui exists that , next thing you know Black Six will secretly be Chuck Norris. Sorry about that. Is the Kra Matoran empire an anology to an old empire Napoleon perhaps. Curse you TNTOS now I can't read Paranoia thanks to reading chapter 5.

No, the Kra-Matoran Empire is not supposed to be an analogy to the Napoleon Empire. Any similarities between the two are entirely coincidental.Muhaha, my evil plan to make sure people don't read my old short stories is working! Muhahah !-TNTOS-

Vote for "Dreams of Darkness," although all of them were excellent stories.-TNTOS-

Pretty good chapter, although not much happened. Maybe we'll see some more action next chapter.Anyway, I noticed a few problems:

So far, so good, thought the Toa of Psionics, Alyssia.

Why not just say, "thought Alyssia"? After all, we already know she's a Toa of Psionics, and you definitely aren't using the term in place of her name, which would acceptable. I suggest editing this bit out, mostly because it's unnecessary.

A questionable expression appeared on his face, with his brow rising quickly as Jilin watched her face twist into a more concerned facial appearance each moment.

A facial expression is what you mean here, I think. "Appearance" really isn't the right word here.Anyway, keep on writing and I'll keep on reading .-TNTOS-

Good chapter. I'm (or Nuhrii is) back again and possibly not a villain anymore, although I don't understand why. Guess it's something that will be answered later.Keep on writing!-TNTOS-

The ability to make a blog was a big incentive, not to mention the larger PM inbox. Both are useful features for me.-TNTOS-

i dont have much to say about the epic unfortunitlybut i do like the toa having eliments not used by there gendersi think that there should not have been an assigned sex for each type of toaby the way TNTOS you could probaly find that Lhikan av. by google searching if you still want it

Originally I tried to stick with the canon rule of one gender per element (mostly because I like to keep my stories as close to canon as possible), but I wanted more female Toa in my stories and so decided to bend the rules a little.Just tried to find the Lhikan avatar via Google like you said, but I couldn't find it, unfortunately. I need to get a new avatar sometime.-TNTOS-

causing its corpse to fall to the ground, lifeless.overkill :biggrin:now i really want to know what the time stone is forand who the theft was from Toa Darranas time because i am pretty sure they are not the same personhmm maybe there the same person from different dimensions

First point: There is no kill like overkill, I always say .As for the thief's identity, we will learn that next chapter. Not going to say much more.-TNTOS-

Chapter Eight

After informing the other Toa about the news, Nasis went directly to Turaga Klio and Baiji Kolora with both the news and his idea of setting up an ambush at the Temple of Time. The elders listened to his news and idea and both gave their approval on it. They disliked the Dark Hunters as much as him, and, although they knew the Hunters were not involved in the theft of the Time Stone, they felt the Toa Tanjo ought to show the Dark Hunters that they don’t approve of the rogues sneaking around on their island.

There was but one condition that Kolora insisted on: The Chofier were to be involved in this ambush also. This would not be too much of a problem if the Toa and Chofier got along, Nasis thought as he and the others stood outside of the closed Temple, but the problem was that they often didn’t.

Traditionally, due to the enmity between the Matoran and Tagiki of Tanjo Nui, the Toa and Chofier were not friends. Occasionally they were forced to work together if something came up that threatened both peoples. But generally, the Toa dealt with the affairs of the Matoran and the Chofier with the Tagiki’s problems. They often tried to avoid each other, for the two groups usually clashed whenever they were not working together.

As much as he disliked the Chofier himself, Nasis hoped he and the other Toa would be able to work together with the Chofier until they stopped the Dark Hunter at least. He dreaded a fight against Tagiki, for they were physically stronger than Toa and could wield two elements at once, although they did not have the advantage of Kanohi masks like Toa did. Still, they were good fighters and could, if they wanted to, easily crush anyone who stood in their way.

“Where are the Chofier?” Noros complained as he looked around. “I don’t sense their minds anywhere. Lazy good-for-nothing Tagiki. Thinking they can just-“

“That is enough, Noros,” Kicho said firmly. “The Chofier deserve our respect. In the past, it is often because of the Chofier that we Toa have been able to deal with threats too powerful for us to take on alone.”

“Sure, yeah, whatever,” said Noros as he hefted his hammer. “I still don’t like them. They’re arrogant smart alecks who think they own the place.”

A blast of wind from within the trees around the Temple burst out into the open, striking Noros in the chest and sending him flying. The Toa of Stone crashed into Kijaka, sending them both falling to the ground hard.

The other four Toa quickly aimed their weapons at the forest before four Tagiki exited, the lead one’s hand outstretched. Nasis recognized them as the Chofier – who, unlike the Toa, always had four members on their team – and the leader as Tajah, Chofier of Wind and Flames.

“We’re here,” Tajah said coldly as he and the rest of the Chofier stopped a few feet away from the Toa Tanjo. “As Baiji Kolora ordered.”

Noros was back on his feet instantly, stone hammer in hand, growling, “Why’d you attack me for?”

“I heard you badmouthing us, Noros,” Tajah replied, “calling us ‘lazy good-for-nothing Tagiki,’ which we didn’t appreciate very much. I thought it would be a good joke if I sent a nice breeze to cool down your hot and uncontrollable temper. That’s all.”

Noros raised his hammer and the other Toa Tanjo seemed ready to join him, but Nasis stepped in between the Toa and Chofier and said, “This is not what we are here to do, guys. We’re here to teach a Dark Hunter a lesson. We don’t have to like each other, but we should work together until the immediate threat is over at least.”

“I agree,” said Tajah, although Nasis noticed the Chofier had one hand on his sword’s handle. “I did not come here to fight arrogant younglings. I and the rest of us came to kick a Dark Hunter off this island. Right, Chofier?"

The other three Chofier nodded and murmured in agreement.

Then Nasis turned to the rest of the Toa Tanjo and said, “All right, guys? We’re not fighting the Chofier. We’re fighting the Dark Hunter. Remember that.”

Although he was addressing the Tanjo collectively, he looked at Noros almost the entire time he spoke. Although not ‘uncontrollable’ as Tajah asserted, Noros did have the shortest temper of all of the Toa and it was this temper that usually got him in trouble. Nasis just did not want Noros taking on all four of the Chofier by himself, which he knew the Toa of Stone would do if given the chance.

All of the Toa agreed, so the Toa and Chofier immediately set to work setting up the ambush (after spending an hour of arguing over how to do it, that is).

-

Because they reasoned the Hunter would not dare sneak into the Temple of Time during the day, it was later at night that the Toa and Chofier took their places in the Temple. They had split into small groups of two, generally Toa/Toa or Tagiki/Tagiki. However, Nasis and Tajah were working together as a team, deciding that they could more effectively lead together than separately. Whether that would actually work was another question entirely, but it was a good idea in theory at least.

Their ambush was simple, yet effective. With ten people, they had set up their groups of two at strategic intervals in the large Temple. One team was at the doors, hiding in the shadows in case the Dark Hunter chose to enter through that way. Another team was using the rooms of the Time Stone guardians, the Tagiki Isarot and Toa Kiriah, which were directly en route to the Chamber of Time. And the last two teams were on the upper and lower basement floors, though it was thought that the chances of anyone entering through those areas were very low. Still, they needed to cover every entrance, however unlikely it was for someone to enter through some of those areas.

There was only one team in the Chamber of Time itself: Toa Nasis and Chofier Tajah. They would essentially act as the last line of defense, if the Dark Hunter somehow managed to make it past the other groups first. As a result, Nasis did not think he would see much action tonight, for he figured five Toa and three Tagiki would be more than enough for one Dark Hunter. But he still kept his guard up just the same.

Originally, Nasis wanted to use the traps set in the Chamber of Time to capture the Hunter, but then Tajah pointed out that those were still damaged from the interdimensional thief’s attack on the Chamber. Thus, they were unusable, though the bottomless pit – which was still wide open – nearly caught Nasis before Tajah rescued him.

So now, with everyone set, the only thing they could do was wait. How long it would take until the Hunter arrived, no one knew. Nasis hoped it wouldn’t be too long. For all his talk of working together with the Chofiers, he did not relish the possibility of spending hours alone with Tajah. He’d rather be with Ahova or even Noros, but he figured this was what they had to do and there wasn’t much use in avoiding it.

Nasis sat in the shadows of the doors of the Chamber. Neither he nor Tajah spoke much; if the Hunter was trying to break in through some method that they were unaware of, they had to be as quiet as possible, lest he hear them and retreat to return another day.

A long time passed in silence as they sat in the dark before Nasis heard some movement in the shadows, toward the back of the Chamber. He realized it was not Tajah, for he could see Tajah directly opposite him. It must be the Dark Hunter, and based on Tajah’s expression, he had heard the sound too.

So the two leaders rose, weapons raised and began silently walking in the direction of the sound. Nasis wondered how the Dark Hunter had gotten in, but chose to question it later. This Hunter would be in for a nasty surprise when he ran into the leaders of the Toa Tanjo and Chofier.

It was then that he heard Tajah scream in pain and hit the floor. A minute later, he felt something hot and metal – a bullet, he realized with shock – hit just below his heartlight.

Nasis yelled in pain as he hit the stone floor, gasping for breath as blood oozed from his wound. He tried to get back up, but a thick metal boot flew out of the darkness and smashed into Nasis’ Miru. His mask nearly cracked as Nasis hit the ground again.

“Stupid Toa,” said an ancient, quiet voice. “I have just had to deal with your some of your kind a few weeks ago. I am not in the mood to deal with more.”

“Who-?” Nasis gasped as he looked up into the shadows.

“I suppose, because you will die soon, I can reveal to you my name,” said the Dark Hunter as he aimed a gun at the Toa’s head. “I am Raider, one of the best Dark Hunters in the organization. And you, my Toa friend, are about to be dead.”

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Chapter 15: Confrontation

Isarot.

I swung my axe, chopping off the heads of three zombies not fast enough to dodge. I kicked a Vortixx away and flash froze half a dozen Matoran zombies armed with rusted daggers. I ducked to dodge a Skakdi that tried to crush me with its flail and returned the favor by incinerating its head in a blast of searing hot light, causing its corpse to fall to the ground, lifeless.

One might think that I would be too frustrated by the thief’s disappearance to fight well. Actually, it seemed to be the other way around. I was so angry that I was actually fighting better and more fiercely and effectively than I usually do. Every single blow I landed on the advancing army hit and took out a couple of zombies at the same time.

But it was all pointless. If I killed one zombie, a hundred and one more would come to take its place. If I slew three in one blow, another three thousand would turn up to avenge their fallen brethren. It was a fight I knew we couldn’t win, especially since I was sure the skeletons kept getting up after I killed them.

I briefly glanced over my shoulder at Ehlek. Although I had seen Ehlek angry before, I had never seen him so enraged. He moved with ruthless efficiency, running so fast he appeared to be teleporting, taking out a dozen skeletons wherever he struck. Perhaps he, like me, was fueled by his anger of being denied what he wanted and was taking it out on the zombies. But also like me, no matter how many he took out even more would come to take their place.

A hulking skeleton of a Roffican came up to me and for a moment I hesitated. I was vividly reminded of Krekka, whom I genuinely liked. Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to destroy this one even as it raised its fists to crush me into oblivion. I was too slow. I knew I was going to die, simply because I had let my guard down at the worst possible moment.

But then a fist burst through its chest, sending it falling forward. I jumped out of the way as the hulking skeleton crashed to the ground, as unmoving as it ought to be. Looking up, I saw Krekka standing behind it, looking quite fierce as he shook the dust off of his hands.

“Krekka? You saved me!” I said as I punched out another zombie that tried to take me from behind. “Thanks!”

“Me help friends!” Krekka responded. “We take these bone guys together!”

“Right!” I said, smiling despite myself. “Let’s go get them!”

Krekka roared, perhaps in agreement or maybe in anger, and ran off to go mow down a fresh wave of zombies that had just appeared from a cave within the mountain. I turned around and blocked a blow from a Tetakian skeleton. With my free hand I froze the Tetakian and then sent it falling backward. It hit the ground and smashed into a million pieces.

Then I glanced desperately around the area for Kiriah. I couldn’t see her distinctive blue and gold armor anywhere, although I did spot the other Rofficans and amphibians fighting the army of ghosts quite valiantly. I didn’t see Amphibax until he and Ehlek jumped into view and took down at least two dozen or so zombies faster than lightning. Seeing how deadly they fought on land, I shuddered at the thought of how powerful those two must be underwater, in their native environment.

I had to find Kiriah, I thought as I took out yet another zombie, because I couldn’t go after the thief without her and the Olmak. I was stuck here unless I could find her.I felt two powerful hands seize my shoulders and, looking over my shoulder, I saw that a huge being of a species I was unfamiliar with had grabbed me from behind. Without hesitating I threw both of my arms back and blasted the skeleton with a combination of ice and light, breaking its rock hard grip on my shoulders.

I didn’t look to make sure it wasn’t getting back up, for about six Toa skeletons appeared, armed with dangerous-looking swords. They charged me, but with not much effort I covered the ground beneath them in ice. Obviously unprepared for my surprise attack, the zombies slid and tripped on the ice, allowing me to finish them off with a powerful burst of light energy.

A Zyglak zombie leapt out of the crowd, but I sliced it cleanly in half with my weapon and then punched the head off of another zombie that had been sneaking up on me. Panting hard, I took a step backward and accidentally tripped on something, causing me to fall onto my back. When I hit the ground, my axe went flying out of my hand several feet away from me.

I reached for my weapon, but for some reason I couldn’t move. Looking down, I saw that six pairs of skeletal hands had grown from the earth and were holding me down with surprising strength. I struggled to break their grip, but it was no use. I just wasn’t strong enough. My elemental powers were useless as well, for the hands were far too close to my body that I would likely harm myself if I tried to destroy them with my powers.

I looked up and saw a Skakdi skeleton standing over me, its sword raised above my head. I was about to raise my arms to blast it into oblivion, but then two more sets of hands burst from the dirt and seized my arms, as if they knew what I was about to do. So all I could do was watch as the sharp tip of the blade went flying down toward me. There was no way to dodge it and for the second time I wondered if I was about to die.

The sword abruptly stopped an inch from my face, far closer than I felt comfortable with, although it was better than being stuck in my skull. The Skakdi zombie almost looked puzzled, if a skeleton could, and then the sword went flying out of its hand, high into the sky, and fell straight down into its skull. The zombie stumbled off somewhere, trying to remove the blade from its head, while I heard footsteps running toward me from the right.

Turning my head, I saw Kiriah dashing over to me, taking out any zombies that got in her way as she approached. I was surprised at the ferocity she showed towards these monsters. I had never thought of her as a particularly fierce warrior, but seeing her behead two Vortixx in one stroke and then totally dismember another zombie on her way toward me made me question my previous views about her fighting skills.

Finally Kiriah reached me and, bending down, asked, “Isarot, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Kiriah,” I said as I looked into her worried blue eyes. “Just a little tied up with these hands here. Were you the one who dealt with that Skakdi, by the way?”

“Yeah,” said Kiriah, nodding as she gazed at the skeletal hands that were holding me tight. “Saw you fall over here and then saw the Skakdi try to stab you. He’s a little busy trying to get rid of that sword. Now let’s see what I can do with a little telekinesis.”

Without warning, the zombie hands that had gripped me so tightly snapped into pieces. Kiriah helped me up to my feet and, with another application of that amazing telekinesis of hers, caused my axe to go flying into her hands. She then handed my weapon back to me, which I gratefully accepted from her.

“Thanks,” I said. “Now let’s get out of here. The thief’s got the Time Stone, which means we can track him down and stop him once and for all.”

“Yeah, I agree,” said Kiriah, nodding. “We . . . we should.”

I frowned. She said ‘I agree,’ but I could easily tell she was reluctant at the idea of following him. Why she was when the Time Stone was the whole reason we’d gone on this stupid journey in the first place, I had no idea.

So I asked exasperatedly, “Kiriah, what do you have to say? That we shouldn’t go after him?”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” said Kiriah. The Skakdi zombie with the sword in its skull came up behind her, but an ice bolt courtesy of me finished it off. “It’s just that, well, can we really abandon Niham and the others like this? There are so many zombies and more just keep coming from everywhere. I doubt Ehlek and his group will survive on their own.”

“Kiriah, they will be fine,” I said firmly. “If they are overwhelmed they’ll just retreat and leave this island. We’ll die, too, if we hang around here, but if there is a chance that we can get that no good thief then that is what we must do. It is our duty as guardians of the Time Stone to make sure it is safe, which we would not be doing if we got ourselves killed just because we wanted to help a crazed warlord and his sailors. Got it?”

Kiriah looked hurt by my words, but I could tell she knew they were true.

So she said, “You have a point, Isarot. There’s no reason for us to stick around any longer. Besides, I can’t sense the Time Stone in this dimension anymore. The signal died out when the thief left. It must still be on him.”

“Then let’s go and get this darn thing over with already,” I said impatiently as a Toa zombie leapt out of the battle. I slew it with ease. “The sooner we retrieve the Time Stone the sooner we can return home.”

Kiriah nodded and almost immediately a dimensional portal opened before us. Without hesitation, I grabbed Kiriah’s arm and we both jumped in even as a zombie tried to follow us. As the portal closed behind us I looked back and saw that only half of the zombie had made it through. I watched as that half fell into some random alternate universe. For a moment, I imagined how freaky it would be if someone was simply walking along a beach and half of a zombie fell from the sky without warning.

I didn’t have time to think about the humorous images it conjured, however, for the next moment Kiriah began pulling me in one direction. Although she was not saying a word to me, I understood what she meant: She had picked up the Time Stone’s signal and was following it. That meant that this whole thing was nearly over.

I tried as best as I could to help Kiriah steer toward the right. Below us I saw a shining light that nearly blinded me. That seemed to be where we were going, for Kiriah had stopped moving now and was staring right into the portal below us. Almost there . . .

We passed through it and landed face first on cold, hard ground. Stunned though I was by the sudden impact, I was used to the abrupt transition that usually accompanied dimension-hopping. In an instant I was on my feet, axe at the ready. I looked around everywhere for the thief, sure that I would spot him any minute now.

But I saw . . . nothing. We had ended up on what appeared to be a small, rocky island in the middle of an ocean of darkness. No, seriously, the water was so dark it appeared to be made of shadows. The air was also quite gelid. It reminded me of the ruthless coldness of the ocean that we had fallen into in the last dimension, which had been a very unpleasant sensation.

The adrenaline rush that I had gained during my battle against the army of ghosts was rapidly disappearing and pain and fatigue was starting to catch up with me. I was so tired that I actually fell on my behind, sitting next to Kiriah, who appeared just as worn out as I felt.

“Is . . . is the Time Stone here, Kiriah?” I asked, trying to catch my breath to soothe my hurting lungs. “Is that why we’re here?”

Kiriah nodded and said, “I . . . I think so, Isarot. The Stone’s signal was coming from this dimension. I am sure of it.”

“Then that must mean the thief is nearby as well,” I concluded, looking around. “But where is he? Why doesn’t the coward show himself and fight us like a real warrior?”

There was no answer, save for a faint breeze that caused us both to shiver.

“Isarot, can you hear that?” asked Kiriah as she glanced over her shoulder nervously.

“Hear what?” I replied impatiently. “I don’t hear anything. This dimension is completely quiet.”

“No,” said Kiriah, shaking her head. “I hear voices. Very, very faint voices, but if you listen close enough you can make them out.”

I tilted my head, listened for a minute and didn’t hear anything, and said, “Are you sure you just aren’t going crazy, Kiriah? Didn’t Kolora say that the Olmak made Toa Darranas go insane?”

Kiriah hit me on the arm rather roughly and said, “No, I am perfectly sane, thank you very much. Just be quiet and listen for a change, Isarot. You’ll hear something.”

I did not like playing these sorts of games with Kiriah, but she seemed so convinced that there were voices that I decided to listen again anyway, just to humor her.

I strained my audio receptors and for a long while I didn’t hear anything. Then I heard something. It sounded like a multitude of voices and, although I could not make out any specific words, their tones sent a shiver down my spine. Some were full of guilt, others sorrow, and many were simply depressed. It was almost like these voices were talking about how they had failed to live meaningful lives or achieve their dreams. Many sounded suicidal. It made me feel depressed myself.

“Yeah, I hear the voices,” I said, my tone almost sorrowful as the voices. “But who do they belong to? Why do they sound so mournful? What do they regret doing so badly?”

“Mistakes,” said another voice from the shadows, this one much louder and more prominent than the lesser ones. “Failed dreams. Meaningless lives spent fulfilling their own foolish desires rather than doing anything truly good or worthwhile. In other words, they are the voices of the villains who chose the life of crime but were ultimately crushed by the heroes of righteousness whom they dared to stand against.”

Kiriah and I were back on our feet instantly at the sound of the voice, weapons at the ready. We both looked around and I muttered to Kiriah, “Can you sense his mind anywhere?”

“No,” Kiriah muttered back as she glanced out over the dark ocean that surrounded the island. “It’s shielded, I think, because I can’t even feel it.”

“Then keep your eyes open,” I responded, looking every which way for the thief, for that was who I believed it was. “If you see him, strike. Don’t hesitate, got it? He’s caused far too much trouble to be allowed to get away again.”

“Why do you think I want to get away from you?” asked the thief’s voice. “I am where I need to be, unlike you. You two come from another universe, one that rejected me for my ideals. If you return there now, I will spare you once ultimate power is mine.”

“First give us the Time Stone – our Time Stone – and then we’ll leave,” said Kiriah, her voice as firm and steady as her grip on her sword. “That’s all we want. We aren’t seeking a fight, not after what we’ve been through.”

“That, I am afraid, is a request I cannot honor,” said the thief. “I need your precious Time Stone, just as I need the Stones of the other universes. I have spent a long time – perhaps one hundred thousand years, I don’t know anymore – gathering Time Stones from each universe, hoping to one day access the secrets of the Almighty Ones and become as powerful as they. Not until I am done with yours will I give it back.”

“Done with ours? What do you mean by that?” I asked. I didn’t like not being able to see him; it made me feel far more nervous and tense than I ought to. “What do you need the Time Stone for?”

“Did you not see how one Stone was powerful enough to grant those skeletal warriors in the last universe a semblance of life, Isarot?” asked the thief, whose voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. “That is but a mere fraction of its true power and even less of the ultimate power it will grant me soon.”

“So your plan is to take all of the Time Stones from all of the universes and then make a big army of skeletons to conquer everything or something?” asked Kiriah.

The thief laughed, his voice echoing loudly, which hurt my audio receptors. “No. There are practically an infinite number of universes out there and so, by extension, an infinite amount of Time Stones in existence. Only a mad man would attempt to collect them all. Only a few hundred billion will suffice for my plans.”

“Only a few hundred billion?” Kiriah gasped. “How’d you get so-“

“As I have said, I have spent countless years gathering Stones from every dimension,” the thief answered. “Most of the time it was easy, but you are the only two who have thus far attempted to chase me. I am impressed, but I must request you leave . . . or else.”

“Or else what?” I demanded as I swung my axe at empty air, just to relieve my nerves. “Give us your worst. After what we’ve been through, we can surely handle whatever an interdimensional thief could throw at us.”

“You cannot handle my worst, dimension hoppers,” the thief responded, “but perhaps a portion of my power will teach you the mistake you made in following me here.”

Suddenly, the air around us got extremely hot. The heat almost dazed me, but I was aware enough that I realized the temperature was rising rapidly. It was becoming nearly unbearable and I only just realized what he was planning to do before he did it.

“Jump!” I shouted at Kiriah, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of the heat.

We hit the ground hard a few feet away and – literally a second later – there was a huge explosion behind us that seared out backsides until the fire faded away. We kept our heads down until I was sure it was safe to look.

Glancing over my shoulder, I was shocked to see the spot where Kiriah and I had been standing previously was totally annihilated. It looked melted, like molten protodermis had been dropped in the center, creating a small though deep crater in the ground. The ground around it was burnt so black that it stood out even from the rest of the blackness around us. Indeed, I speculated that if I had not acted when I did, Kiriah and I would have been totally incinerated.

“That is only a fraction of his power?” Kiriah gasped as she rolled onto her back and looked at the crater. “If that is what he can do normally, then I don’t want to know what he’ll do once he gets that ultimate power of his.”

“So I see that you both survived,” said the thief. “I thought I had got you there. Oh, well. Killing is a waste of time that could be better spent convincing you to join me.”

I blinked once and then, somehow, the thief was there, standing in his dark cloak that allowed him to blend in almost perfectly with his surroundings. I could only make him out because I could see his bright red eyes shining from within his hood, but I could not make out any other physical features besides those.

“There you are, you coward,” I said as Kiriah and I got back up again. “You can’t run from us this time.”

“You are brave even when you have just seen an example of my power?” asked the thief, sounding impressed. “Interesting. If you two would join me, why, I could make you very prominent in the new multi-universal order. I could give you power greater than you could possibly imagine if you would only listen to me. Whatever you desire will be yours if you follow me, Kiriah.”

I looked at Kiriah and saw that she appeared to be entranced. She didn’t look very different, but somehow I could tell that she was even more absentminded than she usually was.

“You’d give even me my own Toa team?” asked Kiriah, her voice hopeful.

“I could give you a hundred Toa teams under your leadership if you wish,” said the thief as he held out one orange-armored hand. “Anything you desire. If you simply choose to follow me, then everything and anything you want will be yours as long as you do not stand against me.”

I knew Kiriah wasn’t always the brightest, but she seemed to seriously be falling for his rather weak offers. She took a step forward, but I grabbed her arm and said, “Hey, Kiri. Remember our mission. This guy stole what is rightfully ours and he just tried to kill us. He’s going to kill you if you get any closer.”

“But Isarot,” said the thief, now looking at me, “why would you ever want to squash your friend’s deepest desire? Hasn’t she ever confided in you about how much she desperately wants to join a real Toa team? Don’t you have any dreams of your own that you so desperately wish to fulfill? Couldn’t I help you fulfill them, if you would simply follow me?”

“My only dream is to retrieve the Time Stone and get back home,” I responded fiercely, never lessening my grip on Kiriah, who was somewhat struggling to break free of my grasp, “and maybe kick your butt if you get in the way.”

“Fine, then,” said the thief, who sounded hurt by my words. “You are clearly a lost cause. If you do not want to be my friend, then I am afraid I will have Kiriah here teach you a lesson.”

He said to Kiriah, “Your friend Isarot doesn’t want you to be part of a Toa team. Can’t you see how he selfishly wants to keep you to himself, rather than share you with others? What kind of friend is that?”

“You’re right . . .” said Kiriah dreamily, although I thought her voice sounded a little bit angrier now. “Isarot’s not my friend if he stands against my dreams . . .”

“Then might I suggest you teach your ex-friend a lesson?” asked the thief as he folded his arms, apparently very satisfied with how things were turning out. “That crescent blade you have looks like it might just do the trick, if you know what I mean.”

Kiriah glanced at her sword, which she was holding in her hand, and said, without looking at me or the thief, “Yeah, it does look like it would work well . . .”

She went silent and didn’t move. An ominous feeling swept over me, making me wonder just what she was going to do.

Then Kiriah – moving faster than I had ever seen her move before – whirled around and slashed at my arm with her sword. Caught by surprise, I cried out in pain as the sharp blade cut through metal and tissue, causing hot blood to bleed down my arm. Cursing myself for not seeing that coming, I looked up in time to see Kiriah raise her sword above her head and bring it down. I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding getting my head cleaved in two.

“Kiriah, what are you doing?” I asked, shocked as she wrenched her sword out of the ground. “What’s gotten into you? I’m your friend! It’s me, Isarot! You should be attacking the thief, not me.”

When Kiriah turned to face me, her eyes no longer revealed a kind, sweet – albeit slightly naïve at times – Toa who would never harm her friends. Instead, they showed a merciless killing machine that didn’t distinguish between friends and enemies. She only cared about killing now, which worried me a great deal.

“You are trying to stop me from achieving my dreams, Isarot,” said Kiriah, her voice filled with anger, her chest heaving with suppressed rage as she raised her sword at me. “You don’t want me to be part of a Toa team. You are a selfish person. You don’t want to share me with anyone else. You are not worthy of my friendship.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was this really the same, sweet and sensitive Kiriah I knew? This murderous, anger-driven killing machine couldn’t be her. The thief must have some kind of power of persuasion over her, but unless I could break her out of the trance somehow I was afraid I was going to have to fight.

Getting up to my feet and resting my axe on my shoulder, I said to Kiriah, looking her straight in the eyes, “I am sorry, Kiriah. I do not want to have to do this, but if you are not willing to listen to reason then I will fight you, if it is the only way to possibly bring your sanity back.”

“I am perfectly sane, Isarot,” she responded as she lifted her bloody blade, giving her a fierce appearance in the shadows. “I only know who my real friends are now, and you aren’t one of them. I won’t hesitate to kill you, you fool.”

I readied myself for a battle I was sure I would enjoy even less than other battles. I could only hope I wouldn’t let my guard down, for I knew she was seriously aiming to kill me in this fight. I didn’t want to have to go all out, but if push came to shove I was ready.

So I said unhappily, “Then bring it on, Kiriah. Hit me with everything you’ve got.”

Review Topic.

First, I don't know who Slash is (although I have heard of the band Guns 'n Roses), so I'll have to take your word that he is one of the best guitarists of all time.Second, I don't really like the fact that you made a real person so important. I don't have any problem with real people making cameo appearances (for a joke, for instance), but I felt this was pushing it too far, personally.This chapter seemed to be more plot-focused than other chapters. That's not a problem, of course, since a comedy can't be all jokes all the time, otherwise it ironically would be less entertaining.I find it interesting that a former Protector sold a Jewel to Slash, which I figure is probably going to be important at some point.It was a good chapter overall, I think, although I didn't get many laughs from it due to the lack of jokes, which again isn't a problem because comedies do need some seriousness every now and then.-TNTOS-