TNTOS

It was the filter's replacement for "No fair," though I'm not sure why that particular phrase was censored in the first place. I imagine some of the older staff might know. -TNTOS-

These are really cool. I especially like Keetongu, but honestly they're all fantastic. You managed to capture the look of the actual sets except in miniature, which is pretty impressive I'd say. -TNTOS-

Probably the Klakk. It's just kind of weird and I just don't like it at all, mostly because the 2008 joints it has are cracked and/or broken, so I can't really do much with it. -TNTOS-

In all seriousness, though, I'm glad they got the word filter updated. Now it's time for me to go back through all of my fics and add "jerk" and "idiot" where they're supposed to be, rather than the synonyms I've been forced to used thanks to BZP's word filter . -TNTOS-

1) No, I don't subscribe. I let my subscription expire years ago because it stopped having content that interested me. 2) Because I am no longer subscribed, it doesn't affect me, so I don't care. -TNTOS-

Brothers are better*. *Says the guy who doesn't and never has had any sisters. -TNTOS-

It's Monday again. That's pretty much all I have to say. Here's an excerpt from this week's chapter: Read the rest of Chapter XIX here. Just one chapter and the epilogue left. Chapter XX will be next week and the epilogue will be the week after and then we'll be done. Yay! -TNTOS-

Chapter XIX Atuje appeared in his throne room and immediately collapsed to his hands and knees. He gritted his teeth as his body shook, trying (thankfully unsuccessfully) to kick out his soul. He needed to acclimate his soul to his body quickly and in fact already had a plan to do just that. He only hoped that his Echoes had been dilligent in bringing the Toa from the dungeons to the throne room, as he had ordered them to. As soon as he was sure his body wasn't going to act up again, Atuje stood up slowly and unsteadily. He looked around his throne room, distaste rising in his throat when he looked at the changes that had been wrought to it during his absence. The floor was simple stone now, lacking the grass he had grown there; the stream of water was dried up; and his finely crafted wooden throne had been replaced with a stone throne that looked exceedingly uncomfortable to sit in. Nonetheless, Atuje walked over to it and fell into the throne like a rock. Taking a rest when his enemies were still alive and after his blood may have seemed like a dumb idea, but in his current condition he could not keep going like a machine. Even five minutes of uninterrupted rest was better than no rest at all. That was when he noticed that the throne room was empty. No Echoes. No prisoners. Just himself. Good lord, Atuje thought. Where are those morons? How complicated is it to transport six prisoners from the dungeons to the throne room? Can I rely on anyone to get anything done around here or must I do everything myself? His thoughts were interrupted when the double doors leading into his throne room burst open. Jeran, Wavica, and Asroth dashed through and immediately slammed the doors shut and even bolted them. Not without reason; a small chunk of one of the doors flew off, almost impaling Asroth, though the doors themselves still stood. It was clear, however, that they wouldn't stand much longer. Sitting up, Atuje said, in his loudest, most authoritative (and irritable) voice, “Jeran, Wavica, Asroth. Where are the prisoners? And who is attacking the castle?” The three Echoes jumped at Atuje's voice, but as soon as they realized it was him, they turned to him and bowed like loyal subjects. “Ah, my lord,” said Wavica in the kind of pacifying voice Atuje always associated with bad news. “The castle is under attack by a group of unknown invaders. Additionally, the prisoners . . . it's a funny thing, really. . . .” “What?” said Atuje. “Spit it out or I will rip the words from your throat with my bare hands.” “Wavica's trying to say that the prisoners are all gone,” Asroth said. “We were transporting them out of the dungeons, like you told us to, but we were attacked by these guys and had to abandon them. Bet the prisoners are on their way out of Wyoko even as we speak.” Every word that passed from Asroth's lips felt like a drop of poison into Atuje's system. “No, no, no. Impossible. When did this happen?” “Probably within the last hour or so,” said Jeran. Then he added, as if to mitigate the damage, “We did try to fight back, but it was dark and there were too many of them. We thought we could hold them off better in the throne room, which is why we came here.” Jeran's words didn't penetrate Atuje's mind. To the King, it looked like his entire life was falling apart. The Almighty Ones were alive and after him, the prisoners were free, there was an unknown amount of invaders knocking at his doorstep, and he was just beginning to understand exactly how much damage Wanderer had done to his soul. Unless he got a stroke of miraculous fortune and good luck, it seemed like this was the end. All of those years of planning, the months of hard work as he put the plan into action . . . all it was crashing down around him like so many building blocks. All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry like a child. It was all just too much even for him. But despite his intense feelings, Atuje did not allow any of it to show on his face. “Fine. We shall eliminate these invaders and retrieve the prisoners. Surely they could not have made it very far from the castle, could they?” “No, they could not,” said Wavica in agreement. “My only concern, sir, is how we are going to eliminate the invaders. We were all injured in the initial fight and we're outnumbered about-” “That is no excuse for cowardice,” Atuje said, pointing at the double doors. “Stand and fight. Be ready to throw away your lives, if that is what you must do to protect your king. I will not tolerate cowardly behavior from my subjects, no matter the reason for it.” All three of the Echoes rose, but it was with varying degrees of reluctance. None of them were particularly loyal to Atuje, especially Asroth, but he knew they were too afraid to disobey him. At least, he hoped so. With the way his luck had been going, he wondered if he could not even count on them for support. Then Jeran stepped forward and said, “Lord, if I may ask, why do you even want the prisoners? Shame me with impudence and all that, but until I know the answer to that question, I will not fight for you.” Atuje let out a long, annoyed sigh and said, “To put it simply, my soul has not yet gotten used to being in such a small body, having spent so many years in Wyoko itself. By absorbing the life energy of the Toa prisoners, I could make my body more suitable for my soul, which would help my soul acclimate to my body easier.” “Why didn't you do that right away?” Jeran said. “That seems a little too important to put off, in my opinion.” “Because I was in a hurry to attack the Almighty Ones before they figured out what I was up to,” Atuje said, feeling his temper slip between his fingers like sand. “Which I now realize was a mistake, but I still have a slight chance of fixing it, assuming we can defeat the invaders and retrieve the prisoners before they escape Wyoko.” “What does Kafor have to do with any of this?” said Jeran. “Were you going to take her life energy, too?” Atuje shook his head. “Hardly. I wanted her on hand so I could use her psychic skills to help me anticipate possible problems when on the long road to rebuilding my kingdom. Any other stupid questions?” Jeran shrugged and unlimbered his scythe. “No. I just needed to make sure I knew why I was betraying you.” Moving with surprising speed, Jeran dashed toward Atuje, running up the steps to Atuje's throne. His scythe flashed through the air as it flew toward Atuje's neck, but the King caught it before it went into his head. With a twist, he ripped the scythe out of Jeran's hands and threw it away. Before Jeran could stop him, Atuje grabbed Jeran and slammed his head against the floor. “So you have finally decided to betray me,” Atuje said to his barely-conscious minion. “I always knew your loyalty was less-than-ideal, but I had never imagined you would choose to betray me at the very moment of my victory. For that, you are undeserving of the gift of life and so I must take it from you.” Jeran spit at Atuje's feet. “Do what you will. I've done everything I can to stop you. I doubt it will redeem my soul, but at least it's better than doing nothing.” Atuje didn't answer. Instead, he sucked the life force out of Jeran. He normally liked to take his time to do this, but under the current circumstances he had to speed the process up. Not that he was complaining. He could already feel himself growing stronger as Jeran's life force entered his body, but he knew that the life force of one individual was hardly enough to satisfy the needs of his soul. When he was done, Atuje stood up and kicked Jeran's body down the stairs. The corpse rolled down to the bottom, where he lay unmoving, while Wavica and Asroth stared at him with a mixture of shock and horror. Atuje knew that whatever rebellious or cowardly thoughts the two had been entertaining previously had now been crushed by this display of Atuje's power. “Now,” said Atuje as he reclined in his throne again, “any more stupid questions?” The two remaining Echoes shook their heads violently. “Good,” said Atuje. “Now protect your King's life. Spare the life of no one who attempts to come through. No one.” - As the Will agents battered the surprisingly-strong doors to Atuje's throne room, Kafor briefly wondered (not for the first time) what the heck she was still doing here and not out there with the other prisoners escaping Wyoko. Her panicky side told her that she was absolutely insane for going along with these guys, that they didn't really need her, and that she was just risking her life for no good reason. She should run now and try to catch up with the others before it was too late. She took a deep, calming breath. She wasn't going to run. All her life, she had run. Now she was tired of running. She didn't even have anywhere to run to, anyway. Her destiny was clear. She needed to help these guys defeat the Echoes and maybe even Atuje himself, if he was there. After that, she would think about her future. Of course, old habits die hard. While the others attacked the doors, Kafor positioned herself near the hallway, where she could make a quick getaway if things went south. Perhaps it was cowardly, but she reasoned that someone needed to be able to escape alive if the Echoes somehow turned the tides and she was as good as candidate for the role of the sole survivor of an epic battle between good and evil as anyone else. Just as Kafor wondered whether the old wooden doors were actually made out of protosteel, the sounds of footfalls echoing through the hallways filled her audio receptors. She glanced down the hallway just in time to see four beings running toward her. She didn't recognize the tall, black-armored Gadarian, but she did recognize Night, Kiriah, and even . . . wait, was that Masqouth? “Guys!” Kafor yelled over the sounds of the Will agents beating the doors. “Guys, look! It's Masqouth!” That caught their attention right quick. Just as the Will agents turned from the doors, Night, Kiriah, that other guy, and Masqouth skid to a halt not far from Kafor's group. Both groups stared at each other, the sudden lack of nosie and movement from both sides making Kafor uncomfortable. Not that she dared move or speak. She had a feeling that one wrong move or one wrong word could easily result in a bloodbath that even she wouldn't be able to escape. Then Oggak stepped forward and said, “Who are you people?” “My name is Night,” said Night. “And this is Toa Kiriah, Jetrupi, and, well, I think you already know Masqouth.” Masqouth waved at them happily. “Hi! I'm here to avenge my parents. What are you guys here for?” “To arrest you,” Oggak said. “We are members of the Will of Angonce, an organization dedicated to protecting Spherus Magna from people like you.” “You make me sound dangerous,” said Masqouth. “Like a threat.” “That's because you are,” said Oggak. “You masterminded the kidnapping of several innocent beings, orchestrated a world war, and have no doubt done other evil things none of us even know about. 'Threat' is an understatement.” “Oh,” said Masqouth, the smile disappearing from his lips like someone had vaccumed it off. “Right. Um, I'm sorry about all that. For the record, I didn't know it was wrong and a lot of it was Atuje's fault anyway, even though I helped.” All of the Will agents stepped forward, their weapons drawn, when Night – much to Kafor's surprise – held out his sword in front of Masqouth and said, “If you want to get to Masqouth, you'll have to go through me first.” “Uh, Night?” Kafor said, deciding that that was simply too ridiculous to go uncommented on. “You do remember that this guy tried to kill you and that one of his friends murdered Heavyweight, right?” Night glanced at Kafor in surprise, like he hadn't realized she was there until now. “Kafor? You're still alive. Thought for sure Atuje would have killed you by now, if only so he wouldn't have to listen to your lame attempts at snark anymore.” Kafor rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha, ha. For your information, I thought you guys were dead. Where were you and Kiriah all of this time? Taking a nap?” “Wait,” said Oggak. “Kiriah, is that you? What are you doing with Masqouth?” “It's a long story,” said Kiriah, scratching the back of her head. “But just so you know, Oggak, Masqouth is on our side now. He wants to help us defeat Atuje.” “Forgive me for being skeptical, but I am not so certain about that,” said Oggak, casting a wary look over Masqouth. “How do I know he's on our side?” “Well, I haven't attacked any of you guys yet,” said Masqouth. “So I'd say that puts me squarely on your side, wouldn't you agree?” “No,” said Oggak. “And who is Atuje, anyway?” “The guy who is really behind all of this,” said Night. “He's the one who orchestrated the war and planned the kidnapping of the Toa and Kafor. He's the guy we have to stop, not Masqouth.” “Explain,” said Oggak. “I'm listening.” Night then launched into the most bizarre story Kafor had ever heard in her life. He mentioned something about some beings called the Almighty Ones, something about Masqouth being their son, and Atuje trying to get revenge on them by coming up with a convoluted plan. It sounded like the delusional ravings of a madman, yet Kiriah, Masqouth, and the other guy confirmed every point wherever there was any doubt. By the time Night finished, Oggak and the other five Will agents with her looked more than a little confused and very skeptical. “You have to believe us,” said Night. “We are all trying to stop Atuje here. Yes, I understand why you don't like Masqouth, but trust me when I say that he is on our side.” “Aren't Night, the infamous Dark Hunter?” Oggak said, in dawning realization. “Again, forgive me for my skepticism, but that gives me even less reason to trust you.” “If you can't trust him, then trust me,” said Kiriah, pointing at herself. “Oggak, you and I know each other. We're friends. Would I really lie to you about something this big? Would I ally myself with Masqouth for the wrong reasons? Ask yourself those questions. The answers will decide your next course of action.” For a moment, Oggak looked like she was going to order her fellow agents to attack. And Kafor wasn't sure whether she would help Night and the others or fight alongside the agents. She knew them, to a certain extent even liked them (stretching the defintion of the word 'like' to its breaking point, of course), but if they were working with Masqouth, even if they had their reasons . . . well, she decided she would wait for Oggak's answer. Then Oggak sighed and said, “All right, Kiriah. We'll work with you guys until Atuje is defeated. After that, we will have a serious discussion about Masqouth's future. You know we can't let him go unpunished.” “Sounds good to me,” Masqouth said. “Now step aside. I'll get the doors open. You all just stand back.” Much to Kafor's surprise, the Will agents obliged and retreated a little ways from the doors, along with Night, Kiriah, and that other guy. Once they were a certain distance, Masqouth walked up to the doors, his mask's shape changing until it became the Mask of Repulsion. Masqouth's mouth briefly flashed and the next moment, the doors went flying off their hinges into the throne room beyond. The doors crashed to the floor loudly and through the now-open doorway, three beings stood, looking ready for combat. Review Topic

1) Books. Loved, loved, LOVED the books. I mean, getting a comic in the mail was always exciting, but it never quite compared to getting a book and reading it, in my opinion. 2) Other Web content. Most of the time there just wasn't a whole lot of useful or interesting information in character bios and the like. Never really paid attention to them as a result. 3) Comics, Books, Serials, Films, A TV Series, and Web Videos/Animations. Think that would cover the story fairly well and offer a wide variety of ways for fans to get content, too. -TNTOS-

As an aspiring writer who used BIONICLE to build up my ability, I'll tell you that it's true you're your own worst critic. My early BIONICLE stuff was awesome, but I naturally gained skill. You should never feel afraid to give it another chance. How true. Despite my own years of experience as a writer, I still hate (or at least dislike) most every fanfic I write. Even though most of my readers love my work and rarely have anything negative to say about it, I still have a hard time believing I'm any good. Just the nature of being a writer I guess. Nothing ever comes out quite the way I imagine it. Back to the topic at hand: Bionicle changed my life by inspiring me to become a professional fiction writer. I haven't yet achieved that dream, but I have published a few books this year already and plan to publish at least one more before the year's out, which I wouldn't have ever done if I hadn't spent countless hours writing Bionicle fanfics and listening to the criticism I've received from my readers and fellow writers. I doubt I'd know what career to take if I hadn't started writing fanfics and realized how much I'd love to write stories as my job. Bionicle is the main reason I love to read as well. Loved reading the Bionicle novels when I was a kid. The comics were pretty good, too, but the books are where it's at. Also thanks to Bionicle, I'm far more knowledgeable about fandoms and the Internet in general, which has helped me avoid some of the dumber aspects of both, heh. -TNTOS-

First reaction to seeing Tahu: "I want one." -TNTOS-

A mere three weeks until the final chapter now (really the epilogue, but semantics amirite?). Until then, here's an excerpt from this week's chapter: Read the rest of Chapter XVIII here. -TNTOS-

Chapter XVIII Present day. . . . If Night had been angry before, he was enraged now. He was currently up to his waist in a pit of sand that was trying to devour him, Jet, Kiriah, and Masqouth. Above them, Mendos sat on her throne, watching the spectacle like it was a good telescreen show. She even had a snack, a bag of dried fruit, and a large glass of water that she occasionally sipped from. He tried to pull his legs out, but it seemed like the more he struggled, the stronger the sand clung to him. Standing still didn't help because it still pulled him in. True, it wasn't dragging him in very fast, but he figured he and the others only had a few minutes before they disappeared underneath the sand forever. “Anyone know how we can get out of this?” Night asked, looking around at the others. Masqouth's mask turned into the Mask of Flight and he attempted to launch himself into the air. Unfortunately, the sand clung to his robes and legs like flypaper and he was dragged back down before he could get even a bio above the sand. “Nothing,” said Masqouth, punching the sand in frustration. “I used to like sand. Now I don't.” “Jet, Kiriah?” said Night, looking at those two. Kiriah was almost up to her chest and shook her head. “Sorry. I don't think there is anything I can do about it. My psionic powers won't work.” “Don't look at me,” said Jetrupi with a shrug. “I don't have any powers at all, so I feel more than a little useless right now, to be honest.” “Giving up so soon?” Mendos said. “That would be boring. Half of the fun is watching you four struggle – in vain, of course, because I love a good tragedy – to escape. I should let you know, however, that the Pit of Living Sand has only been conquered once before. And that was because Stronius got lucky. So don't feel too bad if you end up dying.” The sand was up to Night's chest now. He thought as hard as he could. He had never thought so hard in his entire life. Yet every idea, every plan, seemed doomed to failure from the start. He began to sink into despair, his arms going slack as he accepted his fate. He looked at the others, perhaps for the last time, and noticed Masqouth's mask. He'd seen it before, of course, but when he looked at it now, a memory stirred in his mind. He remembered almost being killed by Masqouth, being blown through a brick wall, getting buried underneath tons of rubble. If Night died here, he would never get a chance to punch Masqouth in the face for that. Wait . . . blow through a brick wall. . . . “Guys,” said Night, raising his arms to avoid getting them stuck in the sand. “I have an idea that just might work.” “Okay,” said Kiriah. “Let's do it. I don't care if it's absolutely insane. Let's just do it.” “All right,” said Night. “Masqouth, change your mask into the Mask of Repulsion.” Masqouth obeyed, his Kanohi shape-shifting into that form Night hated. “Done. What else?” “Everyone, hold hands,” said Night, throwing out his arms toward Jet, Kiriah, and Masqouth. “And make sure to hold as tightly as you can and even tighter than that.” Soon all four of them were holding hands so tightly that Night could not feel the blood circulating through his fingers. Then he looked at Masqouth and said, “Activate the mask. Repel the sand away from us.” “On it,” said Masqouth as the mask glowed briefly. Without warning, Masqouth shot up so fast that he broke the sand's grip on him. Night, Kiriah, and Jet were jerked into the air with him so fast that they, too, broke out of the sand. All four of them went flying so high into the air that for a moment Night was afraid they were going to hit the ceiling. But just as soon as they stopped going up, they started going down. The only thing below them was the Pit of Living Sand and Mendos, who was looking up at them with shock. Night doubted she'd seen anything like that in all of her years in the Maze. Which made him feel a bit more smug than he perhaps should have. The problem of where they would land was one that immediately sprang to Night's mind, but just before he could think of something to do, a dimensional portal opened underneath them and they all fell through it. All four of them tumbled through the space between dimensions – a blurr of colors, shapes, and textures that Night couldn't describe even if he wanted to – for a few seconds before they landed on the stone floor of some hallway and not gracefully, either. Masqouth was the first to his feet, wiping sand off his robes as he said, “Well, that was fun. We should do it again sometime.” Night, whose arms felt like they had nearly been ripped from their sockets, sat up and shook his head. “Define 'fun.' Anyway, where are we?” Before Masqouth could answer, he slammed against the wall, seemingly for no reason at all. Night, in surprise, glanced at Kiriah and Jet, who were back on their feet. Based on the expression Kiriah wore, it was clear she was using her telekinesis to pin Masqouth down. “The better question is, what was Masqouth doing with you back there, Night?” said Jet. “Unless I am mistaken, Masqouth was trying to kill us all. Is he manipulating you or something?” “Hey,” Masqouth said, struggling against the telekinesis. “Let me go. This isn't fun.” “Nope,” said Kiriah, shaking her head. “Until we find out exactly what you're doing with us, I'm going to keep you right there where you can't cause any trouble.” Night scrambled to his feet and then relayed the story of Masqouth's defection to their side. “He's the real deal,” said Night. “I don't like him much, either, but so far he's been a helpful ally and I think we should let him tag along until Atuje is defeated.” Jet shook his head in disbelief. “Night, I thought you hated Masqouth more than any of us. Yet you're the one who is trying to fight for his inclusive in our group. It would be hilarious if the circumstances weren't so grim.” “I guess if Masqouth really is on our side now, I can let him go,” said Kiriah, scratching the back of her head. “I mean, we can deal with him if necessary. Besides, after all the stuff I've been through recently, holding him down is starting to take a toll on me.” “Sounds good to me,” said Masqouth. “This wall is hard and not fun at all.” Kiriah snapped her fingers and Masqouth pushed himself away from the wall. He looked at her with distrustful eyes for a moment before looking up and down the hallway. “Let's see, if I did it right, I think we are currently in the hallways of Castle Kra, probably near the throne room.” “Castle Kra?” said Jet. “Why Castle Kra?” “Isn't it obvious?” said Masqouth. “This is where Atuje is currently based. I doubt he's still in the warehouse. Most likely he returned here for the final stage of his plan, which he has yet to put into action. He's probably in the throne room.” “And what, may I ask, is the final stage of his plan?” said Jet. Masqouth folded his arms and appeared deep in thought. “I don't know. He never explained it to me. I don't think he told any of us Echoes, to be honest. He just told us it was important and that we couldn't let anyone interfere with it.” Night pulled the trigger on his sword. The next moment, it burst into flames. “Then let's stop talking and let's start looking for him. Masqouth, you know the way to the throne room, so take us there.” - When Ruby blinked, she suddenly found herself standing on the drawbridge of a large castle. She shook her head and looked at Cina, who appeared as disoriented by the teleportation as she felt. Then again, it might not have been the teleportation so much as it had been the fact that only a few minutes ago, they had been lying directly in front of death's door. Ruby herself did not feel entirely well just yet, but that hadn't stopped her from asking the Almighty Ones to teleport them to Castle Kra (which they did, in fact). “We apologize for not going after him sooner,” said the Almighty Ones, who stood behind them. “It took us a while to recover from his attack. Besides . . . you must understand that we are not terribly eager to face him in battle again, not after our last confrontation with him.” Ruby nodded. “We get it. I just hope that Niham is still-” She was interrupted by a sudden flash of light from the castle courtyard, followed immediately by the sounds of people running and talking. The sudden bright lights caused her and Cina to block their eyes to avoid being blinded, even though Ruby quickly realized how dumb a move that was on their part. If this was some kind of trick by Atuje or his Echoes, after all, then not being able to see could easily cost them their lives. When her eyes felt better, Ruby lowered her hands and looked at the crowd. It was made up of about five Toa and three or four other beings that she didn't recognize, all of whom were holding lightstones, the source of the bright light from before. The Toa all looked tired, dirty, and in desperate need of a good meal, but that wasn't what caught Ruby's attention. What caught her attention was the Toa of the Green who stood on the outer edges of the group, who caught her eye and ran toward her almost immediately. Ruby didn't even think about her next move. She simply ran, with her arms spread, toward Niham. She forgot about her tiredness. She forgot about Atuje. She forgot about all of the horrible stuff that had happened over the past week. Her only thought was Niham. The two met in the center of the drawbridge, where they embraced tightly. Niham's lips never tasted so good to Ruby (despite tasting like grime) and the two held their embrace for what felt like forever before they broke the kiss and stared into each other's eyes. “Ruby . . .” Niham said. Her voice was weak and strained, but still recognizably hers. “I missed you so much.” Ruby smiled. “And I missed you. Getting to be with you again was worth all of the crud I had to go through to get here.” Niham returned the smile, then glanced over Ruby's shoulder in surprise. “Who are your friends? For that matter, how did you even get here? Not complaining. Just curious.” “I was about to ask you the same question,” said Ruby. “I figure the other Toa are the other prisoners, but who are those other guys?” “Agents of the Will of Angonce,” said Niham. “And yours are-?” Ruby glanced over her shoulder. The Almighty Ones stood a little ways off, looking quite distant and mysterious, while Cina had joined her fellow Will agents and seemed to be filling them in on her and Ruby's recent adventures. “Their identities aren't important,” said Ruby. “What's important is that you're safe and we're back together again. And we will never be separated again, not now, not ever.” The two held each other tightly for a while before Cina walked up to them and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but I've just spoken with my fellow agents and we need to know what you want to do next.” Ruby and Niham reluctantly broke apart and turned to face Cina. Dawning comprehension rose on Niham's face as she pointed at Cina and said, “Hey, I remember you. Aren't you a Crime Scene Analyst for the NALT?” “That was just a cover,” said Cina. “I'm actually a member of the Will of Angonce. Sorry for lying to you. Anyway, our plan is to take all of you guys out of Wyoko. Don't worry about Masqouth and the Echoes. I just learned that some of my fellow Will agents are in Castle Kra hunting down the last of the Echoes as we speak.” Ruby slipped her hand into Niham's. “I wasn't worried about them at all. I didn't come here to save the world or stop a war. I just wanted to save one person.” Cina nodded. “How sweet. Now I wonder if-” A mighty wind swept past them just then, almost knocking them off their feet. Ruby had just enough time to glance up into the sky to see five robed beings flying toward the highest tower on the Castle, who vanished into the darkness of Wyoko upon leaving the boundaries of the lightstones. “Well, I guess the Almighty Ones aren't coming with us,” said Cina. “Just as well. Their goals are obviously very different from ours and frankly I still have no idea who or what they are. Guess it's none of my business.” After that, Ruby, Niham, and Cina joined the rest of the group, who then proceeded to make their way across the drawbridge to begin the long journey back to Spherus Magna. Ruby had her arm around Niham's shoulder the entire time and wouldn't move it for anything in the world. Review Topic

There's actually one more flashback chapter left, but glad you found that one exciting anyway. -TNTOS-

Time Trap was pretty good, but my favorite is Dark Destiny. I'm not sure why, but that book always stood out to me. Guess it has something to do with Karzahni or something. Oh, and Swamp of Secrets was awesome, too. Loved how it alternated between the present and the past. And it had a nice cover, too. -TNTOS-

New story set on Spherus Magna after a long time (that way old characters can come back and old plot points can be picked up and resolved, if necessary), finish the serials as a side project (mostly because only we older fans even care about them, so they shouldn't be a top priority for LEGO but should still be finished anyway), and a new one; let LEGO surprise me (not sure how well the whole "Mata Nui is a giant robot" twist could work again). -TNTOS-

Thanks . Glad you like my works. Always great to see a new reader. As for writing, it's my dream to be a professional, full-time fiction writer. While I've had a great time writing fanfiction, I've decided to stop writing it to focus more on my original fiction, which is what will help build my career. I mean, I might write more fanfics at some point (most likely flash fiction or short stories), but probably not for the foreseeable future. Now I don't know which of my works you've read (aside from Dimension Hoppers), but if you want to read more of my stuff, you can find links to most of it in my library (click the red link in my sig). While I may not be writing fanfiction anymore, I have a large backlist (50+ epics, short stories, and comedies), so maybe that will satisfy your craving for more of my work. Again, thanks for the comment. I was feeling really crummy this morning and reading your comment just made my day. -TNTOS-

Can't believe there's only three chapters left now. The end is indeed very near. Here's an excerpt from this week's chapter: Read the rest of Chapter XVII here. -TNTOS-

Chapter XVII Ten years ago. . . . Two weeks of planning later, Night Vision found himself walking through the winding corridors of the Bunker, all by himself. He glanced at the map of the Bunker he had and knew he was going to find the entrance to the office wing any minute now. And assuming everything went as planned, Heavyweight and Blaze should meet up with him there as well. The plan had been a risky one and was still risky, even though Night Vision thought he had gotten past the first hurtle. Even now, he couldn't be certain that he was not being followed by someone, maybe one of the guards, even though every glance over his shoulder revealed nothing more than the black stone floor, walls, and ceiling of the Bunker. To calm his nerves, Night Vision went through the plan in his head. It was mostly Heavyweight's idea, primarily because she was the smarter of the three friends. Night Vision and Blaze had supplied her with a few details of the Bunker that she had not known, but in the end Heavyweight was the true mastermind behind the plan. In the event the plan failed and only one of them was to be punished, it would probably be Heavyweight, assuming the II scientists found out who came up with the plan in the first place. The plan was simple. During the night, Night Vision was to sneak out of his room, make his way to Blaze's room, and free her. Blaze would then cause a fire in the western wing of the Bunker, near the location of the burning Gadarian's attack. This fire would not be terribly big or damaging or even really dangerous, but it would cause the guards and scientists to panic. All of the guards would go to stop the fire from spreading, while the scientists would be escorted out of the Bunker for safety. With the guards and scientists distracted, Night Vision, Heavyweight, and Blaze would all make their way independently to the same location: The east wing. Specifically, the scientists' office, which was where the scientists kept all of their important documents and information about the elementalists. The plan was to break into the office, find the information they needed, and hopefully get out before the guards or scientists returned. So far, everything had gone according to plan\. Night Vision had broken out of his room when his guards were changing shifts, while making sure his door continued to look locked. After a few minutes, he had made it to Blaze's room and broke her out and helped her start a fire in the cafeteria. Then the two split up, each taking a rough map of the Bunker that Heavyweight had drawn for them the day before. Heavyweight had memorized the layout of the Bunker on her first day, so Night Vision was certain that their maps were as accurate as they could be. How much time did they have to look for the info, once they broke into the office? Night Vision didn't know. Blaze said that they probably had ten or twenty minutes. Considering that none of them had ever actually been inside the office before, nor even knew for sure that they would find what they were looking for, that didn't fill him with much confidence. Night Vision forced himself to think positive. That meant he couldn't think too deeply about what would happen to Grandfather if Ignika Industries found out what he was doing and fired him. At the very least, he would have to find a new job to keep the money flowing back home. Which might be difficult, because, for all intents and purposes, he was now a freak and no one wanted to hire freaks. After a few more nerve-wracking minutes of turning corners and walking down hallways, Night Vision found the door to the office. It was shut tight and appeared locked. He looked up and down the hall, realizing that Heavyweight and Blaze were not here yet. He internally debated whether he should enter when he heard someone running in his direction nearby. Not knowing who it was, Night Vision stepped back against the wall and allowed the shadows to hide him. It was a useful trick he had learned during training, cloaking himself in darkness. It worked similar to Day's invisibility, although it was totally useless in lighted areas. The next moment, one of the Agori (Water Tribe, by the look of him) scientists ran down the hall, looking hurried and harried. He ran right up to the office door and fumbled with a key ring before unlocking the door. Seeing his chance, Night Vision slipped out of the shadows and brought his fist directly down on the scientist's head, knocking him out instantly. As soon as the scientist collapsed, Heavyweight and Blaze came running from opposite directions. Blaze looked tired, like she hadn't gotten much sleep, while Heavyweight looked like she had just awoken from a refreshing nap. The Vortixx's excited expression disappeared quickly, however, when she spotted the unconscious Agori scientist lying at Night Vision's feet. Heavyweight groaned. “You didn't kill him, did you?” “No,” said Night Vision, shaking his head. “He's still alive. Just unconscious.” “This is no good at all,” said Heavyweight. “I was hoping we could argue for our innocence if we were caught, but now that you've actually assaulted somebody, that's going to make proving our innocence that much more difficult.” “Sorry,” said Night Vision, scratching the back of his head. “I saw him unlock the door and knew he'd lock it again when he left. So I knocked him out before he could enter.” “Look, we don't have much time,” said Blaze. “I heard they were going to get Aqua to put out the fire I made. That will only take a few minutes, so we have to get in there and search for the info we're looking for as quickly as possible.” Heavyweight was still looking at Night Vision disapprovingly, but then she nodded and said, “Blaze is absolutely right. Let's go.” The three elementalists entered the office. Night Vision closed the door behind them, making sure to take the key rings from the unconscious scientist as he did so. He locked the door and grabbed a nearby chair and put it under the doorknob to keep it from being opened. If the scientists brought in another elementalist, he doubted the chair would hold for long; nonetheless, he figured it would them at least a few extra seconds of time to search for what they were looking for. When Night Vision turned to see the office itself, he was awestruck. It was a wide open room, much bigger than even the arena, with desks, telescreens, scientific equipment, and a variety of other things scattered everywhere in a neat yet slightly chaotic way. The florescent lights that lit the room hurt his eyes, forcing him to squint to save his vision. He saw no scientists, which meant that the plan had indeed worked. Mega telescreens, bigger even than the ones on the buildings of New Atero, hung from the walls like paintings. All of them were currently off, but that didn't stop Night Vision from wondering what the scientists used them for. He doubted it was to watch the news. At the other end of the room, an office partitioned off from the rest of the wing caught his eye. That had to be the personal office of the head scientist, though from a distance it was hard to tell for sure. “Oh boy,” said Blaze as the three elementalists looked over the entire place. “Where do we look? Look at all of these desks and filing cabinets. I already knew the plan was a long shot, but I'm pretty sure we're done for now.” Heavyweight pointed confidently at the partitioned office at the end of the room. “That one. I bet that's where Sorox does all his work. If anyone would know what the true purpose of Project Elementalist is, then it would have to be him and he would have to have files on it where he could keep an eye on them.” “All right, then,” said Blaze. “Let's hurry. I don't know how much time we have until the guards realize we're all missing and start looking for us.” The three elementalists weaved in and out of desks, passed strange scientific equipment Night Vision doubted he could understand even if he had an interest in science, and more than once had to tread carefully around desks overflowing with papers and half-eaten fruit to avoid knocking it over. It felt like a giant maze, although unlike a maze the end was always within their sights. All the while, Night Vision remained aware that, with each passing minute, the chances of the scientists returning only to find the door to their office locked grew exponentially. He kept glancing at the ceiling, but even when he failed to see any security cameras taping their every move, he did not relax. Neither did Heavyweight or Blaze, by the expressions of strain and worry they wore on their faces like Kanohi masks. Finally, the trio reached Sorox's office. Like the door to the rest of the office, it was locked and none of the keys on Night Vision's key ring could open it. So Night Vision was forced to break the lock with a shadow bolt, allowing them to push the door open and step inside. It was dark at first, but Blaze found a light switch and flipped it on, allowing all three of them to see what they had stepped into. Night Vision's first impression of Sorox's office was that it was very cluttered. The desk was covered with files, documents, papers, and forgotten cups of half-drunk Madu juice. The walls were covered with various certificates and degrees that the head scientist had received from a variety of scientific organizations and colleges, such as the New Atero Institute of Science, for example. The room smelled strongly of rotten fruit, which Night Vision realized was due to the basket of decaying fruit next to the scientist's desk. “Ick,” said Blaze, wrinkling her nose. “I guess Sorox doesn't care much about cleanliness, does he? “Who cares?” said Heavyweight. “We should start looking through his papers. If anyone finds anything, say so.” Night Vision and Blaze nodded and soon the trio spent the next several minutes in silence, looking through stacks of papers for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Though Night Vision would not admit it, he found the papers a difficult, boring read. Most of them were simply notes on the progression of the various elementalists. Even his own paper was boring, noting only that he was rapidly gaining mastery over his elemental powers and nothing more. Whenever he glanced up at the others, they, too, appeared bored out of their minds. Even Heavyweight seemed unable to concentrate on one paper for too long. She glanced at it, make a noise of frustration, and tossed it aside and picked up the next paper only to repeat the cycle. Blaze was sitting in one of the chairs, her eyes glazed over as her eyes scanned the pages. The papers used all kinds of weird jargon and phraseology. Night Vision barely understood half of it. It made him wonder how the scientists managed to understand this kind of technobabble. Most of it seemed like irrelevant nonsense to him, with phrases like 'specific testing of subject's ability to achieve maximum propulsion will be tested at a later period' and 'Number 11 has displayed a propensity for manipulation and subjugation of dihydrogen monoxide.' It was like reading a foreign language. Due to the lack of a clock in the office, he had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like hours, though, even though it was probably just minutes. Night Vision eventually knocked his stack of papers to the floor, causing both Heavyweight and Blaze to start and look at him in surprise. They looked like they had just awakened from a deep slumber. “This is ridiculous,” said Night Visin, kicking at the papers at his feet. “Do either of you understand even half of what this stuff says?” Heavyweight shook her head. “Nope. I was hoping that maybe we'd find something written in a language we could read, but-” “This is a waste of time,” said Night Vision. “There's no grand conspiracy or deeper motive for the Project aside from what we were told. We're just paranoid.” “I think you have a point,” said Blaze, scratching the back of her head and yawning. “Even I find this stuff boring and I was a science student before I joined the Project.” “Maybe we have enough time to get out of here before anyone realizes we're missing,” said Night Vision. “Although now that I think about it, it is strange that no one has found us yet. I wonder what's keeping them.” Heavyweight put her papers down and stood up, stretching her limbs. “No idea. How big was that fire you made, Blaze?” “Big enough to cause them trouble, but not big enough to cause any permanent damage,” Blaze answered. “Why?” “Maybe they ran into some unexpected complications,” said Heavyweight. “Another burning Gadarian, perhaps?” “Perhaps,” said Night Vision. “Whatever happened, I think we should get going. The faster we get out of here, the easier it will be to hide our tracks.” “What about the scientist you knocked out?” Heavyweight said. “Won't he tell them you assaulted him?” “I doubt it,” said Night Vision. “I knocked him out from behind. All he knows is that he was knocked out by someone. For all he knows, it could have been one of the guards. So we're probably safe.” “Assuming, of course, that he hasn't awoken yet,” said Heavyweight. “Or told the guards that he was assaulted trying to enter the group office. Otherwise, yeah, we're perfectly safe.” The trio left Sorox's office. Night Vision did not expect to see anyone waiting for them, but much to his surprise, there was a fourth person in the office wing, standing in the very center of all the desks and equipment. The trio stopped as soon as they spotted him. None of them said anything because frankly, none of them knew what to say. Then Heavyweight somehow found the words and said, in a hesitant voice, “Mr. Gray? What are you doing here? And how did you get in without any of us hearing you enter?” Even from a distance, Mr. Gray's smile was evident. “I have a variety of ways to move around the Bunker without being seen, Miss Heavyweight. It is how I have been able to keep tabs on your little plan to find out what Project Elementalist is really all about.” “He knows,” Night Vision muttered to Heavyweight. “Of course I know,” said Mr. Gray. “What, surprised I can hear you? Shouldn't be. Over the years I've honed my hearing to an almost De-Matoran level of sensitivity. Don't even bother planning behind my back; otherwise, I will crush you before you even realize it.” “Big words from an old man,” said Night Vision. “And how did you even know we were here, anyway? We didn't tell anyone about our plans.” Mr. Gray laughed. “Night Vision, in my experience, I have learned that most secrets are leaked not by those outside the circle, but by one of the secret-keepers themselves. Isn't that right, Blaze?” Night Vision and Heavyweight looked at Blaze in surpsie and confusion. The Ta-Matoran was looking down at her feet, scratching her arm unconsciously. An ominous feeling crept up Night Vision's spine, a feeling whose source he identified even before Heavyweight said, “What does he mean by that, Blaze? Surely he isn't implying-” “I did it,” Blaze said. “I betrayed you guys. I wasn't sure we were doing the right thing and I was afraid we'd get hurt and get kicked out and I just couldn't take the worry that we'd be captured so I told him.” “You did a fine job, Blaze,” said Mr. Gray. “I like to know when my employees are going to be acting in ways I don't approve. And starting a fire and rifling through the belongings of one of my other employees is certainly something I do not approve of in any way, shape, or form.” Night Vision had always known Blaze was less certain of the plan than either he or Heavyweight. But that she had betrayed them . . . no. He didn't have time to let his feelings of angry override his critical thinking facilities. Maybe later he would deal with them. “All right, you got us,” said Night Vision. “So what? Are you going to fire us? Have the guards haul us out of the Bunker?” “No, no, no,” said Mr. Gray, shaking his head. “If I fired you, then there is no telling what would happen to you. There are many beings in the world that would be interested in a shadow-wielding Skrall, a gravity-controlling Vortixx, and a Matoran capable of hurling fireballs, and not all of them are benevolent. No, you three are safer here in the Bunker.” “So you aren't going to punish us at all,” said Heavyweight, folding her arms over her chest satisfactorily. “Well, that certainly makes things less stressful.” “I never said I would not punish you,” said Mr. Gray. “Don't be stupid. Of course I will have to punish you. You broke routine. You tried to find out what we're really up to without our permission. All of that is a punishable offense in my book. Only Blaze will get out of this unpunished because of her loyalty to me.” Night Vision glared at Blaze. “Do you feel good about yourself now, Blaze? You don't get punished. We do. Are you smiling now?” Blaze was not smiling. She was not even looking up at them. Night Vision appreciated that. If he had betrayed his friends, he certainly wouldn't be walking around with his head held high. She simply walked over to Mr. Gray's side, where the Turaga patted her on the back when she reached him. “Now,” said Mr. Gray, turning his attention back to Night Vision and Heavyweight. “What shall your punishment be?” Night Vision smirked. “Nothing too terrible, I bet. After all, you need us in order to find out how the elementalist serum works on our species. If you try anything illegal-” “Would anyone ever know?” Mr. Gray said, although it didn't sound like a question, coming from him. “I doubt it. The other elementalists need never know about your true fates and none of the guards or scientists would ever try to tell, being as loyal to me as they are. With the kind of power I wield, I could make both of you disappear off the face of Spherus Magna as if you never existed at all.” Though the Turaga spoke in a calm voice, Night Vision kept his guard up the entire time. “You think that you have what it takes to defeat me and Heavyweight? Even if you have Blaze at your side, I'd say the odds of you beating us are against you, elder.” “How naive,” said Mr. Gray. “No, I believe Blaze has done enough in this matter. Blaze, I want you to leave and inform the guards that we have a break-in in the communal office, if you would.” Blaze bowed and, without another word, made her way through the maze of desks and science equipment toward the door at the other end of the room. That move threw Night Vision off-guard. “What? Why'd you send her away? How do you intend to capture us?” Mr. Gray leaned against his staff, as though tired, and yawned. “I myself will incapitate you. Then the guards will drag your twitching bodies out of here to another part of the Bunker, where we will keep you under lock-and-key until we have learned as much as your bodies are willing to tell us.” Heavyweight laughed. “You, defeat us? Sorry, Turaga. I know you fought in the Northern War as a Toa, but even if you were a good fighter, that was ages ago. I bet just talking to us has wiped out half your energy reserves.” “Never underestimate your elders, Heavyweight,” said Mr. Gray. “Or don't you know which side I fought for during the war?” The Turaga held up a hand and a small fire ball appear in it. “Night Vision, you remember the story of the Igniters, don't you? The League of Lords' walking furnace?” “Yeah, I do,” said Night Vision. “What does that have to do with anything?” “I never fought for the New Atero Republic during the Northern War,” said Mr. Gray with a chuckle. “I originally worked for the League of Lords. I fought in their army, but deserted it when it became clear that victory was not to be ours. And lucky thing for me, too, when I later learned of what happened to my teammates.” Night Vision was about to ask what the Turaga's point was when it hit him like a boulder rolling down a hill. Pointing at Mr. Gray, Night Vision said, “You were a member of the Igniters.” Heavyweight looked at Night Vision in surprise. “What? No way. The Igniters are all dead, aren't they?” Mr. Gray chuckled again, except this time it like the crackling of flames. “Dead? Hardly. They were all banished beneath Aqua Magna after the War, where they will likely be for the rest of eternity. But yes, I am an Igniter, or was one, and have been doing my best to hide my true identity for the past fifty-thousand years. You two are the only ones who have ever learned my true identity. And you will be the last to learn of it, too.” “Impossible,” said Heavyweight. “All of the Igniters were accounted for. The League of Lords even published a story in the New Atero News that stated-” “You don't honestly believe everything the newspapers say, do you?” said Mr. Gray. Unless Night Vision's eyes were deceiving him, smoke was curling from the tips of Mr's Gray's fingers. “The League of Lords did not want to admit that one of the Igniters was still on the loose. Furthermore, they did not want to admit that they had no idea where that Igniter was. To this day, I am something of a legend in League countries, a bedtime story told to scare little children into sleep at night. 'You stay in bed tonight,' parents say to their children, 'or the Rogue Igniter will come in the middle of the night and turn you into ashes.'” “But how?” said Night Vision. “You told me that the Igniters had had their wills and souls crushed. How did you escape with your personality in tact?” Mr. Gray let out a long, drawn out sigh. “I am not sure, but I believe it happened shortly after we destroyed that village I spoke to you about. A Toa of Psionics attempted to breach our mental defenses in an attempt to disrupt our team efforts. Of course we melted her into a puddle of molten goo, but her efforts were not entirely in vain because it was then that I awoke.” Night Vision laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. True, Mr. Gray was a Turaga now, but if he had been an Igniter in the past. . . . “And, for the first time in many years, I thought,” Mr. Gray said. “It was scary, at first, because it had been so long since I last thought on my own. I tried not to think until the day we Igniters were informed that we were going to be banished beneath Aqua Magna for our crimes. That was when I realized I valued my freedom far more than my unity with my fellow Igniters, so I ran away in the middle of the night and never looked back. “Oh, don't get the wrong idea here. The League learned of my running away well enough. They hired Dark Hunters and independent mercenaries alike to bring me back, but most of them failed to even find me. Those who did . . . well, though I was now a thinker, I still had the knowledge, ability, and general bloodthirstiness that had made the Igniters a name to be feared during the war. It would have been naive to let any of them live. I killed so many Dark Hunters that the Shadowed One eventually refused to make any more deals with the League.” Mr. Gray talked about those days with the same kind of nostalgia that colored Grandfather's voice whenever he talked about the days of the Skrall's dominance of Bara Magna in the old days. It disturbed Night Vision, to say the least. “So I came to the countries that were part of the New Atero Republic and hid among the inhabitants as a normal Toa of Fire,” Mr. Gray said. “This was before traveling regulations were codified, by the way. I didn't need to show papers to anyone proving who I said I was. I simply showed up and tried to fit in. Admittedly, it was difficult at first because my knowledge of this culture was extremely limited. Not to mention I didn't even know what my own name was.” He said that last sentence with more than a hint of bitterness in his voice, as if that was the worst crime that the League had committed against him. “But I succeeded,” said Mr. Gray. “I built a life here and gave myself a name. I became a Turaga at one point and founded Ignika Industries because, as it turned out, I had a natural talent for business. I tried to forget about my past, but I never did. And now I do not want to. The past has valuable resources in it that, if you mine it, can give you rich knowledge you cannot get from anywhere else.” “Get to the point,” Night Vision said. “What are you getting at, you old fool?” “I am getting at this,” said Mr. Gray. “I decided to make Project Elementalist because I saw a profit to be made off it. I wanted to create a serum that could grant anyone elemental powers. Moreover, I wanted to grant people the ability to become as strong as the Igniters. I looked to the Igniters as inspiration for the idea, you see, because as it turned out, not all of the Igniters were Toa.” “Are you saying that the League of Lords created their own version of the elementalist serum?” Heavyweight said. “Yes,” said Mr. Gray, nodding. “It was not nearly as powerful as mine, of course, and could only create fire users. Nor was it as stable. I learned that many of the serum's test subjects sponatenously burst into flames or died other horrible deaths. There was a reason the Igniters were only ever six.” Night Vision remembered the burning Gadarian. “Was the burning Gadarian the result of your testing?” Mr. Gray shrugged. “You see, I had just recently managed to receive a vial of the same serum used to give the Igniters their fire powers, thanks in no small part to a team of Dark Hunters I hired who had a reputation for doing well in that kind of work. I was eager to test it, so I picked one of my guards and injected him with it. I did not expect him to nearly destroy the Bunker and everyone in it, however; still, his body later revealed many secrets to my scientists, secrets we have used to improve our own elementalist serum.” “That's crazy,” said Heavyweight. “What are you trying to do? Are you trying to make more Igniters to sell to the government or something?” “Hardly,” said Mr. Gray, with more than a hint of aloofness. “As a businessman, my loyalty is first and foremost to business. I care little for the politics that hamper both the Republic and the League of Lords. I simply saw an opportunity to make a few widgets and I took it.” “Even if the testing is inhumane?” said Night Vision. “How many other elementalists have died as a result of your testing?” “That is not information you need to know,” said Mr. Gray, his eyes narrowing. “Besides, have you noticed a theme running among the elementalists? Most of them are losers, social outcasts, or in some way unwanted by their peers. They came here hoping to make a buck and maybe even help the society that has shunned or ignored them. The fools don't even realize that I hired them exactly because of their expendability. If they die, no one will care or come to investigate. I can do with them as they please because they are effectively invisible to the rest of society.” Night Vision drew his sword. “So you think that because no one cares if your experiments kill innocent people, you can keep doing it?” “Of course,” said Mr. Gray. “Society, if you haven't noticed, weeps only for its most valued members. Our society loves to boast of its diversity, about how everyone regardless of species has a say in the government, how all cultures are equal, but this is hypocritical nonsense. You in particular, Night Vision, should know this, considering how the Skrall do not have a government representative in the Council.” Though Mr. Gray was spot on, Night Vision just grit his teeth and said nothing. He was not going to give the Turaga the satisfaction of knowing he was right. “Would our society be outraged at my experiments, if they knew about it?” Mr. Gray said. “I doubt it. I have made sure to take only those who have already been placed in society's shadow. Social outcasts tend to have a desire to be special, to show that they aren't as worthless as society makes them out to be. If I told them that they would be the only members of their species who could use elemental powers, why, it's no surprise their resumes flooded the company mailbox.” “So you don't care about us, either?” said Heavyweight. “Of course not,” said Mr. Gray. “Why would I? You are nothing more than expendable resources. Insofar as you help me get one step closer to perfecting the serum that will one day make Ignika Industries more money than ever, I need you. Insofar as I care about you as individuals . . . I can always replace you, if necessary.” Every inch of Night Vision's body was trembling with rage. He didn't even try to hide it. He could feel the shadow powers within him boiling like a cauldron, waiting to explode at any moment. He glanced at Heavyweight and saw that she was equally angry, because even though she was not trembling, her eyes burned with the same kind of hatred Night Vision felt. “Imagine yourselves as chaff,” said Mr. Gray. “Society weeds out the wheat from the chaff. No one cares about the chaff; therefore, I can do with it as I please. It is really a-” Mr. Gray was cut off by a fire exploding through his chest. The Turaga didn't have time to cry out as he fell forward, knocking his head against a desk in front of him as he did so. He didn't rise again. Standing behind where Mr. Gray had stood was Blaze, smoke rising from the fingertips of her outstretched hand. Her brows were furrowed and her lips tight, as though she couldn't quite believe what she had just did. “Blaze?” said Night Vision in surprise. “I thought you eft to get the guards. Why-” “Because I just realized that Mr. Gray is a coldhearted moron, that's why,” Blaze said. “You guys are my only friends in the Bunker, my only friends I've ever had. If I actually handed you over to the guards, why, I don't think I could live with myself.” Her words sounded shaky and uncertain, but Night Vision sensed a confidence under them that he had never heard in Blaze's voice before. And he appreciated it greatly. “But this isn't good,” said Heavyweight. “I mean, I appreciate you killing Mr. Gray, Blaze, but when the guards find out what you did, I can't see our careers here lasting much longer.” “Not unless we leave before they find out,” Blaze said. “Look, I know where the exit is. We could be long gone before anyone even knows we're not in the Bnker anymore.” “What about the other elementalists?” Night Vision asked. “Are we just going to abandon them here to be experimented on like Rahi?” “Would they even believe us if we told them the truth?” Heavyweight said, shaking her head. “Especially after they learned about our murder of Mr. Gray. Most likely they'd try to stop us. We don't have any choice but to do what Blaze said.” “All right,” said Night Vision. “But before we go, I think we should destroy this office. It probably has a lot of important information in it that the scientists have been using to do all kinds of horrible experiments. It's not justice, but it should inconvenience them at least.” Blaze shrugged. “Okay. It's not like we have anything to lose, considering what I just did to Mr. Gray.” - After setting the communal office on fire (leaving Mr. Gray's body inside it, of course) and locking the door, Blaze led Night Vision and Heavyweight through the Bunker with a confidence the Skrall had never seen in her before. She knew the Bunker's layout well enough to allow them to avoid the more populous areas, meaning that in no time at all (according to her) they would find the exit and be out fast. They rounded corners, climbed stairs, and passed through security doors that Blaze knew the key codes to. Indeed, their escape was going so smoothly that for a while there Night Vision honestly believed that they would get out of the Bunker without being caught. That was why he was surprised when they ran into the six other elementalists. Their appearance was rather sudden. Night Vision, Blaze, and Heavyweight had just climbed the last set of stairs and were running down the hallway (the last hallway before the exit, according to Blaze) when six beings stepped out of an open doorway on their left. The abrupt appearance of so many of their former allies caused the three friends to skid to a halt. Night Vision had no trouble recognizing these elementalists, as they were ones he often trained with. They were Aqua, Day, Silence, Leaf, Boulder, and Brain. They had no weapons, but considering that all elementalists were essentially living weapons, that did not make them any less dangerous than if they had been armed to the teeth. “What are you guys doing here?” Heavyweight said. “Isn't this the time of day you six should be in training?” “We were about to ask you the same question,” said Aqua. “Mr. Gray ordered us to guard the exit. We were told some intruders had entered the Bunker and were attempting to escape with sensitive documents. Our job was to make sure no one got out who wasn't supposed to get out.” Night Vision cursed internally. Mr. Gray had foreseen that he, Heavyweight, and Blaze would attempt to escape. He wondered what other contingencies the Turaga had put in place before confronting Night Vision and the others. “I cannot help but wonder if Mr. Gray was warning us about you three,” said Leaf, stroking her large Tetakian chin. “Certainly, you three should not be roaming the halls of the Bunker like jobless hooligans. Unless Mr. Gray gave you permission to leave, of course?” “Of course he did,” said Blaze on a nonchalant tone. “See, Mr. Gray has a very important assignment for us that we need to get done right away. So if you could let us through-” Brain, a Kestora with eyes that always seemed to be able to see through people, pointed at them without warning and said, “She lies. I just read their minds. They killed Mr. Gray, set the communal office on fire, and are trying to escape. We must stop them.” We're screwed, Night Vision thought. “If that is true, then our objective is clear,” said Aqua. “We will take you three down and hand you over to the proper authorities, who will punish you as the murderers and arsonists you are. I wish we did not, but we have no choice.” Night Vision summoned a shadow ball in his hands. Blaze's hands burst into flames. All six of the elementalists blocking their paths looked ready for battle. While Night Vision knew that both Blaze and Heavyweight were great fighters, he was equally aware that they were outnumbered two to one and that the odds of them actually winning were not nearly as high as he'd like. Before anyone could do anything, however, Heavyweight snapped her fingers and all six of the elementalists flew into the ceiling. They smashed into it and then fell back to the floor in a battered, unconscious heap. Night Vision looked at Heavyweight in surprise. Heavyweight shrugged. “Why get involved in a big fight that would just delay us?” It was such a brilliant move that Night Vision cursed himself for not thinking of it. Then again, even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to put it into action. After all, he controlled shadow, not gravity. “That's nice,” said Blaze, glancing over her shoulder. “But we gotta get going. The guards are going to find out about Mr. Gray soon and when they do . . . let's not even think about it.” Night Vision and Heavyweight nodded and all three of them dashed past their unconscious ex-comrades toward the exit. As they ran, the Skrall cast one last glance over his shoulder at the Bunker's walls and ceiling, wondering what was going to happen to the rest of the elementalists after this and whether Project Elementalist would continue with Mr. Gray dead and all of their research gone. Whether it did or didn't, Night Vision understood that from now on, his life was not going to be easy. It was not going to be easy at all. Review Topic

You're correct about this story's placement in the canon timeline. I thought it was pretty clear, but I guess I did pick a rather obscure part of canon to write about. As for Krekka's grammar: I see what you mean. I definitely exaggerated it a little. Oh well. -TNTOS-

The hype train's moving at warp speed now. Better get on it while you can! Anyway, this is awesome. Really interested in seeing what the story is going to be about. -TNTOS-

Kopaka's mine. -TNTOS-

Once again, it's that special time of week that pretty much everyone hates: Monday. Weird how one of the least liked days of the week happens to rhyme with "fun day." Anywho, here is an excerpt from this week's chapter: Read the rest of Chapter XVI here. -TNTOS-

Chapter XVI Atuje hated killing. He gained this distaste for killing eons ago, when he first assumed the throne of Heratone. He had been disturbed by the needless killing he witnessed under the last king's rule and so designed a society and legal system that minimized needless killing. Under Atuje's laws, murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment and serial killers were banished from the country entirely, left to fend for themselves in the lands outside of Heratone's safe borders. In spite of that, Atuje knew that sometimes, killing was necessary. He had foreseen that much death would result from his plans to regain Wyoko and his body. He planned to kill the Almighty Ones as soon as his soul realized he no longer had a body. And he even killed a few people himself, mostly those who had stood a direct threat against him and his plans. He regretted all of those deaths. If anyone wanted to listen, Atuje would talk about how he wished he could have avoided them, how he wished that not even a single insect had to die, but that in this case death was necessary in order to achieve a greater good. He hated it, but he had to accept it. There were some rules even he could not change, after all, and death was one of them. This thought was how he justified draining the life energy out of the Almighty Ones, Rubella, and Cina. He intended to kill them. Take their life out of them. Send them to the great beyond. Put them to sleep. However one wanted to put it. As the King of Life, this created great distaste in his soul, but he reminded himself, over and over again, that he was only doing what he needed to do. The Almighty Ones had caused the downfall of his entire people. Ruby and Cina had invaded his home in an attempt to undermine his plans. Leaving them alive would only give them an opportunity to try to stop him. And he simply could not allow that, no matter what. The way their bodies contorted, the way they groaned and moaned in pain . . . all of it made his heart ache with sympathy. But Atuje ignored it. Those who did not deserve mercy did not receive it. “Stop it,” Wanderer said. “You're killing them. It's wrong.” “And why should I pay attention to the words of a spirit?” Atuje said, not even casting her the briefest of glances. “I don't even know who you are or what you are doing here. If I were you, little spirit, I would go home to wherever it is you came from. You are not needed here.” “Who are you to tell me where I'm not needed?” Wanderer said. “Stop what you're doing right now, Atuje, or I'll-” “Or you'll what?” said Atuje. “Yell at me? Guilt trip me? You know very well there is nothing you can do, ghost, and it would be better for both of us, I believe, if we recognized that.” Wanderer let loose a string of curse words that Atuje had never heard before, but he heeded her no worry. While cursing was not expected of a being of his class, he was not prude enough to consider her cursing an evil that needed to be immediately corrected. Besides, there was nothing he could do to shut her up even if he wanted to. She could simply watch as her friends suffered, which he thought by itself would be enough to make her shut up. Without warning, Wanderer ceased swearing, allowing Atuje to let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at her, hoping to see despair etched onto her features, and saw that she was now pointing her spear directly at his face, with her shield over her chest, like she was ready for battle. “What are you doing?” said Atuje. “Playing pretend? You don't look much like a fierce soldier, you know.” Much to his confusion, Wanderer smiled. “I may not be a soldier, but don't think for a moment that means I can't stop you.” Atuje glanced at the writhing bodies on the ground before saying, “And what makes you think you can stop me? You're a ghost. You can't even interact with the material world. You're immaterial. If I were still a spirit myself, I would be a bit more worried. As it is-” As it was, he never got to finish his sentence, because the next moment Wanderer yelled and charged at him. He could do nothing to stop her as she flew into his body and disappeared. When she went into him, it was like being hit with a sledge hammer. He staggered backwards, losing his concentration and breaking off his life-draining technique. He placed a hand on his heart. His body did not feel much different, but it was like extra weight had been added. He realized that she had entered his body. Of course she did. She was a ghost. Ghosts possess people. That's what they do. He should have seen that coming. He was stupid for not. With that knowledge, Atuje also knew what she was going to try: She was going to try to possess his body, kick his soul out. If she did that, then all of his goals would be for naught. His soul would not be able to last outside his body and he had no time to prepare an alternative vessel for it. Therefore, he had to do something about her. So Atuje closed his mind and delved deep into his mind and soul. He found himself going down, down, down, until he opened his eyes again and found himself standing in the middle of a wide open sunny field without a house or hill in sight for miles. He cracked his neck a couple of times and then looked around. “All right, Wanderer,” said Atuje. “Come out and play. I know what you are trying to do and I won't let you do it, not without a fight.” Receiving no answer, Atuje stepped forward, heard someone running behind him, and whirled around just in time to see Wanderer charging at him with her spear. He just barely managed to grab the weapon before its tip stabbed his face and yanked it forward, punching Wanderer in the face when she stumbled into his reach. Wanderer staggered backwards as Atuje ripped the spear from her hands and hefted it in his own. He tried to spear her with it, but Wanderer blocked it with her shield and jumped back out of his reach. “Who's powerless now, Atuje?” said Wanderer. Atuje snorted and leveled the spear. “You.” Atuje charged forward, but Wanderer jumped into the air over his head and landed behind him. She slammed her shield into his back, sending him staggering forwards, but he recovered quickly enough to swing his spear into her. The spear slammed into her gut, which sent her flying. She recovered in midair, however, and landed on her feet as Atuje held his spear above his head and sprinted toward her again. Atuje jabbed forward with his spear. Wanderer dodged it and grabbed the spear and yanked it out of Atuje's hands. Weaponless again, Atuje was forced to back up as his opponent raised her spear and shield again. “You are a worthy opponent, Wanderer,” said Atuje. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” “Part of my training as a Spirit Wanderer,” Wanderer said. “I may not be able to fight physical beings, but as you now know, I can take on other spirits just fine.” Atuje flashed a smirk and stepped forward. He raised his hand and willed a long, golden sword to exist in his hands. He hefted the sword, testing its weight, and swung it a few times before pointing it at Wanderer. “Let's even the battlefield a bit,” said Atuje. “Perhaps you received training from your elders, but I received my combat training from the Heratonian Elite Guard, the best of the best of the best from the Heratonian army. I will crush you like an ant.” “Funny,” said Wanderer. “If you're so great, how come you haven't defeated me yet?” Atuje teleported and appeared behind Wanderer, swinging his sword at her neck. Wanderer rolled forward, successfully avoiding his attack, and was back on her feet in an instant. She hurled her shield at him like a disk, which Atuje knocked it out of the air before it hit him. This turned out to be a mistake, however, because in the few seconds he was distracted by the shield, Wanderer dashed over and slammed him in the side of the head with her spear. Stars flashed in Atuje's eyes as he went careening away, his face burning with pain. His vision cleared just in time to see the the tip of Wanderer's spear coming directly at his face. His well-trained reflexes kicked in and Atuje dodged it and slashed at Wanderer's body, which was now very close to him. The blow was a direct hit. His sword cut through her armor and caused her to yelp in pain before she jumped away, out of the reach of his blade. She felt the wound on her chest as Atuje swung his sword, his eyes never leaving her. “Ow,” she said. “Well, you got one lucky shot.” “Luck had nothing to do with it,” Atuje replied. “Your pitiful reflexes and thin armor did, however.” Wanderer grit her teeth. “Then take this.” She hurled her spear at Atuje like a javelin. Before Atuje could act, Wanderer disappeared and reappeared behind him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and held him with surprising strength. “What are you doing?” Atuje said. “Let go of me this instant.” “No,” said Wanderer into his ear. “See you in Karzahni.” Atuje could only watch in horror as the spear flew into his stomach. When it struck, it felt less like he had been stabbed with a spear and more like he had had part of his very soul ripped away. He let out a long, loud cry of pain and barely registered that behind him, Wanderer was letting out a similar cry of agony. Summoning all his will power, Atuje shook off Wanderer's arms and pushed her off his back. He then ripped the spear out of his stomach and watched as a white gas-like substance – the essence of his very soul – leaked out from the open wound. He waved his hand back and forth over it frantically, but it did nothing to even stem the wound, much less heal it. With a growl, Atuje whirled around and pointed the spear at Wanderer before he noticed something. She, too, had a spear-shaped hole in her stomach, the same white gas pouring from his body leaking out of her wound like smoke from a factory. He realized (with less satisfaction than he should have) that she was dying. “So,” said Atuje, breathing in and out hard. “I see what your plan was. You knew all along you would die if you tried to fight me. You know that you couldn't beat me. You were always intending to sacrifice yourself in order to stop me.” Wanderer nodded, an action that looked like it took every ounce of her willpower to do. “Yep. Part of being a Wanderer, after all, is knowing when my time has come. And after thousands of years helping people and fixing problems, I figure it's time for the next Spirit Wanderer to step up.” “No matter,” said Atuje as he threw the spear aside. “I will . . . I will survive. I always have. If the Almighty Ones could not defeat me, then how could you-” His heart suddenly felt like it tried to jump out of his chest and he immediately put his hand over it. No. Not here. Not now. Anywhere else, at any other time. Please. Wanderer smirked and pointed at his chest. “Your body isn't exactly the biggest fan of your spirit, is it? No, of course not. Your body is going to reject your spirit soon enough, Atuje. And you will lose, no matter how many people you kill or step on.” Atuje ball his hands into fists and said, “Shut up, female. You know nothing. Your threats are vain and meaningless. Vanity, that is what you are, that is what you speak.” “Call me what you will, but that doesn't change the facts,” said Wanderer. “Face it, Atuje. You. Lost.” Atuje reached down and seized Wanderer by the neck. He pulled her face up to his and said, “I am not going to die. You, however, are.” With that, he hurled the Spirit Wanderer into the big blue sky above them. She flew until she was nothing more than a tiny pinprick in the sky. And when he next blinked, he suddenly found himself lying on the ground in Wyoko, a burning pain in his abdomen, exactly where his soul had been stabbed. Atuje hastily stood up and saw Ruby, Cina, and the Almighty Ones already back on their feet. They were covered in dirt and grass from lying on the ground, but it looked as though their life energy was nearly restored. Even in his weakened state, Atuje knew he could probably still beat Ruby and Cina. But the Almighty Ones? No. He had to get out of there. He had to return to Castle Kra, where his Echoes were, and begin the last phase of his plan. He needed more power and he knew exactly how to get it. “All right, Atuje,” said Ruby, holding out a hand. “If you will just come with us quietly, we won't be forced to hurt you. It's all over.” “No,” Atuje said. “It's not over, not yet. My plan is not yet complete. It will only be over when I say it is over, not before.” He unleashed a bolt of black lightning into the ground at their feet. The Almighty Ones summoned a barrier around them, Ruby, and Cina, protecting them from the explosion that sent clods of dirt into the air. Atuje quickly teleported while they were distracted, hoping against hope that his minions had the Toa ready. Because if they did not . . . he did not even want to think about that. Review Topic

Those are some cool shirts, though I doubt I'll buy one, at least right now. Maybe I'll see how much you have left after BrickFair and think about it again then. -TNTOS-