Chapter 14 Miserix had faced other Makuta before, but never in such an intense struggle. His brief duel with the Teridax of his own reality had been halted with the vote of the Convocation, which had ended in Teridax's favor. The cowering Spiriah had fallen without a struggle, as had Bingzak of Stelt, and he would have easily crushed Teridax in Mata Nui's mind had it not been for the interference of the Order of Mata Nui, Tren Krom, and Artakha. But against the Teridax of the Melding universe, he faced an altogether different foe. The white-armored Makuta was a master combatant, using his hammer to attack Miserix or deflect the villain's blows with its long handle. Sparks flew as the protodermis handle caught the blade of Miserix's axe, and Miserix's mace was then knocked from his hand as Teridax swung the massive hammer. The weapon soon flew back into Miserix's hand as he called upon his powers of Magnetism, which he then directed against Teridax only for the noble Makuta to counter the effect with his own energies. Similar stalemates resulted as Miserix unleashed his Electricity, Power Scream, Chain Lightning, and Stasis Field powers. In a rage Miserix unleashed a blast of Heat Vision that Teridax countered with a blast of Laser Vision, unleashing an explosion that threw the two apart. Recovering quickly, Miserix took to the sky and used his mace to unleash a beam of Plasma at his opponent, who teleported out of the way. Teridax then called upon his Weather Control powers, creating a fog to envelop Miserix, who unleashed his Cyclone powers to disperse it before directing the swirling winds towards Teridax. The power of Vaccuum nullified the attack, and Teridax fired off a burst of Sonics that Miserix barely countered with his power of Silence. Both combatants then disappeared from view, Miserix employing the power of Chameleon while Teridax concealed himself with Illusion. However, Teridax was able to sense Miserix's location using his Mind Reading power, and employed his Sleep and Gravity powers to bring his foe to the ground. Shaking off the sensation, Miserix responded with Slow and Confusion powers, forcing Teridax to drop his cloak, before unleashing Molecular Disruption. Teridax's hammer dissolved into nothingness, but Miserix's victory was brief as Teridax shot a blast of Disintegration from one hand and one of Fragmentation from the other, destroying both of the evil Makuta's tools. Miserix soon employed his Rahi Control powers to bring a platoon of Visorak charging against his foe, only for Teridax's Insect Control ability to bring in a group of Metru Mantis eager to feast on the savage spider creatures. Enraged, Miserix flew at Teridax, using his Density Control powers to harden his fist before slamming it into Teridax's torso, only for the blow to be deflected by Teridax employing his Limited Invulnerability power. A spiderweb of cracks appeared over the offending limb, but Miserix's Quick Healing power soon repaired the damage. Teridax then employed his Elasticity powers to throw his own blow at Miserix, who shape-shifted into a gelatinous creature and trapped Teridax's punch. Miserix then employed his Hunger power in an effort to drain Teridax's strength, only for Teridax to employ his own power as a counter, creating a cycle of the two drawing strength from each other. Annoyed, Miserix reached out to infect his foe with Poison, only to be thrown back by a power he had not expected: Telekinesis. Thrown backwards, Miserix returned to his armored form and regarded his nemesis with a new wariness. "How did you do that? No Makuta has the power of Telekinesis!" "Not in your world, perhaps, but in mine we did things differently. For example, we lacked the power of Poison, though I wouldn't call it much of a loss not to be able to harm other living things in such a fashion. There are other powers I suspect are in my arsenal but not in yours-let's see what you make of them!" One thought from Teridax later, and Miserix felt the strangest sensation of Peace come over him, a feeling he had not known in countless millennia between his responsibilities leading the Brotherhood and the rage that had consumed him after he had been deposed. Realizing it to be his enemy's work, Miserix did something unprecedented and turned one of his own powers against himself, unleashing the Anger of Kurahk to rekindle his own fury. He then called upon the powers of Turahk, and sent a wave of crippling Fear flowing into Teridax. Against a lesser foe the attack would have been enough to end the battle, but Teridax had spent years in meditation, seeking enlightenment and self-mastery. Taking a page from Miserix's book, he invoked his own power of Courage to cast aside the energies of Fear, before calling upon yet another power that Miserix could not claim: the energy of Light. A tidal wave of Light washed towards Miserix, who barely managed to call upon his own Darkness powers in response. After a long moment's struggle, the two opposing energies cancelled each other out, leaving the two Makuta facing off yet again. Now bereft of weapons, their armor covered in scratches and dents, the two Makuta contemplated each other, having exhausted the majority of their vast power arrays. On an impulse, Miserix unleashed the powers of his Kanohi Artidax, but Teridax's Dodge power enabled him to evade the blast, which struck the one surviving member of Miserix's Visorak platoon and transformed it into a Water Wraith. More disappointed in the failure of his effort at poetic justice against a version of his former lieutenant than in the loss of his soldier, Miserix used his Plant Control powers to grow a tangle of thorns that entrapped the white-armored warrior. "You have proven a most formidable adversary Teridax-your accursed counterpart could not have done better. But now the time has come to end this battle, and I know just how to do it. The Makuta of your universe were more civilized than those in mine, more's the pity. But savagery does have it's uses, as I learned in my long exile." As Miserix had spoken his voice had become more and more guttural, and his already massive form began to swell. His Shadow Hand ripped out of his chest and flew past the trapped Teridax to seize the nearest available unfortunate: Kraata-Kal. Torn away from his clash with Varian, the former Dark Hunter had little time to ponder his sad fate before he was drawn into Miserix's form. The four Rahkshi Kaita heeded Miserix's unspoken command and rushed towards him, and were soon caught in a second Shadow Hand. With the power and substance of his five minions drawn into himself, Miserix grew to forty feet tall and assumed a red and silver armored form that would have been familiar to Brutaka, Roodaka, Vezok, and Lariska had they been present to see it. "Now, Teridax...know the wrath of the true Makuta race. From the depths of our Shadow, each of us can draw forth a form that embodies primal rage and matchless power. Even the power of Light cannot save you...from the Makuta Nui!" With that, Miserix employed a power unique to his new form and unleashed a blast of flame from his new set of gaping jaws. It consumed Teridax and the vines surrounding him, burning with an intensity that only Tahu or Vulcanus could have surpassed. For long moments he breathed, a fire of rage and hatred, channeling his contempt for the fallen Teridax of his own universe against the alternate Teridax. At long last he ceased, and peered eagerly through the resulting heat haze to spy the charred remains of his foe. Contrary to expectations, Teridax was quite unharmed, having been protected by the natural Makuta powers of Fire Resistance and Adaptation allowing him to endure the fiery onslaught. Dusting off the slightest signs of charring on his armored frame, the white Makuta regarded his foe with a smile that was almost pitying. "Your Makuta were a sad race indeed, Miserix, if they were forced to resort to such tactics. The power you have found in Shadow can be found also in Light, and it does not require consuming others to bring about your own increase." With that, Teridax concentrated, invoking a technique that the Makuta of his world had employed only rarely. Drawing Light from his surroundings-which the bright sun of Spherus Manga supplied in abundance-he converted its energy into matter. His form began to grow as Miserix's had, but his features changed in a fashion differently from those of Miserix; while the dark Makuta's form had become reptilian, Teridax's took on an ursine shape. In moments, the dragon-like Miserix found himself faced with a creature that resembled a massive Ash Bear, not unlike a large specimen that the Toa Metru had long ago faced in Mangaia*. Indeed, though Miserix did not know it, it was also a reflection of the form his universe's Teridax would have taken had he transformed as Miserix himself had. "Makuta Nui, meet Makuta Nui...and let us end this!" Glowing with energy, Tahu's Fire Sword and Tuyet's Barbed Broadsword met with a thunder producing clang, which was repeated again and again as the blades crossed in battle. With a roar Tuyet leaped back and hurled a blast of Water at her nemesis, only for Tahu to ignite his blade and vaporize her attack before responding with a a stream of fire. She countered with a stream of her own Elemental Power, the two meeting in a deadlock between the battling Toa. For a long moment the contest wore on, each straining against the other with their considerable might. Realizing that there was nothing to be gained by the continued clash, Tuyet used her Narmoto to fade into the ground, and Tahu was forced to dissipate his flames. Before he could fully process what had occurred, a massive geyser erupted from beneath his feet, sending him flying high into the air. In the midst of the attack Tuyet emerged from the ground, laughing as she sent the fiery Toa flying high into the air. Her laughter faded as Tahu called upon his powers of heat to slow his fall, creating a warm cushion of air the turned what could have been a fatal fall into a rough landing. "You're going to have to do better than that, Tuyet." "If you insist," she muttered, and with that she began unleashing blasts of water at rapid speed, swinging her sword so that the attacks flew at Tahu from different angles, leaving him unable to rely upon his Hau to protect him. Instead, he created an aura of flame around himself, one that turned Tuyet's projectiles into clouds of steam. He then increased the aura's size and power, throwing off a wave of heat that even the ex-Toa Mangai, who had faced the Kanohi Dragon, had no choice but to give way before. Grimly Tahu advanced, intent on ending the fight as quickly as possible. However, Tuyet wasn't about to go down without a fight, and brought the Nui Stone up and into contact with her Barbed Broadsword. Calling upon every ounce of power contained within her treasured artifact, Tuyet began to glow with power, more even that Tahu had sensed within Gali just before she unleashed a Nova Blast upon the realm of Karzahni. Remembering that devastation, and realizing that an even greater one awaited Spherus Magna if Tuyet's attack was unleashed, Tahu realized there was only one course open to him. Extinguishing his flames, Tahu threw all of the power he had gained from the final battle against Makuta into the pieces of the Golden Armor; then, using the tiniest trace of Magnetism, he removed them from himself and sent them flying at Tuyet. The three armor plates, sword hilt, shield, and Hau fell into a rough ring around the Toa of Water just as her energies reached critical mass and began to explode outward, only to be halted by a ring of light that was created as power radiated outward from the six artifacts. For a long, anxious moment the malevolent tsunami strained against the Great Beings' long conceived countermeasure against solid antidermis. But, however narrowly, the energies of the latter proved greater, and at last the clashing energies ceased with a flash of light. Tuyet's Barbed Broadsword and the Nui Stone both fell to the ground, charred and utterly ruined; after a moment Tuyet joined them, still alive but utterly drained of strength. The Golden Armor pieces floated in the air slightly longer, but then fell to the ground, turning black and lifeless as the last of their power faded. With a heavy sigh that embodied both regret and relief, Tahu drew his red Kanohi Hau from where he had carried it on his back and placed it over his bare face. Fortunately, Toa Mamuk-relieved of his part helping the Hagah against the Rahkshi Kaita by Miserix's actions-came up and took charge of Tuyet. Satisfied that Tuyet, even if she recovered, would be well handled by the Toa of Gravity, Tahu set off in search of his teammates. Morbuzakh's axe smashed into the staff of the Dark Hunter known as Conjurer, who was so overwhelmed by the vengeful warrior's attack that he didn't think to activate the Disintegration powers of his weapon. The revived Order agent's onslaught was terrifying to behold, particularly as Conjurer had only recently recovered from a coma induced by his attempted thievery of the powers of Makuta Bingzak. However, the memory of that clash helped Conjurer regain his bearings, and he soon hurled the mighty warrior away from him using his telekinetic powers. Aiming his staff, he then fired off a blast of Disintegration, but Morbuzakh neatly evaded the strike. The attack flew past him to strike Airwatcher, who had been attacking all combatants with abandon, and just like that the virtually mindless Dark Hunter ceased to exist. Annoyed, Conjurer fired off a Rhotuka spinner, and this time Morbuzakh was too slow; suddenly his great strength was gone, and the sight of Conjurer looking more powerful than ever leaving him with little doubt as to where it had gone. The former island monarch charged forward and dealt Morbuzakh a blow that sent him flying, leaving the four-armed operative to land heavily some distance away. Getting shakily to his feet, Morbuzakh watched as the villain slowly advanced on him, a smirk evident on his face. Knowing well his own strength and sensing what Conjurer had by his own right, the Order of Mata Nui agent found himself wondering if he was about to meet death for a second time. Looking around, Morbuzakh realized that no help would be forthcoming for him. Trinuma lay fallen upon the ground, while not far from him sat the body of Jerbraz, which had regained visibility upon his own demise. Their former opponents were even now ganging up on Botar and Axato, who now found themselves dealing with four to one odds; Etoku and Hydraxon, meanwhile, remained busy with their own foes. Just as Morbuzakh gripped his axe in grim resignation, there was an explosion from the area where Helryx and Vulcanus had been battling. A plume of smoke rose into the air, and water fell like rain across the surrounding battlefield. Conjurer was doused, and to Morbuzakh's astonishment his entire body began to smoke. Screaming with pain, the villain tried to run for cover, but the flat land afforded no protection from the unexpected precipitation. Finally, he fell to the ground, and within minutes his body had dissolved into a pool of organic protodermis sprinkled with bits of Conjurer's armor**. Morbuzakh stared for a moment, wondering what sort of experiments the fallen Dark Hunter had been subjected to-by his own will or that of others-to produce such a hideous result. However, remembering the source of the explosion, he instead ran towards the epicenter to investigate. Two forms lay there, one of them a smoldering humanoid that bore little resemblance to the Element Lord of Fire; Vulcanus it was, still alive but more grievously injured than he had been in all the millennia since his fusion with his element. Not far from the weakened Element Lord lay Helryx, her blue armor smoking from the force of her own Nova Blast and the answering power of Vulcanus. The area around her heartlight in particular was blackened, and the light itself pulsed only faintly. Despite this, her eyes opened as Morbuzakh came to stand over her, his savage visage softening at the sight of his dying leader. "So...this is how it ends for me, Morbuzakh. I hope that this service will atone somewhat for my failures; I now see how wrong I was to assume the will of Mata Nui. If any of our comrades survive this battle, Morbuzakh, it will fall to you to lead them." Grimly, the four-armed warrior nodded, and then watched as Helryx extended a hand towards a small pile of stones that lay nearby. Blue light flowed from her hands into the rocks, until her frail body shrunk down and became that of a Turaga; as the last of it left her hand, her heartlight went dark. Morbuzakh bowed his head, hardly able to believe that the First Toa was dead. Having witnessed her final act, however, he knew that she had left her power for others, and hoped that there would be a chance to provide the Toa Stones she had created to worthy Matoran. Realizing that his strength had returned to him in full, however, he decided that for now he had other business to attend to. Hefting his axe, he began running towards the beleaguered Axato and Botar, anticipating evening the odds against their opponents. Though he had witnessed much conflict in his time, Onua was sick at heart as he watched the massive battle unfolding around him. In particular, as he moved towards the location from which Likus, Element Lady of Earth, had chosen to direct her troops, he was aghast at the sight of Agori so closely resembling his own beloved Onu-Matoran being menaced by various members of his and Artakha's army. Granted, he had learned from Raanu and other leaders that the Earth Tribe had manipulated their fellows into a war that had ravaged their planet and eventually torn it apart, but that didn't make it any easier to watch as Agori and Glatorian of Earth were menaced by beings resembling Eliminator, Jerbraz, Guardian, Johmak, Lariska, Etoku and various others. Fiercest of all their assailants, however, were savage red and brown two-legged beasts whose agonized-sounding cries marked them as the long unseen Sand Screamers of Voya Nui***. However, the tumult surrounding him did not distract Onua from his objective: Likus, whose earthy form stood silently awaiting his approach. The two masters of Earth regarded each other for a brief moment, each gaining a sense of the other's power and realizing that they were near equal. Recognizing this, and remembering what he had heard of the Lady of Earth’s intelligence-devious though it was-he decided to try the path of reason. “Lady Likus, I know from the members of other tribes that you are a being of intelligence-can you not see that this conflict is pointless? Why sacrifice your people in a senseless effort of conquest when we can make peace?" "You Toa truly are simpletons, aren't you? Doubtless you think your power was given you to protect your people. Mine was given me that I might rule, and my people exist to be ruled-and if that calls for their sacrifice that I might achieve my empire, then so be it! I am Earth, and Earth commands all; it smothers Fire, consumes Water, surrounds Rock, feeds Jungle, and hides beneath Ice and Sand! There is no escape from it, and it has no equal!" With a wave, Likus sent a surge of Earth towards Onua, who watched it come with no emotion. Just as the moving soil would have struck him, it parted, the display of Likus' power giving way to Onua's. "And with that power comes a stewardship that you cast aside with contempt. Earth is meant to work as part of a balance, not to rule over all. I had hoped you had the sense to see that, but it appears I was wrong. The depths hide great treasures, but they also hide filth-and you are living proof!" Quite suddenly Onua was gone, descending into the depths of the Earth he protected, with Likus following him almost immediately. Their clashing armies were oblivious to this until the ground upon which they fought began to shake, throwing them off balance. The ground continued to rumble, and in places to sink, as the two warriors of Earth warred within the heart of that from which they drew power. Onua would have been glad-though LIkus wouldn't have cared-to see the two forces cease their battle and flee the area, putting an end to at least one portion of the massive battle unfolding across Spherus Magna. To be continued... *At long last, the Makuta Nui of 2003 appears in storyline-and is also the Ash Bear. **Given Conjurer's self-proclaimed "magical" status and his fear of water, I thought a Wicked Witch of the West type demise would be appropriate. ***Given their association with Voya Nui and lack of a physical form, I thought it would be fitting to have the Avak/Hakann combo model serve as the Sand Screamer.
