Onaku

IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro "I'm sorry but... I'd take unsettling and creepy over ceaseless warfare and scorched earth any day." @Nato the Traveler

IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro "Did they hurt you?" @Nato the Traveler IC: Druu - Metru-Koro Druu grunted, looking a the guard captain go. "As much as I appreciate the hospitality, I'm not staying." He said, turning to Tekmo. "Thank you for your help." With that, he turned and began walking away. @Toru Nui

IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro As calmly as he could, he turned just enough to see Vhisola at the hole, and with similar composure he spoke to her. "Please... Vhisola, move out of sight for now." He then turned back to the creature, taking a step back and lowering himself to make himself look smaller. "I'm not here to hurt you. Nixie, if you understand me, please, nod your head." All the while he did his best to speak calmly and without raising his voice. @Vezok's Friend IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro "Maybe... I don't miss the bomb craters though. Or the constant smell of gunpowder in the air. Or the frequent screams just at the edge of your hearing. This island has its flaws, but... was home really better?" @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro outskirts The bronze clad, grey robed Toa stood nearby, waiting for the Vahki with Zaliyah and Ostrox. She was silent, gazing upon the face of the decapitated god and the ruined city that yet resided within the metallic carcass. IC: Druu - Metru-Koro "Previous crimes? Please, do enlighten me as to the extent of these crimes and their exact nature." Druu said with dry amusement, a mild grin on his lips but his amber eyes retaining no such warmth. IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro outskirts "It is new. These are refugees from a ruined village, they went through a lot of hardship before moving here beyond the... well, the cataclysm that took everything." She said, looking back at the village with a forlorn expression. "I've been helping them out, erecting houses and growing food until we can establish a proper greenhouse for growing crops, like the one I built in Metru-Koro... I wonder how they're doing there." Finally, she turned back to Xane with a soft smile and a curious glint to her amber eyes. "What about you? What have you been up to?" @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Sparticus147

IC: Druu - Metru-Koro "She was... gone? By the time of the attack?" It was almost imperceptible, but Druu seemed to deflate slightly upon hearing this, looking down, then to the side with a resigned sigh. "Ah well, no matter. Bombing a settlement of civilian targets wasn't what I signed up for when I joined the League anyway. About time I broke off." Finally, he turned back to Vulimai. "To answer your question, Captain... Zadred is my daughter." @Sparticus147@BULiK@Toru Nui@Tarn

IC: Druu - Metru-Koro Druu grunted. "I doubt the League is going to want me back after I sabotaged their bombing run and sent their largest ship into the stratosphere. I'm not here to surrender though, no. I'm looking for someone, a Bo-Skak by the name of Zadred. Any of you know her?" @Sparticus147@Toru Nui@BULiK

IC: Druu - Metru-Koro "Your Turaga didn't make it, huh? That's a shame. Village looks alright for getting bombed, though." A deep rumbling voice came from behind Knichou and company, and were they to turn around, they'd see the large maroon form of the Ta-Skakdi they'd seen on the ship earlier, bandaged up and looking rough but carrying himself with confidence none the less. @Toru Nui@BULiK@Sparticus147

IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro "Oh... I see..." Zadred held the hug for a few more seconds before stepping back with a sigh, looking up at Xane with a tearful smile. "Uh, this seems like a personal moment. Should I need to leave, or... ?" The diminutive Bo-Skakdi turned to the stranger as if she'd forgotten she was there. "Oh, hello! Sorry. I uh, I see you've made a friend here." She said, glancing back to Xane approvingly before turning to Enra again. "I'm Zadred. Who might you be?" @Toru Nui@Nato the Traveler

IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro "Looks like you landed on your f-" Zadred very nearly tackled Xane off his feet as she sprinted into him and wrapped him in a tight hug. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she held him in a firm embrace. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you! I-I thought I'd lost everyone! Is... did anyone else... make it??" @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui IC: Ardoku - Todbuk-Koro "... What are pockets?" @The UltimoScorp@Harvali

The real time anomaly was the feasts we made along the way.

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Hospital Iradra silently moved to escort Zaliyah and Ostrox out. IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro The diminutive Skakdi of Plantlife was in the midst of eating her bowl of grub when she noticed something off in the distance, two forms standing out among the sand and rock. Narrowing her eyes, she realised they were approaching, prompting her to look closer with her vision. What she saw upon doing so caught her off guard; a face she hadn't seen since the fall of the universe, a face she'd though she would never see again. "X-Xane?" She hadn't even noticed herself dropping the bowl, standing up, and taking a couple steps toward them, but when she did, she doubled down on what her subconscious had started and began walking fast, then running, then frantically sprinting, almost as if this vision of her friend could fade away if she didn't reach it within some unknown amount of time. "XANE?!?!!" @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Hospital Iradra nodded at Zaliyah and Irna's handshake with approval. She remained silent, so as to let the two of them speak, though she was glad that some form of understanding was being reached amongst the animosity, and though be it between a League soldier and an ex-Leaguer, it was progress all the same. @Eyru@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Conway@Tarn IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo stopped, and did not approach further, gently raising his hands up in what he hoped to be understood as a placating gesture. The beat of his heartlight spiked as he laid eyes on the non-matoran being in front of him, though he did his best to retain his calm. He'd faced worse things, he could face this with composure. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help. Do you understand me?" He spoke in a calm and soothing tone as best he could, hoping that the mask would relay the meaning of his words to the being in front of him, allegedly Nixie if Vhisola was to be believed. @Vezok's Friend

IC: Zadred - Todbuk-Koro Ever since the refugees had arrived at the Ruins, Zadred had done her best to help out, using her powers to grow food and vegetation where possible, as well as helping with some of the heavy lifting. Upon seeing Bode and the strange grass he created wherever he walked, she'd become intrigued by it, studying it and tending to it for a short while before her attention was drawn to the celebrations. She heard tales of heroes saving the villagers from a great storm beast that destroyed their small settlement, and came to understand that the party she'd studied the Ruins with before had played a part. Her heroic companions, which now had gone into the ruins to unlock whatever secret lay within. It was a spectacle she'd decided not to attend, in favour of helping the refugees outside with settling and thriving in their new home, just as she had in Metru-Koro. For a moment she wondered how Kargon was faring with the greenhouse, before she grabbed herself some grub and took a seat. @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui

IC: Ardoku - Tobduk-Koro Too many new concepts were being sprung at me at once for me to truly follow along with what was being said, but from the sounds of it, one of these matoran had murdered another for the power to... grow grass? The idea seemed ludicrous. I found myself at a loss for words. IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Iradra sighed. It seemed this situation was only going to keep getting more complicated. At this point she was uncertain what her place in all this could be. She had surrendered Metru-Koro to Zaliyah in a bid to prevent more destruction, ready to follow her into the jaws of the League's conquest to bargain for peace, even if it cost her life. But now Pridak was dead. Sans was dead. Suddenly the matter they had to deal with was that of a charlatan sitting on the throne of Metru-Nui, not to mention the newest issue concerning the orb and Mazor and Mata-Nui himself causing the end of the universe... she really wasn't sure what to think of it. It sounded to her like he'd been far out of his depth that Mazor, facing down the alleged god of their old home. Could he really have done anything different than surrender? Perhaps die. But then the result would have been the same, wouldn't it? But others might not see it the same way. Better to die fighting than to live with having surrendered. This was an all too common mindset she'd found. There had already been so much death even before the universe had ended, she could scarcely accept death as being better than indignity. But then had she not been willing to lay down her own life just earlier for the smallest chance at peace? How was that different from this Mazor? Maybe it was because she could only picture herself as expendable. @The UltimoScorp@Tarn@Harvali@~Xemnas~@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Conway@Sparticus147@Eyru

IC: Ardoku - Todbuk-Koro Within moments of my arrival within Po-Koro, there was already talk spreading of an evacuation effort to a different location, done by teleportation. I wondered if this was related to the means of transport I had experienced when Atka led me in her footsteps before, though when time came for me to experience it, it turned out to be far more instantaneous in nature. Blinking as I reoriented myself, I got to work helping the matoran and other beings set up at this new location, a strange large structure that felt in some strange way familiar though I couldn't place it, any memory I might have had of it or any similar structures refusing to surface for me. Taking part in the celebrations reminded me of the Skakdi village I'd visited, received in equal parts with generosity and hostility. I recalled the word dance, and watched as the Matoran performed moves far different from those I'd seen in the Mesa. After eating my fill, I decided to go for a walk, having much to think about after almost two full days of memory and learning to process, two days which were at that moment my entire life. My footsteps were light as I trailed the new footpaths, when suddenly I noticed a red Toa walk a road that met up with mine. I raised a hand in greeting as the two of us closed the gap and met on a newly worn road, apparently headed in the same direction. "So... are all matoran celebrations like that?" I recalled two words at that moment, words that felt like they went together and seemed oddly applicable all of a sudden. Socially awkward. @The UltimoScorp

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro There was no way to tell if Iradra had raised an eyebrow as she waited for Ostrox to continue.

IC: Arkius - Nuva Proxima "Esteemed people of Onu-Metru. It is my honor, and my privilige, to present to you all the new guardian of our district, who arrived with the new heroes of the city of Metru-Nui the Toa Boreai. Honourable, powerful, unshakeable! Gathered friends, please welcome... Toa Arkius!" An Onu-Matoran speaker with a grey Pakari steps to the side on the stage as a large black armoured Toa of Earth steps forward with a humble smile and wave, the crowd gathered cheering for their new Toa guardian. "People of Metru-Nui. People of Dura-Kaia. People of the Southern Isles and of the Western Peninsulas, all you who have escaped the harrowing fate that yet looms over the universe. In our hour of need, the Great Provider has bestowed upon us his greatest champion, a great and powerful Toa. You all know his name. His actions in the great war, and his inspiring heroics in the last few days, we all have felt his powerful and unyielding presence. And under his guidance, there is no doubt that we will survive! Please, everyone, rejoice, for the great Toa Arkius of the Nuva Exoda is here!" The gathered masses gasp and bow as the silver and black armoured Toa Nuva of Earth steps forward with a grim expression on his face. He raises his hand, and the people fall silent, as he gazes over them with an unyielding determination in his eyes. "Great and resilient people of Metru-Nuva. It has been a long few years for us all. We have lost our home, we have all lost people we love, and we've all lost sight of our glorious destinies. But no more shall this vex us! Here in the new jewel of a city which we have built to be our new home, we have established a new order! A new Kingdom of Toa to protect our people from the woes that have troubled us in the past, and new dangers which lurk in the corners of our new homeland! Indeed, it is uncertain what these new lands may bring, be in its unseen corners a bounty of good or a host of ills, but what is certain... what is absolutely unquestionable, is that he who leads us will keep us safe! He will keep us secure! And he will lead us... into a better tomorrow! People of Metru-Nuva, citizens of the Kingdom of Toa, honourable subjects to the crown, please, revere and bow to your lord and saviour, King Arkius of the Nuva Regalus, first of his name, vanquisher of the darkness!" The reverence is indeed palpable in the air, people kneel and bow before the silver and gold clad Toa Nuva of Earth as he strides forth onto the balcony of the immense palace at the center of the tiered city, his black mask adorned with a golden crown as he gazes over the people with fierce eyes and an all too satisfied smile. "What transpires here today cannot ever leave this room. People of the Ember Clan. People of the Undercity and of the Noble Isles to the West. People of the Nomadic Desert Clans. People of the Archweald and of the Rimehold. You all stand here today in judgment of one man. A man whose atrocities have cost us all greatly and irreparably. Whose crimes have deeply scarred the lands and painted the earth in the blood of countless innocents. Esteemed people of this court, this man stands accused of multiple counts of genocide, of harrowing and enduring despotism, and of establishing a far reaching conspiracy to conceal the truth. Defendant Arkius, how do you plead?" An immense and imposing Toa Nuva of Earth stands in the center of the chamber. Stripped of crown, stripped of armour, stripped of dignity, yet standing fierce and defiant despite the heavy chains that bind him. His eyes move over the people in the room, many of whom flinch from his vitriolic gaze, before he turns to his daughter with a hardening grimace, baring his clenched teeth in an expression of loathing and betrayal. ... ... Open the light and summon me and receive my majesty! Arkius reeled back a step, suddenly all to aware of his presence next to Atamai, far closer than he'd intended to protect his ally from any unknown danger, yet even in this newfound awareness he could not react in time to stop Atamai's sudden fall as the floor opened up underneath him. The earthen toa's eyes trailed down, down after the Toa of Iron as his face became illuminated with a golden light he felt all too familiar. Arkius was no more. Arkius had arrived. As his form twisted and expanded to its full glory, he growled as his mask melted and conformed to his face, the indignity of continued mutilation vexing him, before finally he opened his own eye for the first time in an eternity, and looked to the spot where Atamai had fallen through. @Vezok's Friend@Unreliable Narrator@~Xemnas~@Eyru@Tarn@The UltimoScorp@pokemonlover360@Harvali@Snelly

IC: Arkius - Ruins of Stone Arriving in front of the Ruins with the final batch of villagers, Arkius took a good look around at the environment surrounding their new location of settling, before nodding. The ruins and their surrounding area seemed secure enough to set up camp for the moment, after which they could consider their options on whether to stay here or move on elsewhere. As his eyes trailed to the structure, the Toa of Earth couldn't help but wince at a slight throbbing pain in his skull, though it quickly subsided. Deciding to delve inside the ruins with Atamai and his team, Arkius could feel the headache worsen as he crossed the threshold into the ruins proper, though it helped him take his mind off the pain as he marvelled at the interior. Even so, as the group drew closer to the Nuva Chamber, Arkius couldn't help but feel a slight gnawing sensation in the back of his mind, just underneath the aching in his skull, almost like a voice whispering just beyond his hearing. As he tried to focus in on it, they finally arrived, and he could almost hear it. Right there at the edge of his hearing, a whisper in his mind, gnawing at him, familiar yet foreign to him in almost every way, like it shouldn't be. As Atamai neared the disk to the pedestal, Arkius finally could make out the words as they resonated within him, like a faint background noise underneath the beating of the headache. The never ending headache. Always there, even when he didn't notice it, beating against his skull like the beating of drums. Open it! Arkius grimaced, holding his head with a pained expression as the throbbing pain intensified, the pain beating against his skull, beating and beating against his skull, never ending, never stopping, like drums, like never ending drums. The voice grew louder, like a person on the other side of the room whispering loudly so that the entire room echoed with their voice, magnifying the pain. Open the chamber you soft fool! Finally, Atamai placed the disk within, and the voice spoke as if right next to his ear, a searing pain in the center of his head radiating outward as the beating came to a stop with one final, thunderous strike that shook him to his very core. What felt like cold water trickling down his spine shot shivers throughout his body. He could almost taste something in the air, something new... yet something familiar. Open the light and summon me and receive my majesty! @Vezok's Friend@Unreliable Narrator@~Xemnas~@Eyru@Tarn@The UltimoScorp@pokemonlover360@Harvali@Snelly

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro Arkius regarded the spear curiously. "Yes... inanimate objects... there's surely potential there. Very well, ally Kilo, I entrust the spear to your care." With that, he handed it over to the prototype guardian. IC: Ardoku - Po-Koro "I... remember a name. I think it's my name but I can't be sure. Call me Ardoku." IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Iradra continued to remain silent as the talks moved indoors, listening to the discussion evolving until she recognised the distinct expression on Oreius' features, an expression she'd seen all too often before. As Nale addressed Zaliyah about her mode of transport, her attention shifted to them. IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo brought his hand between Vhisola and the hole, nonverbally asking her to stand back as he stepped inside. "Nixie? This is Okuo. We met briefly before, I'm a friend of Vhisola's." As he spoke, his Great Rau began glowing a soft crimson hue. "I'm here to help." @pokemonlover360@The UltimoScorp@Tarn@Harvali@~Xemnas~@Snelly@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Conway@Sparticus147@Eyru@Vezok's Friend

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro Arkius turned to face Kilo, considering his words. "The spear? Right... The spear... Yes, of course, we can't leave that behind. Come on, I'll retrieve it." He grimaced as he realised wher he'd have to go, before turning to lead the prototype protector to the twice now decimated ruins of his and Nale's old house, now not only with the rubble he'd carried outside washed away, but with extensive water damage to the entire interior. Everything was wrecked. Sighing, Arkius brought his hands down to the ground and began focusing, delving his senses deep down until they touched upon a familiar object. Grunting, he began pulling his hands up, and after some slight rumbling of the patch of earth in front of him, the ground bulged up before opening, depositing a long metallic box to the surface where it sat covered in dirt. Arkius reached over, opening up the box, before pulling out the familiar spear. "Alright, we're going to have to keep this thing safe. You have records of what it can do?" IC: Ardoku - Po-Koro I looked at the unfamiliar being who'd just addressed me, asking me about a Metru-Koro, a city. The name felt familiar yet, distinctly, it felt like it wasn't entirely right. "I'm... sorry, I awoke yesterday with no memories, I don't know what this Metru-Koro is, even though it sounds... familiar, oddly enough." IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Iradra remained silent, listening to the words being spoken and mulling them over. What Zaliyah said rang true to her; a turncoat like this Aurax couldn't be trusted with rule of the League forces in the long run, even if he claimed to be on Metru-Koro's side. IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro Okuo groaned, sighed, then nodded. "Right... of course, yes, more trouble. I'll help if I can. Lead the way." Even having said that, he started walking in the direction she'd pointed whether she'd started walking herself or not. Someone was in trouble. He had a responsibility to uphold now. He was a Toa. He could rest later. @pokemonlover360@The UltimoScorp@Tarn@Harvali@~Xemnas~@Snelly@Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Conway@Sparticus147@Eyru@Vezok's Friend

IC: Ardoku It didn't take long for Atka and I to emerge out of the darkness into the desert sands surrounding the mesa cliffs. The night sky shone its starlight down upon the two of us, and for a moment I wondered if this stranger was going to say something, only for her to silently keep moving forward, off into the windswept dunes ahead. Something in the back of my head warned of the dangers of walking in the desert at night, but with no memory to back it up, I elected to follow the stranger. I knew that should she mean me harm, I at the very least seemed competent with my blade, even if I couldn't remember why. Soon however I recalled vividly an earlier association I'd formed between the dark and the cold, an association I now felt physically as a shiver shot through me, and I felt cold for the first time in my memory. It was an unpleasant feeling, but as I looked ahead to tell Atka, I saw to my surprise that she'd covered a far greater distance than her pace could possibly account for. -"HEY! WAIT, ATKA, WAIT FO-" I got no further in yelling than this, having taken off running to catch up with her before tumbling and rolling down a tall sand dune, cold sand whirling up around me as I uncomfortably slid and rolled to lower ground. Lying at the bottom of the dune, I couldn't help but groan as I sat up, with Atka suddenly standing over me. -"You don't know the shortcuts, do you?" She asked me, staring at me with an incomprehensible expression. Whereas others were hard to read, and Helkyrie almost impossible, here I didn't even know where to begin reading into her. -"No. My only memories are since half a day ago." -"I don't presume you would have known even if you still had all your memories. Come, give me your hand." I complied, reaching my hand to hold hers and promptly getting pulled on my feet. Then, still holding my hand, she looked ahead where we'd been going, and began walking at a leisurely pace with me in tow. -"Look at my feet. Step where I step. Don't look around. NEVER look back. Understood?" -"Yes." I didn't really understand. But I could follow directions well enough, so I did what she told me to do. Step by step, I trod in Atka's footprints as best I could, keeping my face forward but my eyes on her feet as she led me ever onward. Slowly but surely it became a rhythm, an easy routine to continue, and despite the chill ever creeping into my body I kept going, my face forward, and my eyes following her every step. -"We're here." -"Huh? Wh-?" I looked up, perplexed. We'd barely walked at all. Surely we couldn't be any further tha- Looking behind me, I expected to see the familiar mesa cliffs only slightly further away. Yet as I stared in the direction we'd come from, I could no longer even see them. Looking around, I realised that my surroundings were completely different too. Gone were the vast sand dunes that had dominated all of my sight, replaced by dried dirt and solid stone as far as I could see in the shadow of the night. Turning back to Atka, I saw her crouching at the edge of an overhang. -"Where are w-" I was immediately interrupted by Atka pulling me down to my knees and putting a hand over my mouth, before pointing in the direction she'd been looking. Following her gesture, my eyes came to rest on dots of light in the distance, which upon further inspection I realised were structures. Unlike the houses I'd seen in the mesa village, these stood in the open, rising out of the ground on their own. The fact that this didn't surprise me was in of itself surprising to me. -"Small village," Atka explained in a hushed voice, "cropped up here a few cycles ago. They call it Po-Koro." -"Who are 'they'?" I asked in a similarly hushed tone, wondering why the name somehow felt correct to me. -"Your people, from what I understand. They are called the Matoran." My people? I contemplated what that meant. "I thought I was something called a Toa." -"You are. It's a bit complicated. I'll explain later. There's something else that needs to be done now." With that, Atka stood up away from the cliff edge and beckoned me to follow her before walking off. Standing up, I saw that she was headed for a small opening in a low hanging cliff. I recalled the word cave quite quickly, and began walking after her. Sitting down inside, Atka retrieved two small implements, striking them together over a pile of debris that soon caught fire, the warmth gradually flowing into me and expelling the cold I'd suffered in the frigid desert outside. -"So… what are we doing here?" Atka gestured next to herself. "Sit with me, Toa Ardoku." I nodded, and as I sat down, the stranger placed her hands on either side of my head, before closing her eyes. -"So… what happens n-" -"Shh! No talk. Sit still." I furrowed my brows, and I could feel my face twisting into that of displeasure. Frustrated by her evasiveness, I slapped both her hands away from my head to her visible surprise and stood up away from her, glaring at her as I paced around the fire. -"When we met, you said we had things to discuss, yet here you are evading every question I've asked you. I don't know you, and I don't know what you know about me, and aside from that village down there, you haven't told me anything! Who are you, what are we doing here," I jabbed a finger in Atka's direction for emphasis, "and why should I trust you?!" It seemed Atka was taken aback by my words. Remaining silent for a moment, perhaps to contemplate what I had said, she then looked back into my eyes and spoke. “Very well. I will answer your questions. Several days ago, I arrived in this dimension following the call of a colleague of mine, Matrak. The two of us are part of a group of travelers looking for a new home for our people, the Eakai. So far we have been unsuccessful, but a week ago Matrak sent out a call, a call that permeated through the void and caught my attention. However, when I arrived in this dimension, I could not find him. I have been searching ever since, and for some reason, his metaphysical scent led me to you. If I can focus on your path, I might be able to find out more about what happened to him.” A lot to take in. Matrak. Eakai. Dimensional travel. The void. All of these were strange concepts I couldn’t immediately wrap my head around, but in the end I sighed and sat down again. “Alright… I’ll help you. You saved my life so I guess I owe you that much.” Atka nodded, sitting down behind me and bringing her hands to my temples. “Close your eyes, and let your mind wander back.” -“But I don’t remember anythi-” -”You don’t have to remember. You just have to wander.” And so I did, I let my mind wander. Wander back. Wander into the past. Back to the skakdi village. Back to the scorching desert, the dry throat, the blue sky above… Three red eyes stared into my soul and I could feel my arm coming apart at the seams with excruciating pain. I wanted to scream but no sound came out. My mind wandered away, away from the pain, away from the red eyes, back forward. A pair of green eyes stared into my soul. I could feel my arm straining, and then both of my arms, and then my back. Something heavy. Something weighing me down. I was trying to lift something. “It’s no use.” I could hear. “He’s gone.” -“I’m Matrak.” The voice said, but that was much later. I could tell because I wasn’t tired from lifting that weight from before like I should be, and because we were somewhere else. “I’m-” I fell forward, further forward I wandered, and suddenly I could see something looming over me, though I couldn’t make out what it was. Circular? Triangular? Spherical? A large structure, hand-made or natural? I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t sure where I was, but the desert… no, the swamp? It stretched out in front of me, stretched out in all directions. Swamp. A word I hadn’t remembered before now. Trees. Water. Don’t step into the puddles. “Don’t step into the puddles.” The advice echoed in my mind in my own voice and the voice of this Matrak. “You wouldn’t want to catch somethi-” And then I was out. I was back in front of the fire, the faint scent of burning wood wafting before my senses from what was now little more than dying embers. Atka stood up from behind me and walked around to the other side of the campfire, sitting down. From what I could tell, she was deep in thought. I was about to speak up when suddenly a distant rumble from outside drew my attention to the cave exit, light shining in through meaning it was daytime. I stood up, wincing at the stiffness of my body, before making my way outside, where my gaze moved to look toward the village. I gazed around for whatever could have made that rumbling noise, before suddenly my eyes noticed something they’d overlooked moments prior, something immense on the horizon, fast approaching the village. -“Wh-what is that??” I asked, peering into the immense thing that hung over the horizon as I heard Atka walk up next to me. “A storm, I believe… but it’s moving far too quickly. Perhaps an attack of some kind. Elementals of Air and Water working together? But-” She suddenly cut herself off, and I looked at her with concern, noting that despite her alien features I could still recognise the expression of fear on her face. “Atka, what’s wrong?” -“That’s… impossible... “ She said with a tinge of terror to her voice. “How can one of them be here? This land is worse off than I could have imagined… but then why did-” -“One of them? Who are they? What are you talking about?” I said, peering searchingly at her before looking back at the storm. “They… look into the storm. What do you see?” She responded, fear still clinging to her voice as she spoke. I did so, gazing into the tempest, and then all of a sudden I felt a shiver shoot down my spine. There was something in that storm. Something immense. For a moment I was frozen in fear, before I then realized the storm wasn’t getting any closer, but was instead moving off in another direction. -“It’s… going elsewhere?” I mused, noting the lingering tinge of dread in my voice. Slowly my attention was drawn away from the receding storm and down to the village, noticing only now the sorry state it was in, from water flooding it and buildings crumbling. I could barely make out the figures hard at work trying to save it. “Perhaps… I should help. You said these are my people, right? I should help them.” -“Yes, you should help." She said nodding, and I nodded in response before looking back to the village. Helping people in need. The idea felt... right. "How ever, this is where our paths diverge. Thank you for your help, Toa Ardoku... and good luck.” I furrowed my brow, turning around in confusion to ask why she couldn’t help too, but before I could utter a single word I realised she was gone. Approaching the village by foot, I soon noticed someone lying face down in the drying mud, half-buried, and by the looks of it, struggling in vain to get out. They were small, about half my size were I to have guessed, and on instinct I knelt down to pull them out. They wore a mask, much like I did, but it looked different. The small person coughed and gasped, before looking at me with purple eyes, a glimmer of something I recognised to be hope in their gaze. "Toa! You... saved me! Thank you!" They managed between their desperate breaths. I nodded in response. "Y-yeah, you're... welcome." This felt right. OOC: Toa Ardoku in Po-koro @~Xemnas~@The UltimoScorp@pokemonlover360@Toru Nui@Harvali@Snelly@Tarn

IC: Zadred - Ruins of Stone Keeping the metal case Atamai had entrusted to her under one arm, Zadred milled about, looking at the terrain surrounding the Ruins and wondering how well it could sustain flora in the long term, utilising her farsight to see if she could spot any hardy flora surving in the barren environment.

IC: Iradra - Metru-Koro Earlier Iradra turned to look at the Turaga, nodding. "Of course, I'll..." She started, looking back at Zaliyah and Ostrox, taking her sword off her back and planting it in the ground. "I'll be back for this." Afterwards, Iradra had escorted Klawne to her humble abode, a relatively small hut for a Toa, though perhaps more comfortable for a Turaga. There was a bed, a couple of chairs around a table, a set of shelves with some boxes on it, and finally a mat in the center oc the space. "Stay as long as you like. I must return to my post now." Pulling up her sword again and placing it on her back upon returning to the wreckage, Iradra resumed her watch, though after a while she decided to start exploring her powers a bit more. Lifting her hand up, she once more conjured the hardlight shape, and began shifting it. Morning As Zaliyah, Ostrox, and a Toa she recalled from the airship all gathered around the newcomer, Iradra at first kept her eye on them from a distance, before finally deciding to see what was going on up close. A bronze-clad grey-robed Toa walked up to the group, a slight shimmer to the bronze plating she wore as she regarded the newcomer Toa from behind her expressionless bronze facade whilst listening to the conversation unfolding. @Nato the Traveler@Toru Nui@Eyru@Tarn

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro Darkness. Struggling to breathe. She'd almost given up hope when finally she felt the earth shift from above her and lift her up into the light, an immense hand grabbing her and placing her upon wide shoulders, the one-eyed mask of Arkius glancing sidelong at her to ensure the matoran's safety before moving on. After clearing the settlement of the flooding water, he'd gotten to work unearthing those who'd gotten caught in the mudslide, making sure to reserve the elemental energy he had left as much as possible after the larger displays of power he'd performed earlier. Walking back to the gathered toa after bringing the rescued matoran to safety, he gave everyone present a nod of familiarity before listening in on the conversation. "If these Ruins of Stone and the surrounding terrain can provide better shelter for the villagers, then I agree that we relocate everyone from here to there immediately. Po-Koro as it exists here is no longer viable in any shape or form. How far are these ruins by foot?" @~Xemnas~@The UltimoScorp@pokemonlover360@Toru Nui@Snelly@Tarn@Harvali IC: Okuo - Metru-Koro After ambling about in a daze, Okuo had finally reached his house. Cracks cast doubt on its structural integrity, but that would have to be a worry for later. Right now he needed to sit down and catch his breath for a moment. So Okuo opened up the door and walked in, placing down his rucksack, and the immense shield he'd been carrying on his back for a few days now. He sat down, grabbing the Great Rau sitting on his shelf and turning it in his hands as he reclined in his chair. Everything was a bit dusty, probably from the stone of the building being shaken during the attack... or was it attacks, plural? He couldn't be sure, and it seemed like everyone was more focused right now on rebuilding and recovering than giving answers. Removing the Mask of Adaptation from his face he carefully reached around on its inside before pulling away a transparent shell, one that shrunk down slightly to the size of his unmasked head. He went on to place it within his Great Rau, the shell expanding to fill out the mask's back again, before he then placed the mask on his face, sighing with relief as the power flowed through him again unhindered. It had been a long few days, and it was good to have his familiar mask on again. Setting aside his secondary mask and briefly mulling over the troublesome limitation of only being able to wear one mask at a time, Okuo then stood up to stretch his legs a bit, no longer weighed down by salvaged scraps and his shield. Okuo knew sleep would be the best thing for him right now, but after everything he'd been through, the adrenaline still pumping through his body and keeping him on edge, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. The next best thing, he decided, would be a stroll through the village for some... moderately fresh air in the smouldering aftermath of a bombing raid. Yes, that sounded like just the ticket. Perhaps he could even get some medical attention along the way for all the bruises and stabs he'd suffered. Stepping outside his house again, Okuo went on his way, slowly walking and taking in the strange hazy air that hung over the village. He'd certainly not been the only one who'd gone through a tough time today, and he wondered if everyone else was having trouble sleeping too. He was brought out of his musings as he spotted Vhisola running desperately. "Oh... hey! You're back!" Okuo sprinted over, though he winced at it as his bruises and wounds complained with an ample radiance of pain shooting through his body, before coming to a stop next to her. "Is... something wrong?" @Vezok's Friend

IC: Arkius - Po-Koro Prior to Kat's arrival, Arkius had nodded to Kanohi, both to his request and to his question, though right now he had little time to exchange words. After delivering Jovan and the matoran to safety, Arkius made his way to the center of the village, wading through the settling water. Raising his hands to the sides, his feet connected to the ground, Arkius felt his way through the village's earthen foundation, before then executing a gradual and precise erosion of holes leading down into the earth, down into unflooded tunnels below. These holes were large enough to allow the water down through them, draining the water from the village, but not large enough to endanger anyone who might step on them. Slowly but surely the water dissipated, until the damp ground was all that was left. All the while, Arkius stabilised and reinforced the ground upon which the village stood, until finally he collapsed to one knee, winded. @Harvali@Toru Nui@pokemonlover360@Snelly@Tarn@The UltimoScorp