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Before you read, here is a little backstory. This short story is set in an alternate future where a King rules over the reformed Spherus Magna. The heroes of my other stories serve as Knights to protect the king. Oh, and in this universe, I have both genders for each element of Toa, cause why not. Enjoy the story! Knightmare Sir Jalokim walked through the corridors of King Sekatala's castle in New Atero. He had been awoken from his slumber by his fellow Knights, being told that there was an intruder in the castle. According to Tamaru, head scout of the Knights of New Atero, it was one of the rebels that the Knights had been defending the King from for about 500 years. These fools just don't know when to quit. It took Jalokim a while to realize that it was awfully quiet in the castle. He thought he ordered Nylehsa to sound the alarm, but even his memory was being affected by age. Jalokim had lived a long life by now, even for a Toa. The old Knight heard a sound. Probably nothing, he thought, as even he knew he had hallucinations from time to time. Jalokim decided just to make sure. Being cautious is what kept him alive for 100 000 years. The Toa of earth turned the corner where he heard the sound come from. What met him made his heartlight stop. It was a giant mask. Not just any mask, a giant blue Noble Huna. The same mask belonging to Toa Seerah, someone he thought he had buried in his mind forever. Jalokim stood there as the mask stared at him with large, empty eyeholes. The mask was judging him. It forced Jalokim to remember all the choices he made, everything that others would have been too afraid to do. Jalokim forced himself to turn around, only to see another Huna. Everywhere he looked, he saw the “face” of the Toa he trusted the most, looking at him as if he were worthless. The Knight dropped his sword and collapsed. The Toa of earth was taking large, quick breaths. His heartlight flashed like a strobe light. His mind raced. He kept on apologizing to the masks, but they seemed to press closer, as if Jalokim had just proved his guilt. After a while, the faces disappeared. A blue and white Toa of water wearing a blue Huna steps up from where the faces were. She unlimbered her crossbow and took aim at Jalokim. She fired. The projectile struck Jalokim in the gut, blasting a hole in him. Jalokim writhed on the floor in agony. Two cloaked figures appeared with blasters and shot Jalokim in different parts of his body. “That's what you deserve for not helping me, 'Sir' Jalokim.” said the Toa of Water. Everyone disappeared. Jalokim, still being in extreme pain, checked his wounds. The projectiles had lodged themselves into the holes they made in his body. It wouldn't exactly be pretty if they got dislodged. Jalokim slowly rose to his feet. Pain coursed through his body. He nearly passed out right there, but something kept him going. He needed to find the other Knights, alert the King even. As he made his way to the throne room, Jalokim reflected on his life so far. He was created by the Great Beings as one of the protectors of Mata Nui while he was still being constructed. In the early days, Jalokim helped found the Hand of Artahka, acting as the head of intelligence in the group. After the Hand of Artahka was disbanded, Jalokim travelled the Matoran Universe. During his travels, he ran into several Toa, and eventually they banded together to form the Toa Rozo. Each member wasn't like your average Toa in the Matoran universe, each had been created by the Great Beings as Toa from the start. Each Toa had something else which separated them from the rest. Eventually, the Hand of Artahka returned as the Order of Mata Nui, and recruited the Toa Rozo as a black ops subgroup. The Toa Rozo would guard the Dimensional borders from inter-dimensional threats as well as execute covert tasks for the Order. Jalokim and his Toa Rozo had many adventures in alternate universes, but unfortunately, not everyone survived to see tell the tale. Only Three members of the Toa Rozo remain, the three being Jalokim, Seerah, and Dranoel. The Toa Rozo inspired the birth of another Order of Mata Nui subgroup, the Chronicler's Company, with the Rozo's former Chronicler leading them. When the Red Star was destroyed, leaving Mata Nui stranded on a distant planet he was studying, the Toa Rozo aided the Chronicler's company in finding resources to upgrade Mata Nui's propulsion systems to escape the planet's orbit. Eventually, Mata Nui succeeded in his mission of restoring Spherus Magna, only to discover that a Makuta had ruled the planet in Mata Nui's absence. Normally, the Makuta would have been detained, but this Makuta was not corrupt like his brethren from his native dimension. In fact, this Makuta had saved Mata Nui from falling asleep in his dimension. The Makuta had welcomed the Matoran Universe inhabitants, and Turaga Dume of Metru Nui, representing all species of the Matoran Universe, agreed to joining the Commonwealth of Spherus Magna. Thus, the Makuta ruled all species as King Sekatala. The King formed a group of legendary warriors known as the “Knights of New Atero” to serve as the protectors of his Kingdom. Jalokim was knighted and appointed as leader of the Knights. Not everyone liked the idea of having one being to rule over all, so Seerah formed the rebellion. Jalokim never heard from her until this night. Jalokim made a mental note to let someone else take command of the Knights. He was getting old, and his mental illnesses were starting to get worse. He was worried he would lead the Knights to their demise if he continued leading. He would still serve as a Knight, but he would rather have someone more capable to lead. The pain Jalokim felt started to get the better of him. He stumbled forward and fell. When he hit the ground, he noticed that his midsection was getting cold... To his horror, the projectiles had dislodged themselves. The hole was massive.... and his organic components were spilling out of it. Jalokim's heart sank. This was the end. There was no way he could survive his internal organs exiting his torso from his wound for long. Jalokim went limp. He couldn't feel anything. Then, everything slowly went dark... Jalokim woke in his quarters with a start. His heartlight flashed rapidly, his breathing ragged. It had all been a dream. Or was it? How could he be so sure? After all, without the Red Star, no one knew what happened after death. Jalokim heard a knock at his door. “Enter.” Nylehsa, weapons specialist of the Knights of New Atero and former leader of the Chronicler's Company, stepped in. “Jalokim, his majesty would like to see you about a personal matter you brought to his attention.” Jalokim rose, wondering what it could be. “Did he say what it was?” “Something about your mental health, that's all I know. Hey, are you alright?” “Am I ever?” With that, Jalokim pushed Nylehsa aside and left for the throne room. Hopefully, this would all be sorted out soon. To Be Continued in "Shadow of Logic"
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Nidhiki stood at the wall of the Dark Hunter fortress. Every now and then he thought about the times he had been in Metru Nui and the many battles he had fought in the Toa-Dark Hunter War. During times of war, it was normal for someone to write down the details for each battle, so future historians can have a record. When Nidhiki was bored, he would read the words he wrote all those years ago and ponder what he could have done to prevent himself from becoming a Dark Hunter and looking like the monster he is now. * * * Toa-Dark Hunter war, day 42 I was in the room with the rest of the Toa Mangai and Dume where we usually strategize, when someone knocked on the chamber door. I was wondering who was rude enough to cut me off in mid-sentence until I saw she was one of our Toa scouts. She was a Toa of Lightning and wore a white Kanohi Akaku. She stepped forward. She explained that she had overheard a couple of Dark Hunters talking about a bomb. She also stated that they planned to use that bomb to destroy a third of the Toa defending the city. And then... All Lhikan said was that we would deal with it after we got medical supplies for our injured Toa! So I decided to make my thoughts on the matter clear. "You can't be serious! We need to deal with this as soon as possible! This is war! The Dark Hunters wouldn't waste time to destroy us all!" I said. "Even if we did something about this bomb, what would we do? Throw elemental bursts and hope they hit something? If we go in with just what we have, what would we accomplish?" Lhikan replied. "That's a much better plan than waiting!" "If I can get a word in, we could just send in a team small enough to slip by their defenses and steal the bomb for examination," the scout interjected. I had to say, I was quite surprised I hadn’t thought about that. She continued, "I volunteer myself to go, since I am the only one who knows where the bomb is located. "Lhikan considered this for a moment. "We’ll send a team in about an hour. And since you are so eager for action, Nidhiki, you shall accompany this Toa and two others who are willing to go on this mission. Is that clear?" "Yes... Brother" I replied bitterly. We then headed out to search for Toa who would be willing to accompany us. * * * There were two Toa willing to accompany us, one a Toa of Fire with a gold hue and a red Hau, the other a Toa of "the Green" wearing a blue Faxon. The three Toa with me seemed to know each other quite well. They were remembering their adventures before the war. They seemed to have a lot of good memories, but where I come from, you can never be completely safe, which was why I had learned to use the shadows to my advantage, unlike these three. Eventually we reached Ga-Metru, where the Toa of Lightning said the bomb was located. She used her Kanohi Akaku to scan for the bomb, but she couldn’t find it. She suggested that the Dark Hunters had moved it to keep it safe. "So how do you suppose we find one bomb in this entire section of the Metru?" the Toa of Fire asked. "We should split into two teams so we can cover more ground. You, Toa of Plant Life, you're with me. Let's go," I replied. The team went in opposite directions, the Toa of Plants and I taking the left path. Eventually we found a Dark Hunter outpost, with the Dark Hunter named Primal standing guard. He didn't see us yet, so I created a vacuum around him, and due to the lack of air, he fell unconscious. I and the Toa of the green went inside the outpost, only to find that there was nothing there. Then, we saw a ball of flame erupt in the air just about a kio away. "What is that Toa thinking!? He just gave away his position to the whole city!" I exclaimed. "He is still a novice, so he has a lot to learn. But don't worry; we know where he is, so I suggest we make haste." When we arrived at the site of the flare, we found our two Toa allies battling four Dark Hunters at the time. "I guess we'd better help," I said to my partner. A green dark hunter of the Skakdi race seemed to notice us. He seemed to be the one in charge of the group. "Hakann! Reidak! Teach these two to not interfere with things that don't concern them!" he ordered. The one called Reidak charged at me. I hurled a cyclone at him, which seemed to make him even madder. As soon as the cyclone subsided, he charged at me yet again. “You’re a tricky one, aren't you?” I said. He let out a growl of frustration and swung, with the blunt end of his Buzz saw smacking me right in the mask. "OWW! That's it, no more playing easy!" I swung at him, with my scythe hooking onto his Buzz saw. With all my might, I tore it free from his grip. As soon as he was defenseless, I punched him with enough force to knock-out a Kane-Ra bull. "Toa, one, Dark Hunter, zero." I went to go help out the novice Toa of Fire, who seemed to be having a hard time beating the one I recognized as Thok. As soon as the fire-spitter noticed I was coming he shouted that he could hold them off while the Toa of Lightning would destroy the bomb. "Sure thing fire-spitter,” I pointed to the dark hunter in charge. “But I'll handle him!" * * * After a furious battle, Zaktan shouted to his squad, "The bomb is lost! We shall live to fight another day!" The one called Hakann pointed his lava launcher at the Toa of plants. "Of course, but it would be rude to leave without a parting gift!" With that said, he shot a lava sphere right at the Toa of "the Green". It struck him square in the chest, slowly burning away at his organs. It must have been an agonizing death. "NOOOOOO!" the fire-spitter shouted, hurling balls of flame at the retreating dark hunters, but it was already too late. "It's all my fault! I should've helped him out! I should've done something!" I went to the Toa of fire and said, "It’s not your fault. Things like this are going to happen during a war, kid. You need to learn to get used to it." And with that, we returned to the Coliseum, where I informed Lhikan of the death of the Toa of plants. "And you are sure you couldn't do anything to prevent this?" "If I could, I would have." I replied. After that was dealt with, we put the bomb in storage, where it was decided it would remain. But I kept on thinking that I should have convinced Lhikan to use the bomb against the Dark Hunters. Bah, he probably would have said “No, we cannot endanger the Matoran!”. Anyway, why would Lhikan care so much about ONE life out of one hundred? Is he surprised that someone was killed in a war? It wouldn’t make sense if he was. In my opinion, you should only care about a death in a war if you lost someone important. This Toa of Plant Life, however, was not important. He was just a soldier, we have dozens of Toa who could take his place! After I thought about this, Lhikan asked me to check in on the guards and inform them of the loss. After I did that, I went to our usual room where we would talk about strategies. END
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Synopsis A Toa of Fire who served in the Toa-Dark Hunter War has his entire life change when he becomes a member of a secret Toa Hagah team for a mutinous Makuta. Chapter One: Duty Lesovikk walked through the jungle of the island. To be quite honest, he knew close to nothing about his location. All he knew was that he was on some remote southern island which had no use to anyone. The perfect place to be exiled. Lesovikk thought to himself. “Hey you! Toa!” The voice came from behind Lesovikk. Whoever it was, he couldn’t have been addressing Lesovikk, for Lesovikk was no Toa, or so he believed. The voice came again. This time louder. “You! The one in the green armor! Over here!” Lesovikk turned around. Who would possibly want me? I am no Toa! If I couldn`t save one life, how could I protect hundreds of Matoran? “I am no Toa, you must be looking for someone else.” Lesovikk replied to the stranger. When Lesovikk actually got a good look at the stranger, he recognized him as a Toa of fire. An extremely loud one, at that. He wore a red Hau, and had a gold Hue. He carried a unique fire sword. “Well, you certainly look the part of a Toa! Opps, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Jalokim, Toa of fire, at your service.” The stranger said. The Toa seemed cheerful, but his facial expression had the look of sadness. Something terrible had happened. “Jalokim. I can tell something is troubling you, what did I miss?” Lesovikk replied. Jalokim’s smile turned to a frown. “You don’t know? Where have you been? Come, I’ll tell you somewhere we can rest.” With that, Jalokim gestured deeper into the jungle. Eventually they found a few rocks they could sit on and talk. Jalokim explained that he had just fought in a war. Not just any war, but the Toa-Dark Hunter war. He explained that the war started when the Dark Hunters wanted to secure a base in Metru Nui, but when Turaga Dume refused, the Shadowed One sent an army of Dark Hunters to take it by force. However, one of the Toa protecting the island managed to slip past the army and get about two-hundred Toa to come help. Jalokim was one of those two-hundred. After suffering heavy casualties, and Jalokim losing the leader of his Toa team, one Toa named Nidhiki ended the war when he betrayed the Toa to the Dark Hunters. However, Lhikan, leader of the Toa legion, saw this and had a counter-ambush for the Dark Hunter’s ambush. The Dark Hunters were able to leave peacefully, as long as they took Nidhiki with them. “So that’s the story. But just a quick question, why weren’t you there?” Jalokim asked me. “The answer is simple, I am not a Toa.” “Hmph. You didn’t need to be a Toa to help out.” “If I hesitated for one second in that war, I would have failed my brother Toa and get them killed. That’s why I didn’t help out. I’m not worthy to be a Toa.” Jalokim didn’t seem convinced. I asked him why he came to this island. Toa don’t come here for no reason. “That’s a funny story, actually. I received a message from a Makuta stating that he needs a team of Toa to protect him, and I was chosen to lead the team. Turns out that there is a Makuta positioned at every island. And the one I’ve been assigned to rules this island. But enough about me, what about you? What brings you here?” “Toa are supposed to protect others. Since I can’t do that, I came to a place where I can’t cause any more harm.” “I couldn’t save my brother Toa, but did I give up on saving others? No! You need to learn from whatever mistakes you’ve made and push on!” “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I can’t fail if I’m not in the way.” Jalokim shook his head. “Whatever.” He started to walk away, but turned around at the last second. “Uhhhh, you don’t suppose you can direct me to the Makuta, can you?” At that moment, a shadow fell over us. We then heard a voice, but it wasn’t that of a Toa’s, this one had a darker tone to it, almost as if it threatened to destroy us, yet at the same time was masked with a voice as calm as the breeze on a beach. “Welcome future Toa Hagah. I am not the best at remembering names of those other than my brother Makuta, but I am sure I have not called for you, Toa of air.” Why won’t anyone listen to me?! If I can’t protect a single life, I can’t do the duty of a Toa! “Regardless, you still look the part of a Toa. It does not matter to me if you can’t protect Matoran.” Lesovikk was surprised. I didn’t say anything, how could this voice possibly have replied to me?! “Your ignorance radiates from your Kanohi. I am Makuta Sekatala. A Makuta has the ability to read minds. Hence, I acknowledged your mental comment.” “The other Toa Hagah will be here shortly,” The Makuta continued. Soon enough, five other Toa arrived. Two of them Jalokim seemed to recognize, since he was able to call them by their name. The one called Ailuj was a Toa of electricity and wore a white Akaku. The other one, known as Saitamm, was a Toa of plasma and wore an orange Pakari. Since it was obvious Lesovikk wasn’t meant to be here, he decided to just leave and let these Toa “Hagah” do their thing. Since they were all distracted by the new armor and Toa-Tools given to them by the Makuta, no-one seemed to notice Lesovikk leaving the small clearing. I’m glad to be out of that mess. Well, back to searching for some shelter.. *** A few hours later, Lesovikk was startled when a tree suddenly caught fire next to him “What in Mata Nui’s name was that?!” Lesovikk turned around and was surprised to see Jalokim’s team of Toa Hagah. “Are you mad?! What are you doing?!” Lesovikk shouted. The one called Saitamm was the one to answer. “Sekatala told us to subdue anyone that’s on this island. So, that’s what we came to do.” “We aren’t supposed to tell him that, Saitamm!” The Toa Hagah of Ice said to him. Jalokim looked at Lesovikk. “The reason Sekatala wants you captured and probably killed is that we are supposed to be a secret team. If anyone finds out about us, Sekatala will be killed by the other Makuta for treason.” The Toa of ice seemed annoyed. “Jalokim! What are you doing?! We are trying to prevent him from finding out more secrets!” “Lesovikk should at least know why we are doing this. Toa are supposed to STOP death, not cause it.” “Well, I plan to follow through with Sekatala’s orders, even if I have to break the Toa code to do it!” With that, the Toa of ice hurled an ice bolt at Lesovikk. Lesovikk dodged just in time and retaliated with a cyclone. The force of the whirlwind sent the Toa of ice flying. In the confusion that followed, Lesovikk quickly escaped. Lesovikk ran for about 10 minutes. He then decided to go hide in the nearest tree. Why would Makuta Sekatala consider me a threat? What would I do? I have no intention of revealing these “Toa Hagah”! After hiding in the tree for a solid 20 minutes, Lesovikk decided to get down and escape this island. However, Jalokim appeared as soon as he stepped down. By instinct Lesovikk threw a mini cyclone at him. “WOAH! Listen, I didn’t come here to kill!” Jalokim said. “Then why are you still looking for me?” “I was going to challenge you to a duel, if you win, you may leave the island safely. If I win, I’ll take you directly to Sekatala. Do we have a deal?” Lesovikk pondered this for a minute. Jalokim seemed to have a sense of honour, unlike that Toa of ice. “Deal.” “Excellent.” Lesovikk and Jalokim stood ten bio apart. Jalokim charged at Lesovikk, but Lesovikk flipped over the attack. Jalokim turned around and swung his Advanced Fire Blade. Lesovikk blocked it with his air sword and the two were in a blade lock. Jalokim stepped back and Lesovikk’s force propelled him forward. Jalokim was about to swing his Fire Blade at Lesovikk while he was on the ground, but Lesovikk tripped Jalokim. When they were both back up, Jalokim split his Fire Blade into twin Fire Swords. “You like it? Sekatala modified my old fire sword so it can combine with an identical one. But I can just as easily split them apart.” Jalokim split and swung his twin Fire Swords at Lesovikk. Lesovikk was able to block the first one, but wasn’t in time to block the other. Jalokim tripped Lesovikk and pointed his Fire Sword at his throat. “I win.” Lesovikk would not believe what happened next. Instead of hauling him to Sekatala, Jalokim extended his hand. “I never believed in the unnecessary murder of innocent beings. Being a Makuta, Sekatala doesn’t understand the Toa code.” “What? You’re letting me go?” “Of course, I need to keep my honour, and you need to keep yours. You can’t do that if you are dead, now could you?” Lesovikk was surprised that this Toa would defy his Makuta. Sekatala can easily read Jalokim’s mind. “I know I’m taking a risk in trying to save you, but isn’t that what being a Toa is all about?” Jalokim said. Lesovikk thought about Jalokim’s words. I hadn’t taken a risk when I needed to. I am obviously not fit to be a great Toa like Jalokim, Jalokim put a hand on Lesovikk’s shoulder and continued. “Lesovikk, remember these words. Never forget what you are, who you are. If we lose that, we lose our duty. And a sense of duty is what keeps us apart from Dark Hunters or mindless rahi. Remember that, and you can push through anything.” Lesovikk was shocked at how wise this Toa of fire was. Perhaps I can work to be a better Toa, and when I am, the first thing I’ll do is check in on my old Matoran friends. “Anyway, you should get going Lesovikk! That Toa of ice on my team can be as annoying as a fireflier when it comes to orders!” With that, Jalokim led Lesovikk to the boat he used to get here. They said their farewells and parted ways. But Lesovikk learned something important that day. He learned that being a Toa isn’t only about protecting the innocent, but it’s also about never giving up, and never forgetting the three virtues. One day, Jalokim will become a great Toa, hopefully one day I can be the same. Lesovikk sailed in the direction of the island belonging to his old friends Sarda and Idris. Unfortunately, when he got there, he found that the Turaga had gone mad and sent the entire population to Karzahni. Lesovikk spent the next months trying to get past the manas guards. Of course, he never gave up, for a true Toa would never. **** Chapter 2: Shadow Jalokim Rising! Makuta Sekatala dwelled in his private chamber on the island he ruled. It had been a couple months since Jalokim, leader of his secret Toa Hagah, had let the Toa of Air called Lesovikk escape his island. Sekatala had specifically ordered that Lesovikk be killed, but Jalokim disobeyed this order. Now Sekatala was at risk of his secret Toa team being discovered by the rest of the brotherhood. If the brotherhood discovered Jalokim and the other Toa Hagah, Sekatala would be arrested for treason. Sekatala thought of how he could make this Hagah team more reliable. The easiest solution was to just get a new Toa team, but then the previous Hagah may tell others of them working for Sekatala. Then an idea formed in his head. Of course! , Sekatala thought. I can use the Kanohi Olmak in Destral to take a version of each Hagah from different dimensions, except these versions won’t be afraid to kill! A knock on the chamber door interrupted Sekatala’s thoughts. “Enter.” The one who stepped inside the chamber was none other than Nerdak, Toa Hagah of Ice. This one seemed to be the most loyal to Sekatala. “Speak Nerdak, why have you come to my private chambers?” Sekatala said in a commanding tone. “I only wish to question why you chose Jalokim as leader of this team, as he obviously has no experience in leading a Toa Team, and I was leader of mine before I joined these Hagah. Wouldn’t I have made a greater leader?” “Ah, you see Nerdak, I did this so I could test your loyalty. If you followed my command as precisely as I have instructed, then I would have appointed you as the leader.” “But I have followed your every instruction!” “Then why did you let Jalokim go after Lesovikk by himself? I ordered that you were to capture him together.” Nerdak realised that he had indeed disobeyed that order. But Jalokim killed Lesovikk anyway, did he not? “No, Jalokim let Lesovikk escape.” Sekatala said. Nerdak had forgotten that Sekatala could read his thoughts. “So what are you going to do, oh great Sekatala?” Sekatala stood up. “I shall travel to Destral to fix this…. error. In the meantime, I want you to inform the other Hagah that I shall be absent.” “As you wish, Sekatala.” Nerdak turned to leave. Sekatala soon teleported from the room and re-appeared at the fortress of Destral. Sekatala made his way to the chamber where the fortress’s Kanohi Olmak was held. Getting there hadn’t been a challenge since he was already a high ranking Makuta scientist. Despite this fact however, he still wasn’t given a large role in the plot to overthrow Mata Nui. Because of this they let Sekatala keep his remote island near the southern continent instead of giving him a more vital island to rule over. Since then, Sekatala had vowed to show the rest of the Makuta that he was more than capable of helping to bring down Mata Nui. Perhaps even overthrow Teridax and claim leadership of the Brotherhood! , Sekatala mused. Finally, Sekatala reached the chamber of the Kanohi Olmak. This Kanohi was one of the few in existence. This particular Olmak was stripped from the face of one of the Toa on Jovan’s Toa team. This was the only team in known history that used the Kanohi Ignika to heal Mata Nui. The Brotherhood uses it to move the island of Destral to different places in the universe. Sekatala stepped up to the pedestal in the middle of the room and placed the Kanohi Olmak over his own Kanohi Avsa, the mask of Hunger. Sekatala felt a brilliant surge of power as he channeled its power to materialise a dimensional portal in front of him. Sekatala stepped through the portal and it closed behind him… *** When Sekatala emerged from the other end of the portal, he stepped into a lush jungle which he recognized as the island he ruled. As the dimensional portal closed behind him, he looked around for the alternate versions of his Toa Hagah, except none were in sight. Strange, either the Toa Hagah never served me, or they just don’t want to be found. As soon as he thought this, three of the Toa Hagah appeared seemingly from nowhere around Sekatala. These were Jalokim, Ailuj and Tetrak, but not as Sekatala had known them. These versions looked… different. The biggest difference being their Kanohi masks. Sekatala had never seen anything like them. Of all of them, Jalokim was the first to speak. “Sekatala! Where in the name of the Order have you been for the past 10 years?! We had almost given up hope on ever finding you!” Sekatala was confused. Then again, why wouldn’t he be? He had just seen three Toa with unrecognizable Kanohi. But the thing that puzzled him the most was that the alternate version of him had been gone for 10 years, now, why would that be? Sekatala decided to play it safe by telling the three Hagah that he had suffered amnesia and could only remember so much. The way back to the island was something he couldn’t remember. “Well, at least you could remember us Toa Hagah Nuva right?” Jalokim said. Hagah… Nuva? “Sorry Jalokim, but many things have escaped my vast, complex mind. Would you mind catching me up to speed while you take me to the other Hagah?” “Of course!” I had almost forgotten how eager you are to talk, Jalokim. “Well, it all started when you pretended to be part of the scheme that the brotherhood had to overthrow Mata Nui. Then, you chose me, my old mentor Nevets, Ailuj and Tetrak here, Iramahs, and Nerdak, in order to help you foil the Brotherhood’s plot. As we protected you, you started to work on a machine that would tell you of the destinies of those around you. When you completed the machine, you found out that I, Ailuj, Nerdak, and Tetrak were destined to become Toa Nuva. As we basked in your wonderful pool of Energized Protodermis, we were given new masks and armor. As well as the powers of our masks being stronger, we were now able to share our mask powers with those close by, as you have already seen when Tetrak was concealing us with the power of his Great Kanohi Huna Nuva. Armed with our new power, we stopped the Brotherhood from ever rebelling and in gratitude, Mata Nui appointed you the responsibility of leading his people while he did his duties. You had ruled for a couple of years when you decided to explore alternate universes to see what else you could do to perfect our world. And after ten years, you have finally returned to us! Toa Nevets will be so happy to see you, as you were the one who placed him in charge of us Toa Hagah.” So, in this alternate reality, I overthrow Teridax for the general well being of others. How… illogical. When Sekatala finally reached the original meeting place of the Toa Hagah, he noticed that the extra member that he had put in charge instead of Jalokim was a Toa of Plant life with a blue Faxon. An interesting detail was the life-support system that was attached to the Toa’s midsection. “Nevets! You won't believe who I found!” Nevets had an expression of pure shock on his face. “Sekatala! How is it that you are here? I saw you vanish in that dimensional gate myself!” Something about Nevets' voice sounded strange to Sekatala. Instead of having the tone of relief, it had the tone of fear. I will look into this later. The other Toa Hagah and Hagah Nuva were thrilled however. “Nevets, take me to my chambers.” The Toa of Plant life escorted Sekatala to his underground chamber. The Makuta was surprised to see the variety of trophies mounted on his walls. One was a Faxon which was labelled to be Toa Lesovikk's mask, slain by Toa Hagah Nevets. The one that caught Sekatala's attention the most was the Kanohi Kraahkan above his throne. Perhaps now is the time to investigate what was going through Nevets' head when he saw me. A quick peek at his memories will give me the answers I seek. Sekatala focused his telepathic powers on Nevets and dived into his mind. *** 10 years earlier... Nevets and Sekatala stood in Sekatala's private chambers next to a pedestal with a Kanohi Olmak sitting on top of it. “Behold the key to me perfecting our universe, Nevets. With this Kanohi Olmak, I can see what other universes have done that we haven’t, and we can mimic the superior qualities and avoid the mistakes of the other universes.” Sekatala said. “Yes, it will solve all our troubles.” Without Sekatala seeing, Toa Nevets grabs a lightstone rifle mounted on the wall. As the Makuta dons the Olmak and opens a dimensional gate, Nevets takes aim with the weapon. Probably the biggest mistake of our universe was letting you foil the Brotherhood's plot. The traitorous Toa Hagah of Plant Life pulls the trigger of the Lightstone rifle and blasts the Makuta into the dimensional gate. As the gate closes behind Sekatala, Nevets has a great smile on his face. “That should keep you from further destroying our universe with your sense of order. No Makuta could survive a blast of light like that.” *** The Present... Sekatala felt the tip of a lightstone rifle touching his back. “How did you manage to survive that blast of light?” Sekatala thought carefully, one wrong move and he would be dead. “I am not from this Universe. I am sure I can be of great use to you, as you can be of great use to me.” Nevets pondered this for a momment. “I dont care. This universe is beyond repair, even with your help. Now, say goodbye to this universe as I destroy you with your only weakness, light itself.” Sekatala closed his eyes and prepared for the pain. Wait, it doesn’t have to end like this. Sekatala thought. “Wait a second Nevets, let’s be logical here. I can take you away from this universe, and bring you to mine where you can enforce your laws.” Nevets was confused. “My laws? Do you not mean your laws?” “I have peered into your mind Nevets, and I discovered that we both want the same things. Join me, and we will be unstoppable!” Nevets lowered his Lightstone rifle. “What’s the plan?” Nevets said. Sekatala turned around and faced Toa Nevets. “Using my Kanohi Avsa, we corrupt as many of the Toa Hagah as we can. Then we shall have a team of Toa to enforce our laws in my universe” Nevets nodded. “Understood sir, I shall order that the Toa Hagah meet at the center of the island.” Nevets turned and exited Sekatala’s private chambers. Excellent, with the Toa Hagah Nuva under my command, I can eliminate the Toa Hagah of my universe which will be useless, or convert them as well. Thought Sekatala. Sekatala noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a machine of some sort. He walked over to it and read the label under it. Makoki umbra hmm... this machine is called a Makoki Umbra. This machine, or weapon would be a better term for it, imbues any being with the elemental power of shadow. Quite useful for creating Toa of shadow. Sekatala looked at the weapon in greater detail. It was surprisingly small, being the size of an ordinary blaster. The Makoki Umbra had a short but narrow barrel, and the main component was a ridged orange bulb at it's center. Sekatala guessed that it collected shadow energy from the user, and released the energy through the barrel. Sekatala attached the Makoki Umbra to his back and made his way to the surface to wait for the Toa Hagah to arrive. *** The sun was beginning to set, and night-time was almost upon Jalokim Nuva and his teammates. Nevets had called a meeting at the center of the island. He said that Sekatala has a surprise for them. Oh, I can't wait! Maybe I'll get a new sword? Sekatala appeared in the clearing with a small blaster-like object in his hands. Hmm... I wonder what that does? Sekatala smiled. “Thank you, my Toa Hagah. Because of your outstanding service to me, you shall be rewarded with new elemental powers and stronger forms. Prepare yourselves.” With that, Sekatala pointed the Makoki Umbra at Jalokim, and fired. The beam of dark energy struck the Toa Hagah Nuva, turning the bright red and gold of his armour into a dark red and black. His Kanohi Nuva was mixed with a dark shade of red and black. His hands transformed into claws, and fireballs formed in his palms, laced with shadow energy. His eyes glowed a shadowy red, instead of the usual bright green. His transformation was complete. The other Toa Hagah and Hagah Nuva froze. They weren't sure if they lost a friend or not. There was a silence. Ailuj was the first to break the silence. “J-Jalokim? Are you alright?” Jalokim gave her a cold, hard stare. “Never been better.” Sekatala was curious whether the new Jalokim would be good enough to serve his cause. “Jalokim, what is it that you desire the most?” Jalokim thought about it for a few seconds. “I want others to feel my wrath, for it is survival of the fittest.” Ailuj and Saitamm gaped at Jalokim's last remark. “What has gotten into you?!” Saitamm said. “I have seen the light, well, shadow.” Nevets stepped up. “So, who is next?” “I would rather die than have my morals removed against my will!” Nerdak shouted. Jalokim advanced on Nerdak. “So be it, you are obviously not smart enough to know what is best for our survival.” Jalokim drew his Shadow Flame sword on Nerdak. “You know, I never liked you.” Jalokim lunged at Nerdak and beheaded him. “You always did complain about everything.” Sekatala was assessing the situation. He didn't need the normal Toa Hagah, just the Hagah Nuva. “Jalokim, you may kill the Toa Hagah, but leave Ailuj and Tehtrak.” “As you wish, oh great and powerful Makuta of the universe.” Jalokim advanced on Irahmahs. He made short work of him by blasting him with flames, burning him alive. Now it was Saitamm's turn. Saitamm was frantic, barely being able to parry all of Jalokim's thrusts and swings. Eventually, Jalokim cut off Saitamm's hand, which made him lose his blade. Jalokim raised his sword above his head, ready to deliver a fatal blow. “Jalokim... no....” Saitamm managed to croak as he was impaled by the Shadow Fire Blade. Sekatala was impressed by the display. This Jalokim was able to kill three of his former best friends in just under a minute. But... where did Ailuj and Tetrak go? Sekatala didn't notice Ailuj sneaking up behind him with a dagger in her hand. Just as she was about to plunge it into his back, Nevets noticed and clubbed her in the head, smashing it in. Sekatala glared at Nevets. “She would be useless if you weren't alive to command her.” Nevets said. “Tetrak has fled, like the coward he is.” Jalokim said. Looks like we are done here then. Sekatala thought. “Good work Jalokim. Because of your outstanding performance, you shall now be known as... Shadow Jalokim.” Shadow Jalokim bowed. “Thank you, Makuta.” Sekatala planned his next move. He only got one shadow Toa, and the rest were killed, with the exception of Tetrak, who fled. He decided he had no further use for this universe. “We leave for my universe immediately, Teridax won't know what hit him.” Sekatala said. Makuta Sekatala activated his Kanohi Olmak and a portal appeared in front of the three. Sekatala stepped through first, then Nevets, then Shadow Jalokim. The portal closed behind them. *** Toa Tetrak Nuva ran through the jungle of the island. His best friends were murdered by another one of his greatest friends mere moments ago. He knew now that the only one who could save Jalokim was... Jalokim himself. Tetrak stopped in a dark part of the jungle. This is where he should be. Tetrak thought to himself. “Hello? Are you here? Listen, I really need your help, or rather, Jalokim does.” A dark figure emerged from the shadows, he was slightly taller than Tetrak was, and was clad in black, grey, and silver armour. He wore a grey coloured Hau. “What's the matter?” The tall figure said. “How about Sekatala returning, corrupting Jalokim and Nevets, and Jalokim ends up slaughtering almost the entire team?” The tall figure paced as he thought this news over. “Hmmm... I was bound to stumble across a universe with a Shadow Jalokim. Where are they now?” “They went through some dimensional gate.” The tall figure looked alarmed. “That's not good, with a dimensionally-displaced Shadow Jalokim, a universe could accidentally be destroyed, or at least destroyed at the wrong moment!” “What do you suppose we do?” “You stay here, inform your superiors of what's happened. I, Toa Jalokim, Toa of earth, leader of the Toa Rozo, will do my duty and stop the unauthorized destruction of a universe.” With that, the Toa Rozo of earth pushed a button on his forearm and vanished with a flash of light. A lot of things were going to change in Sekatala's universe, and Jalokim was going to be there to stop it. To Be Continued in Chapter Three: Doomsday
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Lesovikk walked through the jungle of the island. To be quite honest, he knew close to nothing about his location. All he knew was that he was on some remote southern island which had no use to anyone. The perfect place to be exiled. Lesovikk thought to himself. “Hey you! Toa!” The voice came from behind Lesovikk. Whoever it was, he couldn’t have been addressing Lesovikk, for Lesovikk was no Toa, or so he believed. The voice came again. This time louder. “You! The one in the green armor! Over here!” Lesovikk turned around. Who would possibly want me? I am no Toa! If I couldn`t save one life, how could I protect hundreds of Matoran? “I am no Toa, you must be looking for someone else.” Lesovikk replied to the stranger. When Lesovikk actually got a good look at the stranger, he recognized him as a Toa of fire. An extremely loud one, at that. He wore a red Hau, and had a gold Hue. He carried a unique fire sword. “Well, you certainly look the part of a Toa! Opps, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Jalokim, Toa of fire, at your service.” The stranger said. The Toa seemed cheerful, but his facial expression had the look of sadness. Something terrible had happened. “Jalokim. I can tell something is troubling you, what did I miss?” Lesovikk replied. Jalokim’s smile turned to a frown. “You don’t know? Where have you been? Come, I’ll tell you somewhere we can rest.” With that, Jalokim gestured deeper into the jungle. Eventually they found a few rocks they could sit on and talk. Jalokim explained that he had just fought in a war. Not just any war, but the Toa-Dark Hunter war. He explained that the war started when the Dark Hunters wanted to secure a base in Metru Nui, but when Turaga Dume refused, the Shadowed One sent an army of Dark Hunters to take it by force. However, one of the Toa protecting the island managed to slip past the army and get about two-hundred Toa to come help. Jalokim was one of those two-hundred. After suffering heavy casualties, and Jalokim losing the leader of his Toa team, one Toa named Nidhiki ended the war when he betrayed the Toa to the Dark Hunters. However, Lhikan, leader of the Toa legion, saw this and had a counter-ambush for the Dark Hunter’s ambush. The Dark Hunters were able to leave peacefully, as long as they took Nidhiki with them. “So that’s the story. But just a quick question, why weren’t you there?” Jalokim asked me. “The answer is simple, I am not a Toa.” “Hmph. You didn’t need to be a Toa to help out.” “If I hesitated for one second in that war, I would have failed my brother Toa and get them killed. That’s why I didn’t help out. I’m not worthy to be a Toa.” Jalokim didn’t seem convinced. I asked him why he came to this island. Toa don’t come here for no reason. “That’s a funny story, actually. I received a message from a Makuta stating that he needs a team of Toa to protect him, and I was chosen to lead the team. Turns out that there is a Makuta positioned at every island. And the one I’ve been assigned to rules this island. But enough about me, what about you? What brings you here?” “Toa are supposed to protect others. Since I can’t do that, I came to a place where I can’t cause any more harm.” “I couldn’t save my brother Toa, but did I give up on saving others? No! You need to learn from whatever mistakes you’ve made and push on!” “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I can’t fail if I’m not in the way.” Jalokim shook his head. “Whatever.” He started to walk away, but turned around at the last second. “Uhhhh, you don’t suppose you can direct me to the Makuta, can you?” At that moment, a shadow fell over us. We then heard a voice, but it wasn’t that of a Toa’s, this one had a darker tone to it, almost as if it threatened to destroy us, yet at the same time was masked with a voice as calm as the breeze on a beach. “Welcome future Toa Hagah. I am not the best at remembering names of those other than my brother Makuta, but I am sure I have not called for you, Toa of air.” Why won’t anyone listen to me?! If I can’t protect a single life, I can’t do the duty of a Toa! “Regardless, you still look the part of a Toa. It does not matter to me if you can’t protect Matoran.” Lesovikk was surprised. I didn’t say anything, how could this voice possibly have replied to me?! “Your ignorance radiates from your Kanohi. I am Makuta Sekatala. A Makuta has the ability to read minds. Hence, I acknowledged your mental comment.” “The other Toa Hagah will be here shortly,” The Makuta continued. Soon enough, five other Toa arrived. Two of them Jalokim seemed to recognize, since he was able to call them by their name. The one called Ailuj was a Toa of electricity and wore a white Akaku. The other one, known as Saitamm, was a Toa of plasma and wore an orange Pakari. Since it was obvious Lesovikk wasn’t meant to be here, he decided to just leave and let these Toa “Hagah” do their thing. Since they were all distracted by the new armor and Toa-Tools given to them by the Makuta, no-one seemed to notice Lesovikk leaving the small clearing. I’m glad to be out of that mess. Well, back to searching for some shelter.. *** A few hours later, Lesovikk was startled when a tree suddenly caught fire next to him “What in Mata Nui’s name was that?!” Lesovikk turned around and was surprised to see Jalokim’s team of Toa Hagah. “Are you mad?! What are you doing?!” Lesovikk shouted. The one called Saitamm was the one to answer. “Sekatala told us to subdue anyone that’s on this island. So, that’s what we came to do.” “We aren’t supposed to tell him that, Saitamm!” The Toa Hagah of Ice said to him. Jalokim looked at Lesovikk. “The reason Sekatala wants you captured and probably killed is that we are supposed to be a secret team. If anyone finds out about us, Sekatala will be killed by the other Makuta for treason.” The Toa of ice seemed annoyed. “Jalokim! What are you doing?! We are trying to prevent him from finding out more secrets!” “Lesovikk should at least know why we are doing this. Toa are supposed to STOP death, not cause it.” “Well, I plan to follow through with Sekatala’s orders, even if I have to break the Toa code to do it!” With that, the Toa of ice hurled an ice bolt at Lesovikk. Lesovikk dodged just in time and retaliated with a cyclone. The force of the whirlwind sent the Toa of ice flying. In the confusion that followed, Lesovikk quickly escaped. Lesovikk ran for about 10 minutes. He then decided to go hide in the nearest tree. Why would Makuta Sekatala consider me a threat? What would I do? I have no intention of revealing these “Toa Hagah”! After hiding in the tree for a solid 20 minutes, Lesovikk decided to get down and escape this island. However, Jalokim appeared as soon as he stepped down. By instinct Lesovikk threw a mini cyclone at him. “WOAH! Listen, I didn’t come here to kill!” Jalokim said. “Then why are you still looking for me?” “I was going to challenge you to a duel, if you win, you may leave the island safely. If I win, I’ll take you directly to Sekatala. Do we have a deal?” Lesovikk pondered this for a minute. Jalokim seemed to have a sense of honour, unlike that Toa of ice. “Deal.” “Excellent.” Lesovikk and Jalokim stood ten bio apart. Jalokim charged at Lesovikk, but Lesovikk flipped over the attack. Jalokim turned around and swung his Advanced Fire Blade. Lesovikk blocked it with his air sword and the two were in a blade lock. Jalokim stepped back and Lesovikk’s force propelled him forward. Jalokim was about to swing his Fire Blade at Lesovikk while he was on the ground, but Lesovikk tripped Jalokim. When they were both back up, Jalokim split his Fire Blade into twin Fire Swords. “You like it? Sekatala modified my old fire sword so it can combine with an identical one. But I can just as easily split them apart.” Jalokim split and swung his twin Fire Swords at Lesovikk. Lesovikk was able to block the first one, but wasn’t in time to block the other. Jalokim tripped Lesovikk and pointed his Fire Sword at his throat. “I win.” Lesovikk would not believe what happened next. Instead of hauling him to Sekatala, Jalokim extended his hand. “I never believed in the unnecessary murder of innocent beings. Being a Makuta, Sekatala doesn’t understand the Toa code.” “What? You’re letting me go?” “Of course, I need to keep my honour, and you need to keep yours. You can’t do that if you are dead, now could you?” Lesovikk was surprised that this Toa would defy his Makuta. Sekatala can easily read Jalokim’s mind. “I know I’m taking a risk in trying to save you, but isn’t that what being a Toa is all about?” Jalokim said. Lesovikk thought about Jalokim’s words. I hadn’t taken a risk when I needed to. I am obviously not fit to be a great Toa like Jalokim, Jalokim put a hand on Lesovikk’s shoulder and continued. “Lesovikk, remember these words. Never forget what you are, who you are. If we lose that, we lose our duty. And a sense of duty is what keeps us apart from Dark Hunters or mindless rahi. Remember that, and you can push through anything.” Lesovikk was shocked at how wise this Toa of fire was. Perhaps I can work to be a better Toa, and when I am, the first thing I’ll do is check in on my old Matoran friends. “Anyway, you should get going Lesovikk! That Toa of ice on my team can be as annoying as a fireflier when it comes to orders!” With that, Jalokim led Lesovikk to the boat he used to get here. They said their farewells and parted ways. But Lesovikk learned something important that day. He learned that being a Toa isn’t only about protecting the innocent, but it’s also about never giving up, and never forgetting the three virtues. One day, Jalokim will become the greatest Toa who ever lived! Lesovikk sailed in the direction of the island belonging to his old friends Sarda and Idris. Unfortunately, when he got there, he found that the Turaga had gone mad and sent the entire population to Karzahni. Lesovikk spent the next months trying to get past the manas guards. Of course, he never gave up, for a true Toa would never. END
