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Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse -- Gameplay Topic (IC)


Unreliable Narrator

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IC: Reliable Narrator | Kini-Nui Bunker

Skyra gave herself to the door, and the door accepted everything. Every ounce of her newfound power, every drop of willpower, every trace of her lifeforce... the door hungrily swallowed it all. Her power splashed against the door with all the force of a hurricane, but the metal was unblemished and the hunger unsated. Where the other NUVA had felt fear in the face of the endless void, Skyra felt nothing but steely determination. To call her headstrong was an understatement. Few others could look death itself in the eye unblinking. Some might call her reckless or even foolish, but the line between stupidity and bravery has always been finer than any hero has been willing to admit. Many a victory has been claimed by someone who was too stubborn to accept defeat.

The door drained her to the dregs, leaving only a dead, empty husk of a toa that sank to its knees before toppling to the ground. Its heartlight went out. It did not move again.

The ensuing silence was broken by the sound of valves releasing and the hissing of gas being vented. With a high-pitched hum, the door split horizontally and began to open like the jaws of a giant beast. The bot half slid up into the bunker's ceiling, and the lower half sank into the ground. When it had descended about halfway, a flood of golden liquid began to spill over the edge. The drops turned into rivulets and the rivulets into streams, and finally a flood of energized protodermis splashed to the ground and washed over Skyra's prone body. The purified liquid shone and sparkled in the light of the late afternoon, and as it ran down the hill it left green grass and flowers in its wake.

With a gasp, Skyra's eyes snapped open. Her lungs drew a shaky breath, and her heartlight began to glow again. Each heartbeat pounded in her ears. She felt weak and and lightheaded, and all her muscles were sore. But she was alive, and the sensation of life was sweet relief compared to the cold void of death. Rolling over, she struggled to her knees and looked up at the bunker door. Both doors had fully receded into the ceiling and the floor and the doorway yawned fully open before her now, cavernous and dim. A soft white mist drifted out of the tunnel, obscuring much of the interior, but if she looked closely, Skyra could see a hulking silhouette deep inside, barely visible. It stood almost as high as the ceiling of the tunnel, and did not move. The mist drifted out, but it did not clear. If she wanted to see what was inside, she would have to enter.


OOC: @Snelly

 

 

IC: Vuata Maca Tree | Fau Swamp

For a moment, Viltia couldn't make out anything else. The tree spoke more images, but they were murky and unclear. Snippets of sounds and flashes of color filled her mind, but there was nothing concrete to hold on to. She saw a fragment of blue sky that dissolved into the cry of a gukko bird. Crashes of thunder spun dizzily around her, and she tasted the cool sensation of falling rain. The sun flickered into the smell of wet earth.

Then darkness. The tree seemed to be trying to compose its thoughts before it tried again.

Deep roots twisted through rich earth. Insects chittered. Then Viltia tasted metal on her tongue. Acid burned on her skin. A soundless cry, the snapping of branches—

Poison. Everywhere. Can't grow.


OOC: @Kal the Guardian

Edited by Eyru
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IC [Zataka - Kini-Nui]

Zataka’s initial impression of Viltia was that of a dreamer. Not in a negative way, but in the way that she always seemed to have something else going on in the back of her mind, which drew her attention elsewhere. It had made all of her responses thus far sound a tiny bit like she’d just woken up from a pleasant nap. Up until now. Now the Nuva before was nothing but pure focus as she went through the demonstration of her forging process.

It was more than enough to convince the titan.

“Yes...yes I think you can.” Zataka concurred. Her shadows became active once again and she used them to form a table between her and Viltia, as well as putting up a field of darkness around them that would prevent most prying eyes from seeing her carefully placing the contents of the satchel on the table.

“We repair this mask and we can all go home...even if we can’t save Zakaz.”

Zataka placed the pieces in the way she remembered they should go together. The mask was indeed in rough shape. As the shards were laid out before her, the Toa could clearly tell the pattern of the fractures and how they had spread through the mask from the point where Kalmah’s fist had impacted it. 

But she could also see the shape of the mask now. The wide bottom ending in a sharp point on either side, the crips lines around the opening in the mouth area and the accelerating curved ridges across the top.

Zataka placed the last piece of the mask on her shadow table, then held out her hands with palms up and splayed fingers.

“This is the Kanohi Olmak. Mask of dimensional travel,” she introduced the shattered mask, her voice sounding grave.

“As far as I know...it is the only one in existence.”

 

OOC: @Kal the Guardian

 

-----

 

IC: [Nixie, Vhisola & Co. - The Taku]

Akamu’s eyes widened at learning of their destination. Vhisola seemed unperturbed.

The Onu-Matoran looked from Armex to her, then back to the fellow earth Matoran and then back to the scholar. “Hey, Vis...shouldn’t we be a bit more alarmed at the notion of flying towards a volcano that births monsters?”

Vhisola glanced at him, then shrugged slightly. “Huh? Yeah, sure. Maybe.”

She sniffed. “I wanna know where this coffee smell is coming from. Come on!”

The Ga-Matoran proceeded to ascend one of the ladders leading to the upper decks.
 

OOC: @BULiK

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IC: Sala (Farshore, Le-Metru Nuva)

Swiftly exiting the holding chamber, Sala followed behind the battle-ready Toa Juno as he led the way towards where he knew the Toa were being held, and most likely currently fighting to get out. Although the Vahki were on high-alert, as cell block upon cell block began to fail, they were still momentarily surprised when they spotted the two unknown intruders, being left with just a moment to process the two intruders before being struck by stone projectiles, consumed in the fiery explosion of a Rhotuka, or cleaved in twain by the air itself.

Running forth through the halls, having already dispatched more than a dozen Vahki on the way, the two took a bend and at last arrived at the Toa holding block. Throughout the chamber, Toa and Vahki were engaged in a vicious battle. Though the Toa lacked both masks and weapons, they still fought with both skill and power, that which was expected from such heroes, even after being trapped for who knows how long. But both Sala and Juno could tell that the fight was going south. The Vahki had both numbers and abilities, with a number of Toa having already been incapacitated.

Quickly jumping into action, Juno tossed Sala a sack that clattered into the Su-Matoran’s arms as he himself went to work. Materializing and launching chunks of stones, Juno both struck and crushed several Vahki while also reshaping the place to help separate the wearied Toa from the relentless police force.

Looking into the bag, Sala found it filled with Kanohi of various types, and though none looked to be great, let alone noble Kanohi, he already knew what to do with them. Running towards the nearest Toa, Sala tossed them one of the masks from the sack. Catching it and placing it upon their face, a noticeable shift was seen throughout their body as the mask transitioned in color into a crimson red. Filled with a strength that they hadn’t felt for decades, the Toa of Fire let out a mighty roar as he blasted out two terrible columns of fire that instantly incinerated a dozen Vahki.

And so it went, as the tide of battle slowly shifted to the Toa’s favor, with Sala passing out the masks he carried, and with Toa once again being able to wield their elements and unleashing them upon their mechanical oppressors. Within a matter of minutes, the sound of crackling flame and lightning, rushing wind and water, crunching earth and ice, and warping gravity and magnetism ceased as the Vahki were at last dealt with. But the Toa didn’t have long till reinforcements arrived, and more than a quarter of their number were currently out of commission.

Standing within the middle of the cell block, Sala felt like an odd-man out amongst all these Toa, who were briefly celebrating their escape with each other. Then, he heard as Juno called out his name, as the Toa of Stone was quickly approaching him.

“Hey Sala! We did i-”

“JUNO YOU KARZING BRAKAS!”

The angered voice of a female Toa of Lightning broke the general murmur within the room as they approached Juno, who for his part, had a wide grin plastered on his face...Till the Vo-Toa gave them a fierce backhand slap to the face, eliciting a collective wince from most of the other Toa who were watching, and then dragged them in for a brief kiss.

Shoving Juno away and wiping her mouth, they at last spoke again. “Juno you karzing brakas, what did I tell you. Don’t do anything stupid. This...This is stupid, you could’ve been captured.”

“First off, I missed you. Second off, I’m sorry Vulimai, but I had no choice. Dume was really twisting my arm on this one. And besides, it wasn’t like I was doing everything by myself. I had help from Sala over there.” Juno said, gesturing towards Sala, causing Vulimai to snap her attention in his direction.

Being put on the spot, as nearly every Toa within the room were now looking at him, Sala shifted uncomfortably as Vulimai approached.

“Sala? What sort of Toa are you?”

“Um, Uh...Well...Actually, Uh...Here, let me just show you.” With a hiss of steam, the chestplate of Avagah once more lifted up, revealing Sala and his Matoran self.

From the assembled Toa, a few gasp, others looked on incredulously, and some simply nodded impressed. Vulimai for her part, gave Sala a once over as he sat within Avagah, before speaking once more.

“Well...If you were able to deal with this Brakas till this point, then there must be something Dume saw in you. Good work and welcome aboard, Sala.” 

Turning her attention to the assembled Toa, Vulimai barked out in the military tone she was known for. TOA, LISTEN UP! The Vahki are going to be on us soon! We need to get to the evidence hold and retrieve both our masks and Toa tools! Me, Juno, Bronk, Twesh, and Sala will take the lead!” 

“Any Toa of fire, plasma, and lightning will follow behind and strike down any resistance we encounter! Toa of earth, stone, and ice will create fortifications for us to hide behind and close off our escape! Toa of air and gravity will deflect and redirect any Kanoka disks the Vahki launch at us! Toa of Iron and Magnetism will help wherever they are needed! The rest of you will carry the incapacitated behind us!”

“Understood? Good! Now move out Toa!

Through sheer commanding presence, all of the Toa in attendance silently nodded their heads in agreement with the comparatively young Toa’s commands, with even the more hardened and grizzled Toa veterans begrudgingly respecting Vulimai’s orders.

Though Sala personally didn’t want to spearhead this escape, he already knew he wasn’t going to be able to argue with Vulimai. Following after Vulimai and Juno, Sala looked on as Juno greeted his friends and fellow Toa, Bronk and Twesh, giving the stoic Toa of earth a traditional Toa greeting and the anxious Toa of air a pat on the back.

Staring ahead, Sala wasn’t sure what to do till he felt a hardy slap on the back as Vulimai spoke up, nodding towards the hatchet within Avagah’s clutches.

“You know how to use that thing?” Sala only numbly nodded. “Good, we’re going to need your help to get out of here.”

With the Toa at last ready to move out, Vulimai, her Toa team, and Sala began to lead the way out towards the evidence hold, to retrieve the tools long taken from them. The Toa moved swiftly and cautiously through the tower’s halls, keeping the incapacitated within the middle of the group, as walls of stone, earth, ice, and iron blocked the corridors behind them, preventing pursuit from the Vahki. Near the front, Juno, memorizing the route and tracing it himself while Sala was in the vents, led the way forwards. 

But their travel wasn't unimpeded, as the occasional patrol of Vahki would appear. But quickly the mechanized security force were annihilated by a destructive display of fire, plasma, and lightning, the Vahki’s attacks deflected and thrown off course by either gusts of wind or twists of gravity, or being blocked entirely by walls of earth and stone.

Sala, though he tried to help as best he could, launching Rhotukas or cutting waves of winds from his axe, mostly watched in awe as the other Toa exhibited such control and power with their elements; Vulimai, launching crackling bolts of lightning while dodging just as fast as the bolts, Twesh, redirecting and launching back Kanoka disks with unerring accuracy through wind currents alone, and Bronk and Juno combining efforts, cutting off side passages and smashing Vahki units with collapsing walls of stone and earth.

Reaching the evidence hold, the doors of the room were sent flying off their hinges, one of the doors striking down and crushing a Vahki who was stationed to keep watch. Swiftly entering the room and blasting any Vahki who attempted to stop them, Vulimai quickly shouted out yet another string of orders.

“Bring the incapacitated in first, then retrieve the tools and masks for everyone else! Toa of earth, stone, and ice, further secure the entrance! Toa of magnetism and iron, breach the walls! Toa of air and gravity, get ready to ferry everyone out! MOVE!

Doing as they were told, the sounds of battle, accompanied by the crackling of ice and rumbling of stone and earth, were heard just outside the room as Toa broke into the evidence hold to retrieve their and their fellows' lost gear. Tearing into lockers and storage crates, Toa came rushing out, arms laden with masks and weapons, many of them being reclaimed by their former owners.

Looking on towards the proceedings from the side, Vulimai gratefully freed the armful of items that Bronk had taken from the locker, a black Matatu now upon his face and a large club with an iron spear tip on his back. Reclaiming her items, Vulimai placed her old Kaukau back upon her face, strapping her large shield to one arm while doing a quick flourish with her halberd in the other. Twesh, with his finicky hands, eagerly took the double slotted Kanoka launcher, his hands quickly growing still as they settled into their natural place along the weapons form, him strapping his shortsword to his hip while once again donning his mask of sensory aptitude.

At this rate, nothing was going to stop their escape; the Toa were freed and armed once again, eager and capable of retaking this city from Ehlek and his army. But...Something lingered in the back of Sala’s mind, something that Dume told him before he left...

“Sala...You must know that I have reasons to believe that what you seek lies within the deepest levels of that prison. There, your path will be illuminated. That is all.”

…With those words lingering within his mind, the Su-Matoran knew that he couldn’t leave. Not yet.

The entrance to the hold was completely sealed by overlapping layers of earth, stone, and ice, as Vahki on the outside beat against it, trying to break in. Many of the Toa who had been incapacitated earlier, were beginning to come to, ready to assist in the escape, as a large gaping hole out into the outside was on one wall, with Toa of gravity and air ready to assist the descent and escape.

Turning towards Juno and Vulimai, Sala spoke out, before it was too late, “Toa Vulimai, Toa Juno, I can’t leave yet. Turaga Dume told me something before we left, that what I sought was within the deepest levels of the prison. You all can escape while you can, but I can’t leave.” Sala said, determination filling his voice.

Vulimai looked towards Sala, before turning her attention towards Juno, who only shrugged in response, till catching two nearby Toa’s attention, a Toa of iron and a Toa of magnetism, both bearing a red and blue Kakama respectfully. “You two, can you two tear a hole leading into the floor beneath us?”

“Yes, but...Why?” The Toa of iron asked. “You don’t question me Toa, I gave you an order.” Vulimai quickly snapped back.

“Alrighty then, Ms. Commander and Chief.” The Toa of iron rolled his optics as he gestured for his female companion to assist him, the two of them quickly boring a hole into the floor and dashing off towards where the other Toa were getting ready to escape.

“My duty is to my charges Sala, and you as a Matoran are one of my charges. You lead the way, we’ll have your back.” Vulimai said, as Juno gave a thumbs up and Bronk simply offered a nod in agreement.

Sala was surprised at the willingness of Vulimai and her team in helping him, but he appreciated it all the same. As Toa began to either fly or slowly descend out of the side of the tower, Sala led the way down into the hole below, Avagah landing with a heavy thud as the other four Toa followed behind. Exiting the room they all found themselves in, the five of them began to rush through the halls, seeking the elevator, with them thankfully not encountering any resistance from the Vahki, who had abandoned this floor.

Reaching the elevator, the five of them crowded into the space, as Sala inspected the elevator panel. Looking towards the panel with a scrutinizing optic, Sala noticed a closed hatch at the bottom of the panel, and ripping it off with Avagah’s strength, he found a singular button. Pressing it, the doors quickly sealed shut as the elevator began its descent into the depths of darkness that soon enveloped them.

~~~ 

Spoiler

Warnings of Body Horror and Gore. You have been warned.

As the elevator descended, deeper and deeper into the tower and its sublevels, the lights eventually gave way to a dim red glow as Bronk informed everyone that they had surpassed the Archives in depth. “Where are we going?” Sala thought to himself at that comment.

Eventually at last, the elevator halted and opened its doors, though no sound came from it, as a haunting silence pervaded the shadowed room ahead of them, a light mist weaving its way along the floor. Sala, taking the first step, momentarily hesitated as a sickening wet sound squashed beneath Avagah’s foot. 

The large chamber they all stepped in had a damp, sickening stench to it, a smell that made one choke on it. It was like that of rotting fruit and flesh, yet it also stung the senses, like burning ozone. This initial sensory reaction made it hard for Sala and the Toa to take more than a few steps into the room, with Twesh even removing his own mask of sensory aptitude to save himself from the scent of it.

But, trudging on, they made their way forwards, their feet making wet sopping noises all the way. Reaching a brief corridor, Bronk held his hand against the walls of it, and was left disturbed. Though the wall appeared to be made of solid silver protodermis, it held an all too organic texture and left a numb electrical sensation on the Toa’s hand. The next room didn’t lift their spirits anymore, as it only beheld more horror.

Exiting the corridor, they entered a long chamber, the floor was still lightly obscured by mist, as all along the walls were large test tubes, filled with some silver liquid and lit by a sickly green hue that reminded Sala of the Far Shore all too much. Approaching one of the large tubes, Sala peered in through the glass, seeing that whatever substance filled it was silver like Protodermis, yet electrical currents seem to flow through it. But, as he looked into it, his breath caught in his throat as his heartlight shuddered, as a shape of a body became apparent.

The shape was vaguely like that of a Vortixx, though severe alterations had been done to it, as cybernetic augments covered its body, with tubes and wires sticking out and attaching it to the device that held the container. But that wasn’t the worst part, as other body parts, from other Protoderms, were seen attached to the horrifically altered figure. Then as Sala stepped back, a golden light from above lit the entire chamber, revealing the contents of the dozens of test tubes, each containing a poor non-Toa, non-Matoran, non-Turaga Protoderm, each being grafted with mechanical parts and pieces from other beings. It was a gruesome display, a lab of a mad man. 

<< Ah, it appears I have guests. Welcome to my laboratory >> A mechanically synthesized voice came from all around them.

Vulimai was the first one to speak up, holding her weapons in a readied position, Ehlek! You sick monster! What have you done?”

<< Oh, you mean my experiments? I will admit, these Failures have not lived up to my expectations. But in the name of progress, not much can be done for them >>

Trying to find where the voice was coming from, the Toa and Sala followed their gaze upwards, and could hardly believe what they beheld, with Twesh vomiting on the spot and Sala nearly doing the same. The chamber’s ceiling rose needlessly high, for everyone to crane their necks back to look at it, but they all wished they hadn’t; as covering the ceiling and the upper portions of the walls were bodies, their limbs fused together, their torsos torn open, as black wires and cables ran through...A sickly green light shimmering throughout.

Sala fell backwards, gazing at the grotesque image. Those faces, he’d seen them before, in the Far Shore. The winds, the desperate winds, they were them. But, Sala, and the horror-stricken Toa couldn’t look for long, as the synthetic voice spoke once more.

<< But, these failures could be of use in another way...Eliminating pesty intruders. >>

With that, a hissing sound came from around them, as the pods began to open, draining the silver energized fluid and releasing the monsters inside, who shakily jerked to life. One command was on Vulimai’s mind as the Things soon began to move for them.

“RUN!”

Bronk, Twesh, and Vulimai immediately began to run towards the other end of the chamber, but Juno turned as he went to help Sala back onto his feet. With Sala now up from the floor, the two of them began to bolt after the other three Toa. All around them, horrors shambled forth; Monstrous blends between Steltian species, Skakdi fused down the middle, Vortixx reconfigured into Rahi-like shapes, it was a new-breed of terror on every side.

Utilizing their elements as best they can, the Toa attempted to slow the pursuit of the shambling creatures, with gusts of wind, arcs of lightning, and walls of stone and earth. Sala for his part simply ran as fast as he could, his eyes near-shut to the grotesques around him. But even with all their efforts, the occasional claw still swung out, cutting into flesh and frame. The only one untouched was Sala, warded by Avagah’s mechanized construction, though still bits and pieces were damaged.

Nearing the end of the chamber, another passage made itself evident as the five of them neared it. Reaching the archway, Vulimai waited and waved in everyone else, loosing another arcing chain of lightning to keep the horrors away from them. With everyone out of the previous chamber, Vulimai rushed in as she called out to Bronk and Juno, “SEAL IT!”

On command, the two Toa strained their elemental might, as they pulled on the earth and stone nearby and materialized it before them, sealing the way out in rubble and rock. Granted a brief moment reprieve, their moment of peace was shattered as they looked at the room around them.

They found themselves within a large, domed chamber, with no other apparent entrances or exits being obvious. Along and across both the floors and walls, were flowing veins of circuitry, the same sickly green light flowing along them. Within the center of the chamber, was a ring of consoles and terminals, circling a raised pedestal. Upon the pedestal, sat a chair, currently facing away from the five of them. And extending down from the ceiling just above it, was a tangled mass of metal and wires that seemed to coil around...Something.

As the five individuals looked towards the chair, Vulimai carefully led the way as they stepped around the chair and central platform, ready for whatever they may find sitting upon it. But what they weren’t expecting, was the desiccated remains of a Matoran, an orange Pakari upon his face.

Sala muttered out from under his breath, as realization took hold. “Wait...That’s, Nupar-”

“So...You have made it to the Codrex. I suppose congratulations are in order. I would clap, but...Well...I’m not exactly corporeal anymore.”

The optics behind the mask began to flash alongside the words that were spoken, a golden light filling through them. The voice was distinctly Matoran, yet it was still mechanized and unlike the one spoken in the previous chamber.

“Before you begin asking inane and obvious questions, let me answer them for you. Yes, it is I, Nuparu, the greatest inventor this universe has ever known. The peak of my genius having been achieved the day Metru-Nui fell. It was there, with the city’s collapse, that I integrated myself into the Vahki network. It was only through that I survived.”

“As for the Barraki and the guise of Ehlek still ruling the city, well...It seems Ehlek attempted the same thing as I, unfortunately for him, my will was stronger and I quickly overwhelmed his mind, turning him into a puppet. Through that, I sent the Vahki after the other Barraki and quickly captured and killed them. As punishment for their sins.”

Though the attention of the attending Toa were squarely upon Nuparu, or at least his corpse, Sala’s eye was on another portion of the room, one that wasn’t immediately obvious upon first entering. It was a large device, in near pristine condition, unlike the one Sala saw before he entered the Far Shore. It was the same device that seemed to have willed Nuju’s presence.

“Ah, I see you have been infatuated with my second greatest achievement. It's a machine capable of infusing a being with a Kanoka disk of time. I originally was building it for Dume...Till he replaced me. Apparently he was intending on using it to prevent the League’s war before Tuyet stole it and finished it. BUT, unfortunately for her, she never got the chance to use it. I made sure of that.”

“But...Why? Why do all this?! The oppression, the experiments, the guise? Why are you doing this Nuparu?” Sala cried out, turning his attention on the body upon the silver throne he sat upon.

“Because Sala...̶I̴ ̴h̸a̸v̵e̶ ̴g̵o̸n̴e̸ ̴b̶e̴y̷o̷n̴d̵ ̷m̷y̶ ̸m̴o̵r̶t̵a̷l̵ ̷c̴o̸n̶c̴e̶p̸t̸i̷o̶n̶s̷.̵ ̶I̷ ̵h̴a̶v̸e̷ ̵s̴e̸e̷n̷ ̵t̶h̸e̶ ̶l̵i̵g̴h̶t̴ ̶o̵f̶ ̶M̶a̶t̷a̵-̷N̷u̴i̵.̵”̸ ̵

The voice that was Nuparu’s voice suddenly changed, as a new tone took hold, golden light beginning to flood his body's optical sockets, as the screens of the terminals illuminated a golden glow silhouting a mask, though the exact features of it were obscured in shadow.

“̷T̶h̸e̵ ̷L̶e̸a̵g̷u̸e̵ ̴s̶o̸u̸g̵h̸t̸ ̸t̸o̶ ̴d̷e̴s̷t̴r̵o̴y̵ ̶m̶y̴ ̷c̵h̶o̷s̸e̸n̶,̵ ̵t̵o̶ ̷d̴e̵f̴y̸ ̶m̷y̸ ̶w̵i̵l̷l̵.̵ ̶S̵o̷ ̴i̶n̶ ̴t̴u̷r̸n̶,̷ ̶I̵ ̵s̵o̴u̶g̴h̴t̸ ̵t̶o̶ ̷d̵e̶s̴t̸r̶o̴y̶ ̶t̴h̸e̴m̶.̵ ̶B̵u̷t̸,̸ ̷t̸h̶a̵t̸ ̶w̸a̷s̵ ̴n̶o̴t̴ ̶e̶n̷o̷u̸g̷h̵.̴ ̴T̴h̶e̶y̶ ̶n̶e̴e̷d̸e̷d̵ ̶t̸o̸ ̵a̶t̶o̴n̶e̷ ̶f̴o̸r̷ ̷t̸h̷e̴i̵r̷ ̷s̸i̵n̵s̴,̶ ̵a̶n̵d̷ ̵s̷o̴,̷ ̴I̴ ̷s̴h̸o̷w̷e̸d̴ ̷t̶h̵e̷m̶ ̶m̶y̷ ̵v̶i̸r̵t̸u̶e̶s̴ ̷a̵n̸d̵ ̸b̷e̶n̷t̸ ̵t̸h̷e̸m̸ ̶t̷o̷ ̴m̵y̷ ̴w̴i̴l̸l̴.̵”̴

Rising from the sides of the room, came five canisters, the fluids slowly draining as the voice continued.

“̴B̶u̶t̷ ̶i̶t̸ ̶s̸e̸e̸m̶s̵,̷ ̸t̶h̸e̵y̵ ̶w̸e̸r̷e̸ ̵n̵o̵t̵ ̴t̴h̵e̶ ̷o̸n̸l̵y̸ ̸t̸h̴r̵e̴a̷t̴s̶ ̷t̷o̷ ̵m̵y̸ ̷w̴i̵l̶l̸.̶ ̷I̵ ̷s̴h̸o̴w̶e̴d̷ ̵m̶e̵r̶c̵y̸ ̶t̵o̶ ̵t̸h̷o̸s̶e̸ ̷w̶h̷o̸ ̸p̸r̵o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶e̴d̸ ̵m̶y̵ ̵c̵h̵o̷s̵e̶n̸,̸ ̶a̶s̵ ̸a̸ ̶f̸i̵n̴a̷l̴ ̵t̵h̸a̶n̴k̶s̴ ̵f̴o̸r̸ ̵t̵h̵e̴i̴r̸ ̴D̸u̶t̸y̵ ̵a̶s̸ ̵t̷h̵e̴i̸r̷ ̶D̵e̷s̸t̴i̶n̷y̶’̸s̶ ̷w̴e̸r̸e̶ ̶f̶u̵l̶f̵i̴l̸l̸e̵d̸,̷ ̸b̸u̷t̸ ̸y̸o̸u̶ ̴h̷a̶v̴e̵ ̴b̸e̶t̴r̶a̵y̷e̵d̴ ̵m̷y̷ ̶t̵r̴u̴s̵t̴.̵ ̵N̸o̴w̷,̷ ̶o̴n̴c̵e̴ ̷I̷ ̴d̵e̷a̴l̸ ̷w̸i̸t̴h̸ ̴y̵o̴u̶ ̸f̵i̶v̶e̶,̸ ̷t̷h̵r̶o̸u̵g̸h̵ ̸t̴h̸e̴ ̵V̸a̶h̸k̴i̷,̴ ̵m̵y̸ ̶w̷i̵l̴l̸ ̵a̶t̴ ̷l̸a̶s̷t̵ ̶w̷i̵l̶l̶ ̸b̷e̸ ̷f̶u̵l̴l̷y̶ ̸r̶e̴a̶l̸i̵z̷e̶d̸.̸ ̴A̶n̶d̶ ̷i̷t̶ ̷w̷i̵l̷l̴ ̸n̸o̶t̵ ̷s̵t̸o̸p̵ ̵a̸t̸ ̴t̶h̴e̵ ̸T̷o̶a̷ ̸a̷n̸d̶ ̴t̸h̶e̷ ̶T̸u̶r̷a̸g̶a̷,̴ ̸e̴v̵e̴n̸ ̸t̸h̷e̸ ̷M̷a̸t̶o̸r̷a̴n̴ ̴s̵h̴a̴l̴l̷ ̸b̸e̴ ̵s̷h̷o̸w̵n̴ ̸t̷h̷e̴ ̸t̴r̸u̸t̷h̸ ̷l̶i̶k̷e̵ ̸N̸u̴p̵a̴r̷u̴.̸”̴

With those final words, the screens died as only a dim light remained behind Nuparu’s eyes. The canisters, fully draining the energized protodermis that filled them, opened, as a thick wave of mist piled out and filled the room, as the shadows of figures lurched, jerked, and skittered out. As the mists started to clear out, the figures at last came into sight, as they either loomed or stood near the central platform. 

The figures were, or at least once were, the Barraki. But whatever noble warrior visages they had, whatever image they upheld as self-righteous justicars of an oppressed people, was long since gone, having now been turned into nightmarish versions of themselves longing to be unleashed.

The first that caught the attention of the Toa and Sala, was the figure that once was Takadox, now standing far above his comrades, as he seemingly stood uneasily upon four long needle tipped legs that rose into a Thorax-like construction that extended out of where his legs would be. His body was extended by the waist and shoulders, as the organic muscle of his arms were extended and left exposed, attached by a wire frame and ending in a vicious set of jagged hooked claws. His head, placed upon an arched neck, was the least modified, though still no less grotesque, as his mouth was turned into a series of mechanical mandibles and his eyes had been replaced with cybernetic sensors.

The next figure that stood out, was the mound of flesh and metal that once made up Carapar. Sala didn’t know how much of the damage that covered the melted flesh of the warlord was from Nuparu’s experiments or from another source entirely. But regardless, nearly the entirety of Carapar’s body had been replaced, the only thing that was obviously from his original form, was his plated head, his blank yet battle-hungry gaze peeking from the reinforced metal body that surrounded his head, the entire mass being supported by a pair of thick iron legs as it wielded a pair of powerful claws. In addition, traces of blue and red could be noticed behind the plating of his legs and arms.

Then there was the third figure, whose true form was hidden behind the two large black pauldron-like shields it wielded. But behind them, leered the hunter’s eye of Mantax, his other eye having been replaced with multiple red, gleaming optics. Amongst the form beneath the head of the warlord, was a writhing mass, with no solid shape being discerned from it.

On the far left of the assembled ex-warlords, the sound of scrapping metal was a constant, as the red form of the chain lord himself stood. Where his arms once were, there now existed a writhing mass of silver tendrils, extending far beyond his height, forcing him to drag his arms behind himself as they grated against the floor. In addition, seemingly coiling beneath his skin, writhed more of these tendrils, the silver tentacles occasionally peeking out through cuts within his flesh, a mass of them out his back, along his spine and going directly into the back of his head. Peering about, he gazed with his three cold optics, though the two optics below his central eye did not quite seem to be his own, a slight blue tinge around the edges.

The last one that shambled out, was the most grotesque and horrific. Pridak, the Takean King, The king of the League of Six Kingdoms, the one who first perpetuated the single greatest war the universe had ever known, now stood as a monstrous mockery of his former-self. Across his body, his skin had been flayed and removed, revealing the bare muscle and circuitry that laid beneath it. In addition, across his body existed dozens of blades and spikes that seemed to have been surgically implanted into his body, though around the edges of some of them, fresh blood oozed out. His limbs, they had been pulled and distended, out to an ungangly degree, braces wrapped around his joints keeping him from collapsing in on himself. Where once were the hands of a warrior, now existed half-a-bio long razors, borne to only rend flesh, and where once was the face of a king, now existed the hungry maw of a predator, his jaw evidently having been removed and reattached in order to accommodate the oversized teeth buried in it. His torso was hollowed out, with nearly all of his organs having been removed and instead replaced with various tubes and pipes, pumping in and out of some mechanism, which inside floated a silver and red fluid, bolts of energy coursing through it. The worst part though, was his eyes, as they were, unlike the others, aware. They were bloodshot, held wide open by metal staples, constant fury and agony clearly painted across them, though no sound came from his throat to vocalize these emotions.

Faintly, the voice came out once more, the faint glimmer of gold in Nuparu’s sockets although the monitors remained dead. “̶S̷a̷l̵a̵,̵ ̴I̸ ̸s̴h̸a̸l̴l̸ ̷e̷n̶j̴o̷y̴ ̷l̶e̵a̴r̷n̶i̶n̸g̵ ̴b̵y̷ ̷w̸h̷a̸t̵ ̴m̵e̸a̵n̶s̶ ̸y̶o̷u̸ ̷h̵a̴v̵e̷ ̸a̴r̶r̵i̷v̵e̴d̷ ̸h̵e̵r̴e̵.̶.̴.̵a̵n̵d̴ ̵w̵h̴y̷ ̸i̸s̶ ̷i̸t̶ ̷y̸o̸u̴ ̷h̷a̶v̴e̸ ̶c̶o̵m̵e̴ ̴t̵o̶ ̵b̷e̵ ̴m̷a̵r̸k̴e̴d̵ ̷b̵y̸ ̴o̴n̸e̴ ̶o̷f̵ ̵m̴y̴ ̷k̴i̸n̸.̴ ̴N̶o̸w̶,̸ ̷m̸y̷ ̶s̴i̵n̷n̵e̶r̷s̷,̷ ̵g̵o̶,̷ ̸a̶n̵d̴ ̵p̴a̵y̸ ̷y̸o̸u̷r̴ ̸p̸e̵n̷a̷n̴c̵e̴.̶”̶

Swiftly, the Barraki moved forwards in a vicious assault, their bodies shuddering in protest as they did so with the Toa immediately readying to defend themselves. Vulimai, standing in front of the rest of her companions, raised her shield upwards to take the reckless slashes of Pridak’s claws, it screeching in protest. Meeting as the two fought, the mad look of Pridak’s eyes gazed wrathfully and hungrily towards Vulimai’s own determined and defiant ones.

To the side of the once-king and Toa Captain, the Captain’s fellow Toa fought as bravely as they could against the once-Barraki. Lashing out in fierce wide arcs, Kalmah’s tentacles whirled and lashed out, crackling of energy being heard as they did so. Towering above them all, Takadox’ sharpened limbs stabbed and slashed out beneath itself, seeking to pierce any prey beneath the towering mantid. And lastly, skirting the perimeter was the shadowed form of Mantax, as the hunter slinked along the edges of the chamber, losing out volleys of barbed red stingers.

All the while, the Toa did the best they could to fight against these horrific foes, with Bronk and Juno working to create earthen and stone cover to block the attacks against them, with them occasionally trying to work out a swing against the two engaged foes, though the reach of Kalmah’s tentacles and Takadox’ elevated position made such counterattacks minimal at best. In the backlines, Twesh tried his best to help his allies, attempting to launch disks of concentrated air at the two Barraki who engaged them, but his focus was taken by the Mantaxian hunter who sought the need to single him out.

Distracted by the sudden engagement and displays of the Toa, Sala was caught off-guard as the hulking figure of Carapar came down upon him, the horn lord’s claw swinging in a back-handed motion that sent Sala and Avagah flying against the back wall, the brute continuing to charge forwards. Instantly, Sala knew he was in danger, as he could have figured that if it wasn’t for the incredibly sturdy frame of Avagah, which was still noticeably bent from where it was struck, that he would have died.

Lifting up from his shoulder, Sala unleashed a Rhotuka as the blazing white-hot spinner struck the monster dead-on, though from the cool temperatures within the chamber and the horn lord’s own resilience, it seemed to do minimal damage as Sala was forced to move before another devastating blow came down upon him.

Once more, a great blow slammed down onto Sala, though he thankfully was able to avoid it before it hit him. Trying to keep his distance and constantly being on the backfoot, Sala knew he couldn’t win this fight as he lacked both the power and ability to defeat such an unrelenting foe. And that seemed to be the case with the rest of the Toa.

They were either being overwhelmed or separated, with Pridak continuing to press his assault on Vulimai, and though the Toa’s shield and reflexes allowed her to avoid most of their attacks, her ability to counterattack was severely limited without opening herself open to reprisal as well. Bronk and Juno were being pressured fiercely by Kalmah’s whipping arms and Takadox’ skewing limbs. And lastly, Twesh was having difficulties striking out against the Mantaxian hunter, as though he was able to send an occasional shot from his launcher, the shielded plating of Mantax easily absorbed any harm from them as it continued to strike back. 

At this rate, they would be defeated and their bodies would be taken and turned into even more monsters. They needed to do something, Sala needed to do something. “Juno! Help!” Sala cried out, as he managed to step past Carapar as he made his way towards the two Toa of earth and stone.

Looking back, Bronk gave Juno a nod as the Onu-Toa focused his efforts on holding back the two Barraki as Juno made his way over towards Sala’s defense. His Mahiki glowing, two more of himself appeared as two more Avagah’s appeared next to Sala, the two illusions quickly catching Carapar’s attention as Juno’s own illusions joined them, playing and dancing around the former warlord.

Breathing heavily for a brief moment, Sala looked up towards Juno with fear in his optics. "What were they going to do? How were they going to make it out of this? Who was he to even be here in this situation? He was just a Matoran, he didn’t belong, he couldn’t help, he shouldn-"

“Any ideas Sala?” Juno asked, jogging the Matoran out of his spiral as he looked up towards the Toa of Stone. "Ideas? What ideas could he possibly provide? He wasn’t a soldier, he was a scholar, how could he-"

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t matter now. We need all the help we can get, okay?” Sala didn’t realize he was talking out loud. But spurred on by Juno’s words, Sala did his best to quickly analyze the situation, trying to figure out what to do.

They were separated, divided against powerful foes. Pridak’s ferocity, Kalmah’s and Takadox’ reach, Mantax’ speed, and Carapar’s resilience. But, looking, there were weaknesses. Though some were not so obvious, they were there. They just needed to be exploited in the right way.

“Juno, you need to help out Vulimai, distract Pridak as long as you can.” “What about Carapar?” “Get them fighting, I’m going to help Twesh, now go!” Sala replied, already running to the Le-Toa’s aid.

Shrugging, Juno dashed over towards Vulimai, with the illusioned clones right behind him, and Carapar behind them. “Vulimai! Move!” Juno called out, stamping his foot as a column of stone jabbed out towards Pridak, striking the mutilated Takean in the side as they whipped their head. What they saw was Juno dashing to the side, two more Juno’s dashing towards them, and then the bulk of Carapar crashing into them.

Grinning at each other as the two once-Barraki briefly quarreled, Juno nodded towards Vulimai as the Vo-Toa went to assist Bronk, who was straining to protect himself from the twinned assault of lashing tendrils and piercing limbs.

As for Sala, dashing towards Twesh, another searing Rhotuka shot out towards the black shelled form of the Mantaxian, drawing their attention as it flew overhead. As the Mantaxian focused on Sala, a lash of red barbs shot out as they embedded into Avagah, poison injecting into the suit. But doing nothing as the machine lacked any veins to poison.

Nodding his head, Twesh took the opportunity as he went to assist his other companions as Sala engaged the mass of tentacles that was Mantax, loosing cleaving swings of air and searing Rhotukas while deflecting and blocking the barbs.

As Bronk looked back, glad to see that assistance was coming, he failed to raise up a barrier in time to halt one of Takadox’ skewering limbs, the appendage about to pierce the Toa. But before then, a burst of air struck the once-Barraki in the side as Twesh, freed from his little conflict, whirled around in time to launch a concentrated air disk, already readying another shot. Coming to help as well, Vulimai quickly interjected herself in between Bronk and Kalmah. Readying her halberd and shield as another lashing of tendrils came towards her, she avoided most of them, getting in the lucky swing with her halberd as Kalmah let out what could best be described as a screech of pain through his synthesized and mutilated vocal cords.

And like that, the flow of the battle began to shift in the Toa’s favor. Juno by himself was able to handle the brute charger Carapar and the mad-ripper Pridak with surprising ease, getting the two to fight and collide against each other often with his illusions, dodging and parrying the few attacks they were able to send his way. Though, it was becoming very clear that Carapar’s shell was more than a match for Juno’s blade to pierce, with the only signs of damage being from Pridak’s claws.

With Vulimai, Bronk, and Twesh facing off against both Kalmah and Takadox, the trio handled themselves easily. With Twesh and Bronk easily keeping the Mantid off-balance with bursts of air fired towards them, with the ground beneath the horrors' spikes becoming rocky and uneven. As for Vulimai, even with the few tendrils that are able to lash around her, she is quick to sever them with her halberd, shifting into a more flexible handaxe.

And Sala? Sala was being a good distraction against Mantax, with Avagah easily allowing him to shrug off their attacks and close distance quickly with no fear, forcing the Mantaxian to flee. Eventually corning them, Sala was about to land what was hopefully to be a finishing blow, when in a flash, Avagah’s limbs were lashed tight as the Mantaxian lept at Sala tentacles out. In a vice-like grip, Sala was restricted in his motion, unable to swing the air axe effectively and unable to use the Rhotuka launcher without putting himself in danger. With the large shield plates out of the way, Sala saw in horror the mass of metallic wires and crudely fused flesh that formed the underlying core form of the monstrosity, with the only mostly organic portion being the head of what was once Mantax, now about to end Sala with the grotesque maw of metal mandibles and buzzsaws. Sala was doomed, the Toa couldn’t save him and he couldn’t save himself, he couldn’t do anything, even as the creaking sounds of Avagah’s chestplate being pried off rung out in his ears. He was...wait…

Quickly fumbling, Sala’s hands found the handle of something as he pulled it out, trying to get the thing to work from the small space he inhabited, with the compartment being opened with the sound of metallic tearing. Holding the handle outwards in his trembling grasp, Sala thought he was about to meet his end as the maw of Mantax grew dangerous close, till in a flash and the sound and feeling of searing heat, Sala’s piece of junk plasma sword finally activated as it went through the mass of tentacles. Not wasting another second, Sala raised the blade as the plasma edge cut through Mantax like buttery, cauterizing and boiling the internal systems as they were completely bisected, freeing one of the Barraki from their wretched existence.

Around the same time as Sala’s triumph and near death, on the other side of the chamber, Juno once more got the two once-Barraki to collide into each other, with Carapar sending himself and Pridak into the wall. Pridak impacted with a sickening crack, noticeable damage being seen with their exposed artificial organs. With their organs working in overdrive to compensate for the damage, Pridak’s eyes became enveloped by the swirl of silver and red blood, their nostrils flaring as a rage began to build within them. Blinded with fury, Pridak’s claws swung forth, slashing into the backside of Carapar as the larger Barraki was getting up and about to charge Juno once more.

Watching the two, it was clear that they were going to be at it till one of them died; and Juno was perfectly fine with that, taking the chance to move towards the rest of his team. Moving towards his team, Juno quickly joined with Bronk and Twesh, the two trying their best to ground the Mantid for a final blow. Giving Bronk a nod, Juno quickly started exerting his element, doing much the same as Bronk was doing, leaving the other Toa free to utilize his mask, a telekinetic grasp taking hold over Takadox. With a tug and another impact of air, Takadox finally lost balance as they struck their lower limbs against the jutting stones, collapsing in a heap as they frantically tried to stand back up. But before that could be achieved, Bronk and Juno rose their arms as they willed the rock and stone to rise above the once-Barraki, putting the poor thing out of its misery and freeing another one of the Barraki.

It was then that a horrible screech came to all of their ears, as looking back, they witnessed as Carapar, covered in deep gouging slashes, wrapped their massive claws around Pridak’s midsection. In a singular motion, a sickening, squelching sound came as Carapar crushed the Takean before picking them up and ripping them in two, splattering silver and red as the once-Barraki leveled its gaze towards the Toa and charged, seemingly still dauntless as ever. Having looked away, Vulimai didn’t notice till too late as Kalmah’s tendrils swung and wrapped themselves around her axe hand, immobilizing and constricting her as the hooks and barbs dug into her skin. 

And then, crackling filled the air as the tendrils surged with energy, momentarily making Vulimai cry out, before breaking into a smile as she took hold of the electrical energy, drawing it and more out of Kalmah, the chain lord unable to stop the flow now. Dropping her shield, Vulimai stuck out her other hand towards Carapar, and like a living storm, channeled her element, siphoning more energy from Kalmah to fuel the arc of lightning. In a flash that made everyone except Sala, who was still forced to squint, to look away, they would look back to see the faint lights of Kalmah’s optics to go dead as their suddenly desiccated form collapsed with a blackened and scorched figure replacing where Carapar once was.

And like that, five of the six Barraki were at last fallen, freed from their torment. Only five of the Barraki? Was a thought that Sala had before the terminals once more flashed to life, that same silhouetted mask appearing as Nuparu’s optics, mouth, and heartlight shone in tune with the voice that came out.

“̷T̸h̷i̵s̸ ̶f̷a̵i̶l̵u̵r̴e̸ ̷i̶s̸ ̶i̶r̸r̵e̶l̶e̸v̸a̷n̴t̴.̵ ̴Y̴o̶u̶ ̷a̷r̸e̵ ̴s̴t̷i̵l̸l̵ ̷t̷r̴a̷p̴p̷e̸d̶.̵ ̶T̴h̸e̶ ̸o̴t̶h̵e̸r̴ ̵s̷i̴n̷n̵e̶r̷s̶ ̴c̷o̶n̷t̵i̴n̶u̴e̵ ̸t̶o̷ ̴d̸i̶g̴ ̵a̵w̵a̸y̶ ̸a̶t̵ ̵y̵o̷u̵r̴ ̶m̶e̴a̶g̷e̴r̴ ̶b̶l̸o̶c̷k̵a̶d̶e̴.̶ ̴Y̸o̷u̷ ̸c̷a̷n̵n̸o̶t̷ ̷d̶e̵f̶e̷a̶t̷ ̴m̶e̴,̸ ̵t̴h̶i̷s̷ ̶i̶s̸ ̵y̷o̷u̴r̷ ̴e̴n̴d̴,̴ ̸I̶ ̷h̶a̸v̴e̶ ̵w̸o̶n̵.̵”̸

“They were right, they were trapped. They couldn’t stop them. Not really. They had lost.” Sala thought to himself, moving to stand alongside the Toa, the sound of clawing and digging coming from the blockade of stone and earth that blocked the only entrance. There was no way out....

“No! This isn’t the end, there has to be a way...And I think I know how.” Sala said defiantly, moving towards the device, quickly inspecting it. Quickly looking it over, Sala smiled as he saw what they needed. The disk of time was still there in the motion, they can use this. But before Sala could suggest anything more, a horrific simulacrum of a scream rang out, forcing the Toa to cover their ears as the voice screeched out in an almost indecipherable frequency.

“̸̘̹̎C̷̘͈̫̃̑̕Ë̴̛̥̼͇̍A̶̗͒S̷̤̄̈́͊Ę̶̤̈̚!̵̼͙̏̄͘ ̶͍͎͒Y̴̩̎O̸̜̭̜̅̏Ū̸̹͜͝ ̶̟̮̭͛̌͠D̷͙̼̓͊̽ͅÖ̴͙͖̽̚ ̸̧̮̃̑̒N̴̤͇͖̈́Ȯ̷̯͛T̵̻͎̏̓̃ͅ ̷̯̳̖͐Ŭ̸̻̘͛̉N̴̗͇̽D̶̖̆̊͊E̴̤̕R̵͔̺̙͐͂͒S̸̝̙͑͗Ţ̸͎̽̀͝Ă̶̤͕͇̚N̶̬̟͈̂͑̕Ḋ̸͈̬̩́̉ ̸̨̛̉̀W̸̘͍̄̎̃Ḩ̵̲͔͂̈́Ą̷̾͘T̷̢̬͛̈̀ ̵̦́̐̃Y̶͙͐͜͠O̴̘͉̙̅̅͝U̴̺̕ ̵̢͉̲̍̀̚Ȃ̸̺̤̚͝R̵̯͋̔̚E̵̝͘ ̷̱͛̈́̿T̵̝̠̮̏͑A̸̤͗̀M̵̛̭P̴͔͚̈̋E̶̡̲͒͠ͅṚ̴͎͉͆I̵̲̅̇́N̸̟̗̆ͅG̴̺̥͔̓ ̶̮̼́̈́͝W̶̛̘̻͛͛ͅI̷̫̞̓͆̍Ṱ̴́͗̾H̴̥̮̦̀̃̕!̴͔̀̐̚ ̵̗̽̉Y̸̠̓̽̓O̴̡͇͝Ų̴̭͔͝ ̶̗̙̿̇́D̷̨̛̖O̷̬̰͔̒̒́ ̷̜̄͜N̷͓̱̝̉O̷̧̺̕͝T̸̨̃͗̌ ̸̩̖͙̋Ù̸͓͠N̸̢͙͆͋͒Ḍ̸͕͌Ė̴̯͚̌R̵̳̿͒S̴̜̋̚T̵͔͂͊Ä̴̘͘N̸̩̤͌͑͝D̴̟̙̋!̷͓̅”̵̺̥͒͌̚

Fighting through the pain in his ears, Sala retorted, confidence in his voice. “No, I think I do. I know how to beat you, I know why Dume sent me here. Gu-” Before Sala could say anything else, he felt himself thrown aside. 

Uncoiling down from the ceiling, supported by a mechanical arm built around some form of black etched obelisk, with cables and mechanical tendrils wrapped around it, was revealed the last of the Barraki, Ehlek. Hardly anything was left of their original body, with only the upper part of their head and the spines of their back remaining, all of it blended into the mechanized appendage as numerous limbs hung down of varying sizes and forms, their sight consisting of numerous opticals as they glared with expressionless wrath.

Suddenly appearing from the walls, Vulimai and her team were quick to react as they were fired upon by multiple Zamor launchers, with Twesh and Bronk using their abilities to deflect the projectiles while Juno quickly constructed stone palisades.

Holding his head, Sala looked up from where he landed, watching as his companions were being bombarded with no way to strike back, with what-was-once Ehlek looking on with eager anticipation. Gritting his teeth, Sala began to rise up to his feet, looking towards the ceiling that connected them to it, as he swung his axe with all the strength he could muster. Forming along the trail that the axe head went, a crescent blade of air flew near invisible, till like a sharpened blade through a leaf, it sliced through the appendage, causing Ehlek to fall and collapsed atop the central platform, crushing the numerous terminals and Nuparu’s withered corpse. 

And with that, the battle was over, but all of them knew that they still had only a few moments before the horrors broke through. Not wasting a moment more, they made their way towards the machine, quickly surmising its functions as best they can, with only Sala and Bronk being able to get the faintest clue on how it operated. But left with no other options, they knew they had to try.

Getting the gist of it from the two of them, Vulimai quickly took command as she started to speak. “Okay Bronk, you and Sala will send-” “No...I’m going.” Sala said, looking towards the Toa as he interrupted Vulimai. 

“Pardon?” “I’m going. It’s why I’m here. It’s my Destiny here.” Sala responded. Juno was about to protest, but was stopped by Vulimai with a nod and understanding look. She knew there was something more here, but she didn’t need to know it to know that this was true, and Juno understood that as well as he stood back.

“Okay, Bronk, you will prepare the machine and send Sala back in time. We will make sure nothing interrupts you while the process is happening. Sala.” Vulimai looked directly towards the Matoran, who tried his best to keep his expression neutral and confident despite the nervousness he felt. “Good luck, may we meet again, at least in another time.” “Yeah, I would love to see you again. Or would it be for the first time? Doesn’t matter, just make sure this doesn’t happen. Okay?” Juno added grinning.

“Yeah...I will, thanks.”

And with that, Vulimai, Juno, and Twesh were off to guard the entrance, leaving Bronk and Sala who shared a look that said “You sure?” “Yes…” And with that, Bronk simply nodded as he worked to activate the device. Getting into position, Sala braced himself as the machine powered on with a thrum. He expected there to be a moment of pause, of it reaching a peak before it finally went off, but there was none, as in a flash, it activated, and Sala was sent hurling through time. The ripples of which crashed across the universe as the head of the Great Spirit Robot finally broke off and began its descent upon a watery world and a barren island, one it was destined to land upon so many centuries ago.

~~~

Opening his optics, Sala reawoke in a similar manner to when he first arrived to the universe, the feeling momentarily making him panic before he realized where he was. He was in Onu-Metru, the real Onu-Metru and not the one from before. It was a breath of fresh air, till he heard it, the sound of conquest. Sala had returned to the day when the Barraki came, when the Barraki won.

For a moment, Sala was afraid, like he was back in Ta-Metru back in his own timeline. But that fear quickly dissipated, he knew what he needed to do, he needed to get to the Vahki hive and fast.

Running with great speed, bounding and leaping with the massive stride length afforded to him by Avagah, Sala did his best to ignore the sounds of battle in the distance. There was only one way he could help them, and that was stopping Nuparu. Reaching the hive, Sala rushed inside, with there thankfully not being any Vahki currently inside to stop him. Moving through the empty halls, having explored the Vahki hives once before long ago, he did his best to follow his mental map as he soon arrived at the core chamber, where Nuparu stood, with a retinue of four Zadahk beside them.

“Nuparu! STOP!” Sala shouted, making the engineer look back in confusion and concern. What?! The League? Here already? Vhaki, stop them!” Nuparu commanded.

Before Sala could explain himself, the two closest Zadahk’s fired off their beams, striking Avagah in the chest, the staves effects doing nothing. Returning the attack Sala with a Rhotuka, the searing disk struck the nearest Zadahk on the left in the head, destroying it instantly in a searing blast.

But the other three still remained and quickly charged Sala, ready to engage. Swinging his axe, the two closest Vahki were caught off-guard as they were severed in two by the swathe of air, them falling onto the ground as they flailed uselessly. Before Sala could launch another swing of air, a Kanoka struck the already weakened chestplate of Avagah, weakening it further as the piece fell away, revealing Sala inside.

“What? A Matoran? What are you doing? What do you think I’m doing that you need to stop?” Nuparu asked, now more confused than concerned, with the fourth Vahki standing down by Nuparu’s command.


“I’m here to stop you from linking yourself to the Vahki, you’ll regret it, trust me.” Sala replied, taking the opportunity to step a little closer, which was immediately met by the Vahki readying another Kanoka. “What? How do you know about that? How did you know I was going to do that?” Nuparu replied accusatively.

Sighing, Sala tried his best to explain. “I’m from the future. I used your device to go back in time. In the future, what ends up happening is that the Matoran become enslaved, forced to work under strict control with the Toa becoming prisoners and the League subjects to cruel and terrible experiments. You need to stop this now before that happens.”

Hearing Sala’s explanation, Nuparu thought for a few moments, before asking. “And what if I don’t? The Matoran get enslaved anyways? Or worse, killed? The Barraki win? The spirit of Mata-Nui is lost with his chosen people? I thank you for coming here Sala, but your fears are now unfounded. With this foresight given to me by you, I can now avoid the worst of it while still saving the Matoran people. Now if you don’t mind.”

“NO!”  Sala cried out as Nuparu turned away, charging forth. Quickly though, the Vahki went to intercept the Matoran, with Sala having to raise up the arms of Avagah to avoid the flurry of attacks that came at him. Backing up at the Vahki’s rapid and mechanical swings, Sala did his best to defend himself, though the machine was unrelenting, with Sala having no room to swing back with his axe or to shoot off his Rhotuka, being pushed back more and more. 

Little by little, the servos and joints of Avagah creaked and groaned, tanking the damage but slowly but surely grinding away. At this rate, Sala knew he was going to be beat, to be stopped, to have failed all over again. Like he failed Ta-Metru, like he failed Metru-Koro, like the failure he is-...

No...none of that.

As the next swing came in, rather than backing up, Sala pushed back against it, with the strength of Avagah allowing him to match the Vahki’s, as the machine stumbled backwards. Moving with the momentum, Sala slammed the full weight of the ACR into the Vahki as the two went crashing into the ground, Sala falling and rolling out without the chestplate to keep him fastened.

Taking in a brief breath, Sala got back to his feet once more as he ran for Nuparu, who just turned back around from the crashing sound to see Sala before being tackled by them. Rolling on the ground, the two Matoran fought each other for several moments, till Nuparu with a kick was able to pull away, running back towards the terminal before turning towards Sala, grinning. 

“What is your plan here? You’re going to beat me up till I’m unconscious? It’s not going to stop the Vahki from showing up here, and once they do, I’ve won! You can’t stop me!”

Sala stopped in his approach, stumbling for a brief moment as he thought upon Nuparu’s words. They were right, what was he supposed to do? What could he do? Other than…

Mist began to roll in, coiling around Sala’s feet as the Su-Matoran looked up towards Nuparu, only to be met with a being masquerading as a Matoran. The body of it was like Nuparu’s but the mask on its face was different entirely, as it was silver and ornate, bearing a design like that of a figure with a wide stance and arms outstretched. With a white light pouring out of the optics, it spoke.

“̴O̵t̸h̴e̵r̷ ̷t̶h̷a̴n̷ ̴w̵h̸a̸t̵ ̵S̵a̶l̴a̵?̵ ̶K̴i̸l̶l̵i̶n̸g̴ ̶h̸i̸m̶?̸ ̸I̸ ̵m̷e̸a̸n̷,̸ ̵t̸h̶a̷t̸ ̵I̵S̴ ̶t̵h̷e̴ ̴o̶n̷l̸y̷ ̴w̷a̸y̷ ̶t̷o̵ ̵s̴t̸o̷p̸ ̴h̴i̵m̵ ̴r̶i̸g̷h̷t̶?̶ ̸T̸o̷ ̴k̷i̸l̶l̴ ̶h̵i̶m̶.̴.̵.̶B̴u̶t̴ ̴t̵e̷l̴l̸ ̶m̸e̶ ̵S̴a̷l̵a̴,̵ ̷i̷s̶ ̸t̵h̷e̴ ̴f̸u̴t̸u̴r̸e̸ ̷N̸u̸p̴a̷r̵u̸ ̸w̸a̷n̵t̴s̶ ̷t̴o̸ ̸m̷a̴k̴e̶ ̸s̸o̵ ̵m̸u̷c̴h̷ ̵w̶o̶r̸s̵e̷ ̶t̵h̶a̴n̵ ̵y̶o̸u̶r̴s̸?̸ ̷I̴ ̶m̵e̸a̶n̷,̶ ̸i̷n̵ ̵N̴u̵p̷a̸r̶u̸’̷s̴,̶ ̶t̶h̸e̶ ̷M̶a̶t̵o̷r̴a̶n̴ ̵s̷t̸i̸l̶l̸ ̸l̶i̶v̴e̷,̴ ̸a̸l̶l̷ ̵o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̸e̶m̵,̴ ̴a̵l̸i̵v̵e̶.̴ ̵U̴n̴l̸i̷k̸e̸ ̴t̸h̷e̶ ̸s̵c̴a̵n̶t̴ ̵f̵e̷w̵ ̴p̶i̶t̸i̸f̵u̸l̵ ̴s̸u̶r̵v̵i̷v̴o̵r̵s̸ ̴f̸r̵o̸m̷ ̸y̵o̸u̶r̶ ̸t̸i̴m̷e̵l̴i̸n̵e̷.̵ ̸Y̶o̴u̴ ̵c̴a̵n̶ ̶s̵a̸v̵e̷ ̷t̴h̷e̷m̸ ̸S̷a̷l̵a̶?̷ ̸Y̶o̷u̷ ̵c̵a̵n̸ ̴s̴a̸v̸e̶ ̵a̴l̴l̶ ̸o̷f̶ ̷t̵h̶e̵m̷ ̵b̵y̵ ̷j̶u̴s̶t̷ ̶l̴e̶t̷t̷i̷n̷g̴ ̶t̶h̴i̸s̵ ̶h̸a̵p̶p̴e̷n̷.̵ ̸O̶r̷.̷.̷.̸y̴o̸u̴ ̵c̷a̸n̶ ̷k̸i̵l̸l̶ ̴N̷u̵p̴a̶r̷u̸ ̷h̸e̸r̶e̸ ̸a̴n̶d̸ ̶n̶o̵w̸.̸”̶

Hearing the voice, hearing its words, Sala couldn’t help but grit his teeth, stepping forwards as he held his plasma sword in hand, the blade moments from igniting and swinging down when another voice broke through the mist.

“Hey now Sala, let’s not get ahead of ourselves?” 

Sala stopped, shocked and surprised by the voice. “Wait, that couldn’t be-"

“Hey, maybe you should stop overthinking for once and just look over towards me to prove what you’re thinking.” Looking over, Sala was stunned to see Juno, not the Toa he had met, but the Matoran he briefly encountered back in Metru-Koro. “Why are you-” “I’m here, to help you make the right choice and to keep you from making the wrong one. And I think you already know the right one, you just forgot in that mess of a head of yours.” Juno grinned, pointing towards his own noggin.

“My head? But that still doesn’t explain why-” “As much as I would like to explain to you, I don’t think bright and ugly will give us that much time. But trust me Sala, trust me like you’ve been doing. I got your back. Hahaha!

And with that, both the mists and the two figures were gone, leaving only Sala and the now fear-stricken Nuparu remaining. Looking down towards his plasma blade, the searing blade radiating out, Sala let the weapon die down as he met Nuparu’s optics once more, striding towards them. Before Nuparu could get in a word, Sala’s hand was on Nuparu’s chest, as flowing out from it, came a wave of energy as Nuparu felt his entire body freeze up entirely.

Stepping away at the now frozen Nuparu, the faint shimmering of energy around them, Sala plainly spoke. “That should keep you in stasis long enough for me to get someone to deal with you. That...or for the League to win. Either way, I’ve saved your world from a worst fate, I just hope I’ve made the right choice. Good luck Nuparu.”

Turning around, Sala returned to Avagah, activating the ACR once more as it briefly struggled to its feet. Stumbling, Sala gave Nuparu one last look to ensure they were still frozen before running out to get someone to help, unknowingly passing through the portal back to his own doomed world.

~~~

“Think they were another Dark Hunter?” “Naw, too much talk, too much semantics. Besides, this was our bounty.” “Fair. Regardless, guess we gotta thank them for making our job so much easier.” The two Skakdi conversed with each other as they stepped out of the shadows, approaching the frozen Nuparu, a look of fear behind his purple Pakari.

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Eyru @Vezok's Friend Sala's back!

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IC Drokk - Suva of Water:

 

The Iron Skakdi was just pulling herself from the water to examine the carvings again when something.... well happened. The atmosphere changed, and some voice said something about power loss. Her face fell. Of all the times for something to go wrong here. frantically, she pressed on the disc carvings in various orders, turned the suva in different orders and directions, and all other manner of getting the cursed thing to work again. nothing worked. She'd come all this way on a rumor, and the thing was broken.

 

Out of water, out of options, and out of time. Drokk's face contorted with grief and rage, and she swiped clawed hands over the carvings, leaving deep gashes in the walls, before falling back and sitting on the sand of the grotto, in the dark and silence.

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IC, Saybo: Airship

Saybo nodded and took the controls. The airship began to lift off of the ground. It went higher, and higher, and began to move toward the place that Ehlek's message to Aurax had come from. 

Eventually, something came into view. Or rather, somethings. Very odd somethings.

The first was a giant robot. It was lanky, had a face with six eyes, and was flying with seemingly no way to stay airborne.

The second was what Saybo believed to be the Aqua Sphere. And it was coming closer- because it was falling.

The third was a flying Vahki hive, which was suspended in the air. 

Saybo took the radio to speak to his passenger. "So it seems like the Aqua Sphere is falling, but Ehlek's Vahki hive is still in the air. Also, there's a giant flying robot outside."

OOC: @BULiK @Tarn @Snelly and anyone else in the area

IC, Aurax: Metru-Nui

The journey back to the city was unfortunately not uneventful. There were ####ing Kanohi Dragons flying around! Not only that, but the eye of the skull was glowing, as if Mata Nui himself was looking at the Rahi. Aurax kept low to the ground to avoid incurring their wrath. Aurax skirted around the eyehole to the northern part of the city, where Onu-Metru was located. After a bit of flying, he made it to where the Archives entrance was. As expected, it was almost completely covered by water- only a small portion of the top of the building was visible. The Toa angled his ACR and turned off his Miru. The mech began to descend, its fall slowed by its thrusters. With hardly a splash, it sank beneath the waves.

Aurax's vision was filled with the sight of the submerged, damaged building. He turned on a floodlight on his mech and began to slowly move forward. He entered the building, pushing some rubble out of the way. He looked around and spotted an elevator. The mech's arms reached out and pried the doors open. The shaft was empty- the elevator car must have stopped on a different level. The king looked down.

Sublevel seven, huh? Alright, let's get to sublevel seven then...

The ACR leapt into the elevator shaft, heading deeper into the flooded Archives.

Edited by ~Xemnas~
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IC: Mazor-Kini-Nui

Mazor nodded as Atamai moved Tuyet over to touch Axon. "That's very clever of you."

Mazor's wings began to slack. He was hungry and tired. He reached out his hands and began to drain some life force off of the two frozen combattans. "Now, as I was saying. I'm here because I need to collect some important artifacts, a set of stones, that can be used to stabilize the island and stop it from sinking. I had thought Vilita was talking to you because you were also looking for these."

@BULiK @~Xemnas~

Edited by Smudge8

Six Kingdoms Characters: Mazor, Jephro, The Janitor, Informant

 

 

 

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IC: Ulkarr, Enra and Gnabol (Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, The Bridge) - The Not-Too-Distant Future

"Thanks." Gnabol stared blankly at the machine Triage pointed to for a moment. "Yeah, I don’t know what I’m doing with this thing. My tribe never had anything this sophisticated." He decided to give it a go anyway, pouring the beans into the machine. "I assume the button makes it do the thing?"

Meanwhile, Ulkarr marveled at how this inky black substance revitalized Berys and Vashni. "What sorcerous substance is this, that restores your energy and heightens your senses?"

"Actually, yeah, what is it? Is it a drug, like that powder you snort up your nose?" Enra’s eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "Not that I would know anything about that. I’m - I’m not judging you." She added.

@Vezok's Friend@Tarn@BULiK@Snelly

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IC: Skyra NUVA - Kini-Nui Bunker -

Skyra panted as she stood on her knees and looked at the glorious silhouette that was before her. Mostly she felt pain and exhaustion, and she was loving very second of it. 

...wait what? Why am I enjoying this so much? Sure I'm pretty used to pain at this point, comes with the job...but I'm like...really feeling happy about it. She wondered if this was what Kilo had warned her about, the mental changes that came with becoming NUVA. 

"Eh whatever~" Skyra struggled to her feet and  entered the bunker, approaching the silhouette, knowing full well what it was. When she reached it she gave it a hug. "Hey there baby~" 

@Eyru 

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My Bzprpg ProfilesGhosts of Bara Magna

Skyra | Hakari | Oceanna | Taleen | Arisaka | Zanakra | Kaminari | Drakkar

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IC: Nale Vella - Aurax's Airship (Mi-Kiri Proximity)

Nale had said little as Knichou retrieved her former lover and ally's weapon. If she wanted to be quippy, she would have asked why he had not taken it before, but instead she stayed silent--like the funeral was being carried out all over again. The Nynran had, in a somewhat poetic choice, modified the weapon with nanites to create something that Datrox Karvan would have killed for in life.

Something new had been created from the remains of the past, much like when Knichou first created her spear from the scraps of her life from before the crash.

Nale gave him a knowing look as they boarded the airship, giving a final glance behind the pair of Toa to the remains of Metru-Koro. Datrox's cenotaph now lacked its weapon, but still stood vigilant over the abandoned and dusty village. She wondered if, once all of the crumbling structures had decayed, it would still be there. A reminder of a complicated history, represented by a complicated man.

Eventually, they reached Mi-Kiri airspace. Saybo's voice came over the radio, delivering surprising news.

"So it seems like the Aqua Sphere is falling, but Ehlek's Vahki hive is still in the air. Also, there's a giant flying robot outside."

Nale looked to her partner and the Exo-Toa with them. "I guess the sphere's coming to us. Giant flying robot...one of the NUVA mechs, you think?"

@BULiK@~Xemnas~@Snelly

IC: Triage - The Taku (Bridge)

Triage nodded to Vashni, then turned to the trio. "It's pretty simple, the machine does it all for you," he said, pointing to the coffee maker. "Just place a mug under it, press the button, and wait a moment." At their question of what the drink was, he simply gave them a blank look before saying, "Just try it."

From behind he could hear the footsteps of smaller beings, and he swiveled around his chair again to see some of the Matoran from Ko-Pou, attracted by the smell of fresh coffee. "Oh, hey everyone...you're not staying here in Tobduk-Koro?"

IC: Rose (MC) - The Taku

"Even better," she said to Arnex. "Bigger guns, more guns--both are good."

@BULiK@Snelly@Toru Nui@Vezok's Friend

IC: Korio, Kanohi Dragon of Loyalty - Mata Nui's Head

Korio hissed in delight upon receiving the order he had been awaiting. He did a lap around the sky, not paying much mind to the head's own movements, before diving down and unleashing a stream of fire on it. He would burn it to ashes--leave no trace of the corpse-god.

@EmperorWhenua@pokemonlover360

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[BZPRPG]
(shout out to max)

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IC: Jutori - Patiwairutiki Cockpit

Jutori froze up upon realizing the sphere was falling. His focus on his element did not falter, however, even as he expected the structure to collide with their mech. Kilo acted quickly, moving them out of the way of danger and avoiding the sphere. Making sure his parachute had not prematurely opened in the cockpit, he then watched the plan play out in his mind and nodded. "It's good enough for me."

@pokemonlover360

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[BZPRPG]
(shout out to max)

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IC: Forgemaster Viltia NUVA - Toa NUVA of the Green

Location - Kini-Nui Valley, Twekohui’s Empty Bunker

With - Zataka, Muaka NUVA Proxima

 

Viltia leaned forward, intrigued as the broken mask was laid before her. Piece by piece it was slowly put together into a form she was able to recognize as a Kanohi. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. And although it didn’t compare to the Mask of Creation, it had once been marvelously crafted. The form shifts once must have been amazing to gaze upon.

She looked up as Zataka introduced it. Dimensional Travel? That was like… Teleportation gone haywire. Though if she had to guess, it probably had something to do with Time Duplication and Teleportation, both of which she had experience with. Her voice was filled with awe, “That’s so cool. And just perfect, I’m sure my past experiences will allow me to… NO!

Viltia shouted in shock as the voice of the Air Suva spoke to her, Error, this Suva has experienced a sudden loss in power. This Suva will shut down until power can be restored. This is not a test.

Viltia looked in the direction of the Air Suva, shock on her face. Her optics were distant, not seeing the wall of shadows before her, “No, no, no, nonono!

She turned to Zataka, mind scrambling. If the Air Suva wouldn’t work, then where could she go? Le-Metru Nuva was a no. Her Time Duplicates were doing important things and she needed them to stay active, so she couldn’t go and move her Kaita mech again to allow Zataka to enter Le-Metru Nuva. Kini-Koro was a mess and who knew if they had a forge that could get hot enough to-

The volcano! She had her protosteel tools with her. She could re-forge the Kanohi in the lava flows with her Fire Resistance Kraata.

So bad news. The Air Suva just powered off. Something must have happened to it. But this mask is far more important than figuring out what went wrong. I have experience working with powers lesser than Dimensional Gates, so it shouldn’t take me too much longer to do things by hand. Maybe a couple hours. With how time has been around here, no one might even notice.

But we need to go somewhere else. In interest of time, I suggest the volcano. I have all my tools already with me and-

The sound of another bunker opening up filled the valley, along with it came the sound of rushing liquid.

And it sounds like someone just unlocked their own Kaita mech. They are bound to destroy all Rite-born at any cost. You need to be careful.

Viltia reached out to grab the Olmak, then withdrew her hands when she thought better of the idea, “What do you want to do? I could teleport to the volcano right now and start working as soon as I can. But I totally understand never letting this Kanohi out of your sight.

 

OOC: @Vezok's Friend

 

IC: Past Viltia #2 & #3 - Toa NUVA of the Green

Location - Under the Aqua Sphere

 

Both Past Viltias gasped, the sudden rushing intake of air making a loud wail as their massive forms breathed in. The Aqua Sphere was getting bigger. Kilo in his mech had gone past it. Sorilax was trapped in there, now falling to potentially his death!

They were too small to try to keep the sphere aloft on their own, but they could slow its fall. Or cushion it. Anything to keep it from breaking upon impact. Using their combined efforts with a quickly made plan, they got to work. First they tried their best to get under the falling sphere. Then they started with a thick bed of soft vines that coiled and curled in upon themselves in tangled knots. Many leaves sprouted from them, adding even more cushion to the roiling mess. They worked as fast as they could together, growing the field wider and taller, limited by their half-Kaita powersets.

Roughly the size of a city block at a time, they grew and nurtured and tried their best in the time they had.

 

OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

 

IC: Past Viltia #1 - Toa NUVA of the Green

Location - Near Le-Metru Nuva, Vuata Maca Tree

With - Vauta Maca Tree

 

Viltia nodded in understanding. But it wasn’t something she could just help the tree fix quickly or easily. She had no idea where to even begin.

Fetid bogs laced with deceased insects. Tainted EP defiling predators and prey alike. Mutated Rahi roaming through a downpour of acidic rain. All was overwhelming and unstoppable. “I don’t know how to fix the swamp. There’s too much corruption.

The sun after a bad storm. The dawning of a new day after a savage night. “Do you have any ideas on what to do to turn things around?

 

OOC: @Eyru

-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

-----------------------------

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19 hours ago, EmperorWhenua said:

IC Stannis | Kumu, again

"Saving everyone... is my speciality, Sister Taja. Let me show you, and I promise... this will hurt you only... half as much as it will me."

He donned the Mask of Light, and all Understanding washed on those assembled. 

IC: Sidra – Kumu Peninsula

Though the light that Stannis’ Kanohi projected was far lesser than that which had once destroyed and remade Sidra, its radiance was far more liberating.

Banished was the paranoia that had plagued her. Dispelled were her doubts and delusions. More firmly than ever before, the lessons she’d learned in Le-Metru Nuva were reinforced: she was a small piece of something larger. The weight of this wretched world had never been hers to bear alone, and its fate had never been solely her fault. She could comprehend Korruhn’s condescension, understand Taja’s need for meaning, Whisper’s quest for permanence and finality… and Stannis’ intentions for utopian hegemony.  

A longing, sorrowful sigh escaped Sidra as she forced herself to focus on the being before her. Her irritation towards Korruhn, the growing temptation to simply psionically lobotomise him and pluck the Makoki Stone from the spasming hands of whatever gibbering wreck remained, were gone. Her attention was wholly on Stannis now.

“Credit where it’s due, your pitch is way better than the last wannabe god who tried to recruit me,” she said, the quip falling flat as mirth failed to emerge from her mouth. She leaned back, sitting down on the edge of Wairuha’s foot. “You can’t even begin to understand how badly I want to believe you could pull that off… the perfection, the peace… but it’s all just pretty pictures, propaganda. It won’t work. It won’t be worth it. How can you be so ancient, so all-knowing, yet also so… naïve?

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she spoke. Her gaze was fixated on the ground, unable to rise to meet that of the ancient Aspect before her. The promise of paradise was so excruciatingly beautiful, so painfully impossible, and she could feel Stannis’ profound, earnest certainty that it was within reach. Even as she spoke against it, a part of Sidra longed to simply give in and accept it, pretend it would be all that Stannis so dearly wanted it to be. The temptation to shirk the responsibility and power that had been thrust upon her and leave this whole mess to someone else to solve was overwhelming. It would be so easy. Easier than fighting furtively for a future she wasn’t even certain of.

But it was too easy.

And nothing in Sidra’s life had ever been easy.

That was her truth, and the Kanohi only made it clearer.

“My life has been defined people and powers that placed themselves above all others and proclaimed that the world was a certain way. The Barraki, Turaga Dume, The Shadowed One, even Mata Nui himself, they all sought to liberate and enlighten, elevating some and denigrating others… and we’re expected to believe that you’re somehow the one and only being in all of existence who knows what’s best for everyone… instead of just the next in a long line of well-intentioned autarchs?”

She forced herself to stand up and raise her bleary eyes to lock with the Aspect’s own. “Can you actually imagine what it would be like in a world like the one you want to make? Every truth told, all knowledge known, any questions answered before they’d ever been uttered?”

The clarity this Kanohi offered blinded Sidra to her self-deceptions and allowed her to see her own truths more clearly. More than anything else in her life, it had been her mistakes that had made her, her failures that had forged her, and her ignorance that had motivated her to seek insight. Without those things, without adversity to overcome and faults to atone for, she never could have become who she was now: the best version of herself, for better or worse.

“There’d be no progress, no change, no mistakes learned from because no mistakes were ever made. Billions of beings never wanting, never wishing, never wondering. No struggle, no self-growth… a stagnant cycle. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

And that was assuming that everyone even took the knowledge Stannis offered as writ. Sidra had seen time and time again how people rejected facts in favour of more flattering opinions, erased the evidence to ensure their versions of events, trampled over truth with conjecture. Stannis seemed certain that a lack of knowledge was responsible for all the world’s woes, but his vision failed to account for the fact that some ignorance was willful. History was written by people who’d chosen compelling or complimentary lies over inconvenient truths... and no amount of free information would prevent people from twisting the facts or inventing their own. 

She offered Stannis a sad smile. “I’m sorry, but to put it simply, we need the unknown. If you give us all of the answers then there’s nothing left for us to look for. Nothing left for us to live for.”

Despite the sanity-shredding strength and savagery her powers presented, she held back from adding any psionic influence to her words. Mata Nui had tried messing with her head. This Aspect was doing much the same. Her argument lost all of its strength if she simply followed their example.

@EmperorWhenua @Eyru @Crimson Jester

Edited by Gecko Greavesy
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IC: Reliable Narrator | Kini-Nui

With trembling limbs, Skyra slowly climbed up the mech and pulled herself into the front seat of the open cockpit. She was exhausted —opening the door had taken everything she had— but determined to claim what was hers. She let out a sigh of relief as she sank back into the silicone of the seat: it was blissfully comfortable, and seemed molded to fit her body perfectly. She wasn't exactly sure what color it had been a moment ago, but now the seat was her favorite color. The rest of the cockpit was dark, but Skyra felt a strange sense of kinship with it. Unbidden, her mind drifted back to the memory of the placid lake she had envisioned during the NUVA awakening. Her feet rested on the still water, and another pair stood beneath, like a mirror. At the time, the shape had been dark and unrecognizable. But now Skyra knew exactly what she had seen.

Without prompting, the cockpit began to close. It slid back into the spine of the ACR between the armored shoulder blades. It sealed with a hiss, and everything was dark for a moment, but it was not a dangerous darkness. It was quiet and calm, like the moment before the sun rises. Glowing circuitry began to light up, illuminating the walls the ceiling, the floor, and even Skyra itself. The machine was waking up.

As it awoke, the ACR jostled and shifted, but Skyra didn't need to worry about keeping her balance. A sort of magnetic seatbelt tugged at her body, keeping her safely strapped to the seat. It was not uncomfortable or restricting —it just felt safe. Skyra raised her hand to feel around for some kind of control panel, but she was greeted instead by the shrieking noise of tearing metal. She was already jacked in to the ACR, no control panel necessary, and the ACR had raised its arm just as she had, ripping through its bonds. Then the ACR pushed itself up onto all fours and begun crawling towards the light of the tunnel's entrance. Each step seemed to shake the ground. Skyra was exhilarated. She was barely in control, but the machine's excitement, its yearning for freedom, was so tangible that she was almost lost in it. Then everything became light and she realized the ACR now stood tall above the Kini-Nui, looking down on the ground a hundred feet below.

This ACR was a machine, and yet it was so much more. It was alive; it trembled with excitement and battle-lust. It was a warrior, much like Skyra herself, and she was a part of it. She could feel the warmth of the sun as it dipped in the sky; it could feel the cool wind as it passed over the mountains, carrying the barely-perceptible salt-smell of the sea. Everything felt new and strange, and yet it also felt familiar, like reuniting with an old friend. The hands that swayed gently in the air did not belong to her, but she could assume control of them with the slightest thought. Her will passed effortlessly through the ACR at the speed of thought. Puffing clouds of steam vented from the mech's mouth, keeping time to her own breathing.

At some point in the past minute, Skyra realized her powers had fully returned. Sshe felt completely rejuvenated. Not only that, but she felt even stronger than she had before. Forget NUVA —she felt as strong as three toa. And with each passing moment, Skyra felt more comfortable existing in this shared space. She was both pilot and mech; she was simultaneously driver and vehicle. She looked down upon the valley of the Kini Nui and smiled, and the mech seemed to smile with her. Then it spoke. It was a voice without gender or breed, and it spoke both in Skyra's mind and through the mouth of the titanic machine:

"I am Howai, Great Kaita of Willpower, bound in my casket and shroud. My resolve is unwavering, and I will fight until the end of time. My pilot is Skyra Daring NUVA, one blessed in the light of Tren Krom.” 

A battle axe appeared in the ACR's hands. It had not been there a moment ago, but now there it was: as cold and solid and real as any weapon could be. Its shaft was illustrated with etchings of battles fought long ago. The axe's blade was thick and strong, and as sharp as any of Skyra's quips. A bill hook on the opposite side glinted in the light, ready for combat. Skyra could sense where the weapon had originated: the suva kaita down in the center of the Kini-Nui. Howai had called the weapon up to its hand with only a thought, choosing it from a vast cache of other weapons designed for the battle and slaughter of the great rite-born monsters. 

"I now give myself to my pilot," Howai said, its voice echoing across the valley. Skyra could feel the presence of the kaita even as it submitted to her pilot's will. She raised her six eyes and looked out over the mountains, and beyond them, to the encroaching sea. Birds floated gently across the sky. The island was vanishing out from under them. The stakes were high. The opponent was time itself. Some might call it an unwinnable battle against an unbeatable opponent, but Skyra Daring had never backed down from a fight, and she wasn't about to start now.


 

OOC: @Snelly Congratulations! You may now submit Howai's profile for approval. 

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IC Katrin Nuva - Kini Nui - Far Shore:

 

"...Hello?" She offered.

 

There was a grinding of gears as the Matoran's head tilted, as if curious. Then it's eyes narrowed.

 

"Goodbye." It said in a too deep, too loud voice.

 

An inky black tendril erupted from the Matoran, and pierced Kathrine just below the heart light. She gasped in shock and surprise, the tendril was cold, too cold, worse than any mountain top blizzard or elemental ice she'd ever felt. She also found she couldn't move, and worse, the warmth and light of her flame would not heed her call. It was leeched away by the dark intruder in her chest, and even the glimpse of Tren Krom's light could not staunch the flow, the rusty Matoran was taking her power.

 

She could feel the energy sucked away, replaced by a horrific numbness, a void where nothing resided where before, power flowed freely and with vigor. Her colors dulled, her armor losing it's luster, and the vibrant colors of her body muting.

 

And then it was all gone, and the tendril hoisted her up and tossed her aside like a toy discarded by a child. No injury was left on her body, but a terrible fate had befallen Katrin nonetheless. Her elemental power of fire was gone, taken.

 

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IC: Arnex, Tobduk-Koro, The Taku, Boarding Ramp

When it became clear that all who wished to embark on the Taku's next voyage were aboard, Arnex pulled the lever to raise the boarding ramp and re-seal the hull. Berys took this as a sign to take off, and increased the levitation power. The Taku slowly inched upwards as the suspension on the landing gear had less weight to push against, before even the tips of the landing gear left the ground. Berys retracted the legs, and soon the Taku was once again it's smooth pod-like shape as the landing gear sat flush against the lower hull panels.

With that task done, Arnex lead Rose up to the others deeper in the ship as it turned to face the volcano in the distance. The Taku soon began to accelerate and slowly rise to a cruising altitude. 

"Navu, do you remember where the armory key is? We're gonna need it."

OOC: @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Airspace, Aurax's Airship

Knichou felt the weight of Nale's gaze as he entered the ship - reforging her former lover's weapon was not something the engineer did lightly, nor should it be. A month prior, before their love and trust had bloomed to the degree it was at now, the weight of that responsibility would have been too much for Knichou. He was relieved to see in her optics that she understood it was a symbol of each of their growth, individually, and together. Their mistakes made them strong. Their legacies, much like Datrox Karvan's, were still malleable, as Knichou had shown a month prior in the zealot's funeral and just now in the Obsidian Blade's rebirth.

A terror to many, the Ta-Toa's story was not yet over, for those he left behind could apply the lessons he had learned and he taught others in death. Caedast's - no, Stannis's Companions could do the same by preserving the lessons learned in this cycle to create a better future instead of melting it down in the crucible of history. Nale and Knichou both knew from the ghosts of their past that could not grow beyond their pain and mistakes without confronting them. In that way, the Obsidian Blade stood as a reminder that even the most stubborn could change, even the most broken could be repaired, and even our greatest mistakes be tempered to forge our greatest strengths.

Nale and Knichou's love was a testament to that, and the Obsidian Blade was a physical manifestation of the strength of their Unity. Wisdom and cleverness. Old and New. Flawed and flawed. Together, like Datrox's inspirational hilt and Knichou's advanced blade, they were unparalleled.

Knichou took a seat in the passenger compartment beside Nale. He held her hand and squeezed. They were so close to salvation - one last quest, and there would be peace for the first time they could remember in ages...

As Aurax's airship flew towards Mi-Kiri, Knichou looked out of a port side porthole while he sat in the passenger compartment. Were those... Kanohi Dragons attacking the godhead? Perhaps they caused the wildfire earlier?

Knichou was glad he and Nale weren't headed there. Bound to be trouble for Aurax, though.

Wait... were Mata Nui's eyes... alive?

Knichou activated his suit's radio and began to message the Taku during this brief moment of respite.

IC: Berys, Tobduk-Koro, The Taku, Bridge

<< Taku, this is Commander Knichou, how copy, over? >>

Berys almost spit his coffee out as Knichou's voice burst forth from the bridge's radio. The Le-Matoran set down his mug and swiveled his chair to face the dashboard again, picking up the radio transmitter in the process.

"Knichou? This is Taku, I read you five by five - are you and Nale finished with your, ah, expedition...? Over?"

<< Expedition? Yeah, we made it to the deepest part of the ice temple, sorry about not keeping you in the know - Nale and I went off the grid for a bit while we - >>

The intercom on Aurax's ship chirped and Knichou stopped speaking suddenly.

<< Break! >>

There was an uncomfortably long silence on the airwaves. The crew on the Taku's bridge waited in anticipation.

23 hours ago, ~Xemnas~ said:

IC, Saybo: Airship

Saybo took the radio to speak to his passenger. "So it seems like the Aqua Sphere is falling, but Ehlek's Vahki hive is still in the air. Also, there's a giant flying robot outside."

20 hours ago, Tarn said:

IC: Nale Vella - Aurax's Airship (Mi-Kiri Proximity)

Nale looked to her partner and the Exo-Toa with them. "I guess the sphere's coming to us. Giant flying robot...one of the NUVA mechs, you think?"

IC: Knichou, Mi-Kiri Airspace, Aurax's Airship

Knichou turned to Nale, utterly flabbergasted by this revelation. They both kept their cool together.

"Maybe... that's certainly a good theory..." Knichou replied. He cursed under his breath at the dire stakes - as if they weren't already dire enough a minute prior.

The Administrator wasn't kidding. The Fe-Toa prayed that whatever Stannis needed wasn't destroyed along with Mi-Kiri. There was nothing they could do with the Aqua Sphere until it made impact... but perhaps Ehlek stole the information Stannis needed before the floating city's was sent hurtling to its doom.

Knichou performed a familiar gesture to continue radioing over the Taku's frequency.

"Taku, be advised, the Aqua Sphere is rapidly losing altitude. We are in Aurax's airship, on course to intercept Ehlek's fortress to make him pay for whatever the Karz he just did. How copy, over?"

There was silence over the airwaves as a stunned Berys tried to process this information. Knichou didn't skip a beat, however, doing a quick transmission over the frequency of Aurax's airship to contact Saybo on the bridge.

"Saybo, get us closer to that flying robot robot, and get it's attention," Knichou ordered, walking to the nearest emergency exit hatch. He flashed Nale a grin that made her know the next step in his master plan before he spoke it. His armor was already becoming more aerodynamic, forming jets and an airtight seal for the high altitude. "Ready for your next flight lesson, Captain?"

OOC: Everyone on the bridge of the Taku will hear the radio conversation.

Edited by BULiK
added line to help with radio
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IC UltimoScorp - Writing at work when I ought to be working:

Aight fam narrator here we speed running the next bit or we'll never see the end of this before the whole universe ends in….seven days. Dang.

 

K here goes.

IC Katrin Nuva - Far Shore:

Kat lays there between waking and sleeping for a good bit before the Turaga find her, and Nokama offers to bring the Toa of Fire to Ga- Koro for healing. The other Turaga agree, and so a few days later finds our heroine down and dejected. To her, it's like she's lost one of her senses. The warmth of the sun feels distant and disconnected, and she spends several days just laying in it, hoping beyond hope that she'll somehow be able to absorb enough heat to fill the void within her. She sits too close to fires, clings to headstones, anything that could give her what she lost. It's all in vain. Kat breaks down. Being a Toa was everything for her, and while back on Zakaz, she could at least he recognized species wise as a Toa, here she's just Katrin the tall stranger. At least the Ga Matoran bother to learn her name, and they're far more understanding. They aren't all soft however, much like the seas they live in, they can be rough and unyielding. Nokama gives council to the young Toa, saying she should seek out Gali, a powerful Toa creature of the deep. She's warned that such a journey will not be easy, and to be very respectful to Gali, as she is master of the seas and to anger her is to anger the very ocean itself. Kat worries that meeting Toa here will only make her feel worse, but decides she hasn't got anything left to lose, either, so agrees to try meeting Gali. She is given a boat and a map and sets off. When she finds Gali, she's taken aback. Gali is powerful, beautiful, and entirely alien. She looks like nothing Kat has ever seen. She takes interest in Kat, and her tales. She grows angry when Kat relates how she lost her own powers, and Kat fears she's done what the Matoran told her not to do, but Gali is not angry at Kat, but at the strange rusty Matoran who emerged. After a moment, the Toa Creature composes herself, and gives Kat a quest: gather the other Toa. Kat protests at first, fearing failure with the pack of her abilities, but is encouraged by Gali to pursue her Duty as a Toa. Kat agrees, but harbors doubt in her mind.


 

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On 6/22/2021 at 5:16 PM, Harvali said:

Ehlek, he will need to be d-dealt with,” Kanohi swallowed, remembering the tales of Matoran experiments. Between his war crimes against Vahki and Matoran, he could not be left alone. There was no peace while people suffered under him.

On 6/22/2021 at 4:42 PM, Toru Nui said:

"Very well. I will be accompanying you, of course. I have always been able to resist Ehlek’s control. I will be able to access his command network without being commanded."

IC Stannis | Tobduk-Koro 

"That is good," the ancient mage said to NU. "The resistance you have will be important for your kind's survival.

He wondered in that moment what Builder's soul was used to create NU, or any of the other squad mothers. He wondered who's mind inhabited BO-1337-P and whether the one-armed Vahki still lived. 

He hoped Aurax's path would be quick enough.

"And Kanohi..." he said, then hesitated. "I know you have always doubted yourself. From the moment I told you to come onto the Taku that day in Onu-Metru to escape from the Dark Hunters I sensed in your tone and bearing the trauma you've lived through. I came here to tell you the truth—and the truth is that you are worthy and good, and that you matter in this world. Your desire and wish for something... matters, and you don't have to be a hero to celebrate the good you do. As for me... I will answer any question you can ask me and then I must continue to where I am needed, but for now... I know I was needed here, with you."

 

@Harvali

 

17 hours ago, Gecko Greavesy said:

IC: Sidra – Kumu Peninsula

She offered Stannis a sad smile. “I’m sorry, but to put it simply, we need the unknown. If you give us all of the answers then there’s nothing left for us to look for. Nothing left for us to live for.”

IC Stannis | Kumu | Earlier... or later... time is made up

Stannis didn't say anything for a long while; he didn't need to. The Avohkii's light continued to wash over the group and the jungle was alight with realization. Vines and branches swelled with energy and then shirked away in horrified rejection of themselves; the ground seemed to drain the shadow away like puddles of dark water in the soil; Aspect temples quivered in their foundations as they struggled to hold fast in the wake of their deity's tragedies and fallibilities. 

Sidra stood firm, however, because her truth was different and not one tainted by darkness like the rest of the people standing together thence. Stannis understood it intuitively. He had no other option but to understand and Knowledge, like the Avohkii, was a tool that cut both ways. She didn't have to say anything for him to connect with her perspective, it flowed as naturally as sunlight between them. His eyes met hers with implacable stillness that would unsettle her if she didn't comprehend them to be windows to a soul flung open.

"The unknown will always exist because people wish it to exist," he said slowly, carefully, through the pain of his aching jay from the Mask's ill effects on him. "I cannot take that away from you, but I will provide answers when people ask. You have been through... such suffering, Sidra, and it has made you who you are. When the Makoki Stones are put together... when Tren Krom returns... everything that has been made will be unmade, everything that has been destroyed will be made whole again... and everything you learned will be unlearned. There is a beauty in mystery, but... there is no honor in ignorance. Pain... has to mean something, or else it is only psychotic self mutilation. I can make... I can make the answers you find yours by choice... rather than by torment

"I know my follies well, Sidra. I can imagine the horror of a future without mystery exactly... because I have seen what stagnation I can create. The Far Shore made me fight against myself in a world of my own devising, and it is because of what was revealed to me that I, too, know how dangerous my wish can be. I was naïve, but no longer. I present the option of choice, and the possibility of making the choices everyone makes in this life... remembered in the next. But to do that... I must ascend before the Makoki Stones are reunited.

"And they will be reunited. But not yet. You still need yet others, and there is even one nearby." Stannis pointed in a direction and shone a bright beam of light into the jungle's thickets. "That way lies the future... for all of you, in different ways. Even for me."

...

[Whisper. Wait one moment.]

His voice was weak and distant in their mind ear, even in the close proximity they had, thanks to the dulling effects of the Avohkii.

[The taboo spell Viltia Starbright gave you. I ask that you teach it to me.]

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Tuyet | Kini-Nui

She fell short of reaching Axxon and tumbled into the dust as the titan sidestepped. Her groggy mind didn’t want to get up, but she forced herself to her knees, then to her feet just in time for something to smack the side of her mask. It wasn’t the size of a disk, and her eyes immediately went to the ground where the thing landed.

It was a small little pebble. Grey, nothing spectacular. But this wasn’t the first time she’d been thwacked by a rock. In fact, each time a pebble hit her in the past she’d done something: jumped into her past.

Eyes wide with the realization she summoned what little energy she maintained and took the plunge. No destination, no consideration.

Axxon’s halberd hit dirt. He looked up and Tuyet was frozen mid-air. Zataka walked away in her characteristic manner. Everyone was yelling at everyone else. 

Back into the past Tuyet fell until her body slammed against something metal with a harsh thud. She groaned, rolled over to one side to get up and was immediately pinned down by a blue toa wearing a familiar looking mask.

“What are you doing here? Like, spit it out now. This totally shouldn’t happen, you know that. No wait, do you know that? Which one are you?”

“Ow,” Tuyet replied to theTuyet pinning her down. She tapped a hand on the metal floor. It echoed. She was in some sort of ship. Ceiling looked familiar, which was a good sign. “Arm off throat. Please. Now.

Her past self relented, but not before pushing a little harder and whispering “I’ll totally clean your exhaust pipe with molten protodermis if you move like a single smidge from where you are, got it?”

She nodded, or rather the current Tuyet nodded. This was not what she expected. The room made sense now, she realized: it was the airship Exuse and her just flew to Kini-Nui.

“Is he still-”

“Exuse? He just left.”

“Excuse you,” Tuyet replied. This was getting confusing. 

“No, Exuse the leseterin. Handy. Ugh I shouldn’t even be saying anything. I call him handy because of the, like, you know.” Tuyet waggled an arm.

“Right, right right right,” she replied to herself without really thinking. She leaned up with her legs splayed out across the floor, propped her arms behind her back and looked at the ceiling in thought. Past Tuyet stared for a bit, clucked a couple times impatiently, and then said; 

“Past or future?”

“Future. I think.”

“Okay,” said Tuyet to her other self. “So then, like, what do we call you?”

“Like, what  do you mean, I’m Tuyet?” 

Past Tuyet scoffed. “Like Karz you are. You’re getting a nickname. Now come on, what’s different about you. We do this all the time, it’s not that hard you know.”

“What, like it’s easy? You know just as well as me how much we totally overthink this decision,” Tuyet from the future, no, the current Tuyet who was the one actively traveling through time into her past, replied.

“Jacket. You’re Jacket,” Past Tuyet replied with finality while patting Jacket’s shoulder.

“Really. Jacket. That’s what’s different,” Tuyet, who we will be referring to as Tuyet because Jacket sucks as a nickname, deadpanned. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine, then you’re Annoying.”

She looked around and sure enough Past Tuyet, nah we’re sticking with calling her Annoying to avoid empathy and insanity, wasn’t wearing a jacket. It was thrown over the pilot’s chair in the cockpit. 

“I mean, if that’s how you want to think about yourself,” Annoying replied with a shrug. 

“Okay enough already! Time is moving, you’re gonna time travel back here to avoid dying, and we really need to figure this out alright. I’m so tired.”

Annoying pursed her lips; “Time tired or usual tired?”

“Weaken disk. Some rahi-boned knucklehead threw it at me from the sky.”

“Wow, and you didn’t dodge? Tiny little time jump? Lame.”

“Not funny,” Tuyet grumbled in response. She rubbed a hand to her mask in thought. 

“I should probably check on Handy, see if he’s like on the way back or something? I don’t think we have regen disks or anything, but, like, it’s worth a look right?”

“Yeah, no… totally,” Tuyet replied and the two of them began popping open compartments in the airship. Mostly they found spare levitation disks and together they worked to finish changing those out in silence. Both kept their thoughts private, and both were wondering what the other was thinking.

“Hey,” they both said at the same time.

“No go ahead,” said Tuyet.

“After you,” said Annoying. 

“No, you go.”

“No you,” replied Annoying and then kept talking when Tuyet reached for a small hammer. “Yeah no okay well I mean, like, how am I supposed to help with all this? Handy and I need fuel, and then we gotta find that big guy with the mask.”

“Axxon?”

“Yeah, him. He’s so weird.”

“Yeah no, stay put Axxon’s coming here.”

“Seriously? No, really? Oh come on why.”

“Time sucks,” Tuyet replied; “there’s always too much when you don’t need it, and then it’s totally gone when you need some. Tell you what, stay here and, like, hide or something. I’ll go. Do something to get my attention, like throw this.”

Tuyet handed her past self the small pebble she’d pocketed. Annoying’s eyes widened with realization. “Back at the portal in Onu-Metru. Did you-”

“No, no, I didn’t throw that. Did you?”

“Would I be asking you if, like, I did it?”

Tuyet shrugged. “Okay, then, like what are you suggesting?”

“Jacket come on, get with the program. If it’s not you and, like, we know it’s not me, then it’s our future self,” replied Annoying.

“Unless,” Tuyet said as the alternative donned on her.

“Unless it is me,” said Annoying, shaking her head in confusion. She sighed and leaned against the wall of the airship before sinking down to sit on the floor. “Jacket I hate this. I hate how my memories keep changing. I go to sleep, I wake up, and like what I did the day before totally changes. I hate it.”

“I know.”

“No, I really hate this. When does it end?”

Tuyet thought about it. She thought about how she awoke in another version of herself when she died because of the Nui Stone’s curse. She thought of all the different realities she’d seen and ways she’d died. Honestly, they all sucked. Some themes were common between them all, but usually there was some core twist that caught her off guard. This reality felt like the best shot at ending it, so why was it so hard to fix now that she found herself in the right place and, with a little help from some gullible toa, in the right time? Also, come to think of it, why couldn’t she find any of her Newpuparu minions?

“I don’t think it can,” Tuyet replied to herself honestly. “But we can start with fixing our mistakes.”

“I guess you’re right, Jacket. It’s not like we have a choice anyway,” replied Annoying.

“There’s the spirit,” said Tuyet and slapped her past self’s shoulder. Wow she felt weak, but luckily she felt her strength returning bit by bit. Maybe by the time the fighting broke out she’d be almost better. Maybe. Tuyet didn’t hedge her bets on it. Luck seemed a fickle friend to the toa of time.

“Go then. I’ll hide and you’ll totally rock it. Get it?”

“Wow you really are Annoying,” Tuyet said and walked out of the airship. Secretly, she was glad to see herself. She was glad she’d been honest.

She looked out across the grassy field towards the silver lake and the temple. She knew what came next. With a sigh she took in a deep breath and called out for Handy.

Several minutes later Tuyet took a few steps forward and slowed her gate a little. She needed Handy to rush forward. Luckily, Axxon’s words worked just as she remembered and the lesterin who saved her life took the bait. Axxon engaged him instead of her, and she brought herself closer towards Buddy while making her way in Axxon’s direction. A pebble smacked the side of her head, she jumped forward in timeThe disk from the sky flew towards her, Buddy swatted it away, and Tuyet jumped towards the titan with confidence. She’d done it! She’d -- gotten herself stuck in a stasis field and had her cheek slapped by a very rude traitor. 

Buddy pushed her towards Axxon. That was awkward, but in a weird way she appreciated it. A few minutes of uncomfortably floating in the air as more of a discussion topic than a living being later Zataka left the open grasslands where they all fought in the middle of the night and ascended the hillside to meet with Tentacle Girl. Tuyet felt the power of stasis lose its grip and her body fell towards Axxon with all the precision of a rock kicked off the side of a cliff by a blindfolded Lhikan who’d been spun in circles by Nidhiki until he puked

Weird metaphor. Great memory. 

Annoying stepped into the past -- or was it the future? Who knew where she walked anymore. She only knew that rocks needed to get thrown.

OOC: Everyone in the Kini-Nui fight with Axxon, play on. Thanks for your patience. With Zataka leaving the fight and shifting her attention towards the reforging of the Olmak her stasis field would drop.

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IC: Sidra – Kumu Peninsula

Sidra too had known the trials of the Far Shore. She didn’t doubt that such an experience could have offered Stannis insight, what she doubted was the reality his dream would resolve into.

“If you truly represent choice, then let us choose,” she said. “Let me take the two Stones we have back to Kini Nui now. I’ll wait there, with Wairuha…” she gestured to her mech, “…and make certain that the last Stone isn’t put in place until you and everyone else with plans for whatever comes next have gathered and had a chance to have their say.”

The thought of the future that lay ahead terrified Sidra. Being reset, reduced back to what she’d been before, it was a loss so profound and all-encompassing that it threatened to crush her where she stood. But if the last thing she could do as the being she was now was have a say in what she could become next time, then that was something worth fighting for.

“I got in the way of saving the world once, because I stupidly thought I somehow knew what was best for everyone. I’m not going to stand idly by and accept the word of someone else trying to assert the same,” she said. “This time, let us – all of us – choose what shape our futures will take…” she gestured at the Mask he wore, “…without being blinded by the light of your ambition.”

It was a simple test, of trust and intent.

The Stones had to be brought back to Kini Nui and reunited, it didn’t matter how or who by. Sidra gained nothing from the exchange save for fulfilling her promise to Nuju and Knichou. But in handing over their Stones, Stannis and Korruhn would be sacrificing the leverage with which they could hold everyone else's futures to ransom. What did they have to lose, especially if they already had a line on securing yet another Stone?

If they were willing, then perhaps their intentions were true.

If not… then maybe the lobotomy option was back on the table.

@EmperorWhenua

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IC: Spiriah | Kumu Peninsula

“Ah, you see now, Parnassus. You see,” said the shadow of Spiriah as the younger aspect attempted to beguile his so-called friend. To Ostrox he said; “where the earth meets the water, and your feet can walk no more to the South is where you shall find Desecration Rock. You literally cannot miss it. You’d have to be blind.”

Spiriah laughed at his own joke. 

“I will see you then. For now, I must descend upon the fortress of a sibling I have for too long allowed to sit idly by.

Spiriah vanished.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua, @Void Emissary, @Toru Nui, @Keeper of Kraata, @TL01 NUVA

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IC Stannis | Kumu

"I represent all the choices and ambitions," Stannis simply said. It was true.

"Knichou chose to believe in me." It was also true. He futzed with his satchel's clasp. He was entertaining Sidra's offer—there was no duplicity between them, he already knew what she was meaning and intending.

"Do you?"

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Sidra - Kumu Peninsula

"Knichou trusts me. Not exactly a point in favour of his judgement," she retorted, before giving the question more serious consideration, "But I think it's safe to assume he's known you longer, and that his worldview and yours are more aligned. He has reason to trust you, to want to trust you. I don't."

Toa... Aspect... Spirit... whatever the being before her had once been or wanted to be, he was still just a person.

When people were given power, it changed them... and this person wanted power. 

"I understand what you want, and I believe that you mean well... what I don't trust is what you might become," she finally said. "I've met Mata Nui, and considering how much you guys seemed to love him, I doubt he started off this cycle as a megalomaniacal meat monster that wants to eat everyone."  

@EmperorWhenua

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On 6/22/2021 at 10:15 AM, Void Emissary said:

Parnassus took the floating fragments in their hand -- it felt like little more than an ordinary stone, but if their father had kept it for all this time, it must have held some hidden power. They raised their head to thank their father for this gift, but Spiriah had already turned his attention to their compatriots. 

IC Stannis | Kumu

Control

Give one, take one. Parnassus had taken the Makoki of Spiriah and the Aspect of Control remained true to his title. 

Ah, no, Mata-Nui was always as he is, an embodiment of Deathwishes and afterlife everywhere,” he said, “but Dume fell to his thrall and with him the rest of the Builders. He fooled them with darkness. I do not.

Stannis offered his Makoki fragment to Sidra. “Take it.” There was no point to violence when it was meaningless and wasteful. It would not do anything or teach any lessons, and it was not even clear who would prevail in a contest of wits or strength between them. 

When the time is right, we will meet again.” It was, of course, true and sincere. 

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Sidra - Kumu Peninsula

"Thank you," she said, taking the Stone in hand. It was strange to think that such a strange, simple thing could somehow be responsible for salvation for so many. "I'll see you at the finish line." 

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BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

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On 6/22/2021 at 1:04 PM, Void Emissary said:

"I will kill Korruhn, with or without you."

And Parnassus winked.

"But I'd much rather do this with you."

IC Leklo | Kumu Caldera

The former alpinist said nothing; he seethed at Parnassus even after Spiriah left their midst. 

"If you so much as lay a finger on my best friend's body, heart, or soul, I will personally immolate this holy ground and green seepage myself." The focus on his eyes mirrored the Aspect's own as he echoed his words as well. "But I was hoping to do it with you.

 

IC Stannis | Kumu

"And, I hope, beyond it..." he murmured.

He stowed the Avohkii in its container with the utmost respect and care his his sinewy and shaking hands could muster, thinking perhaps its presence had silenced Whisper where it only muffled his own mind. 

[Korruhn.]

[Leklo lingers nearby. Follow the light I showed you and you will find him.]

@Crimson Jester @Eyru @Gecko Greavesy

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Skyra NUVA - Piloting Howai - Kini-Nui -

Skyra flexed the muscles of Howai as she continued to get used to the sensation. It really did feel as if it was her own body. As she surveyed the island and how quickly it was vanishing she contemplated how she was going to beat time itself. If she was honest she knew this sort of thing was better left to people like Stannis and Knichou, they were the smart ones that could come up with a decent plan.

They weren't around though, so she was going to have to come up with something on her own. She happened to glance down at Kini-Nui's surroundings and spotted a curious thing. There was this weird portal thing with a broke ### machine that was projecting it, along with a matoran? Something was odd about him though...

Using Howai's body she approached Nuju and then knelt down so that Howai's head could get closer to him. She wondered how a little guy like him would react to a giant head coming so close, it would probably be funny. 

"Yo, who the #### are you? What's with the weird portal and broke ### machine?" She pointed with Howai's massive axe at the farshore portal.

@Unreliable Narrator @Eyru @Vezok's Friend

 

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Skyra | Hakari | Oceanna | Taleen | Arisaka | Zanakra | Kaminari | Drakkar

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IC: Korruhn, Kumu Peninsula

The tide of understanding cascaded across Korruhn like a wave, the waters filling every gap in his mind as they frothed to and fro. He could see now. His path was clear.

"You know what? **** you to Karz, Sidra. Take your stone. Save the world; see if that redeems you." Korruhn withdrew the stone fragment from his pocket, and threw it at Sidra's feet. "Now leave me to my task and go quarrel with someone else."

OOC: @Eyru @Gecko Greavesy

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Edited by Crimson Jester
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"This spot marks our grave; but you may rest here too, if you like."

 

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IC: Triage - The Taku (Bridge)

The medic's attention was pulled away from his passengers to the radio. He looked to Berys with concern, his normally shaky hands trembling just a bit more as they held his coffee. He wasn't sure how to respond to Knichou, instead turning to Vashni.

"...that can't be good. Looks like they're beating you to Ehlek, though."

@BULiK

IC: Nale Vella - Aurax's Airship (Mi-Kiri Proximity)

Nale nodded in response, her own armor preparing itself for flight. Her Kraata twitched in anticipation of falling into open sky. The Fa-Toa did not even wait for Knichou--she almost immediately leapt out of the emergency exit hatch and her thrusters kicked in. She brought herself to a hover, facing the airship, expecting her partner to come next.

IC: Jutori - Patiwairutiki Cockpit

Jutori looked over his shoulder in the cockpit, hearing the ship's horn and Saybo. It was difficult to make out what was being said over the loudspeaker as the mech rose further towards the hive, but it sounded like he said something about Knichou. "Can't they use a radio? Whatever, I guess we can call them back after we do this..."

@~Xemnas~@pokemonlover360

Edited by Tarn
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[BZPRPG]
(shout out to max)

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IC: Voracious - Zivon

Location - Irnakk’s Tooth

 

Something across the veil kept catching his attention. There was a lot of movement far below in a valley with a lake. He wasn’t one to look for mischief. Or at least he thought he wasn’t. But still, he decided to carefully make his way down the mountain to investigate closer. As long as he stayed in the Realm of Nightmares he would be safe and he could see what was going on.

-----------------------------

--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

-----------------------------

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IC, Saybo: Airship

"It doesn't seem to- oh, well, she's gone," Saybo said as Nale took off. He continued directing the airship toward the Vahki hive.

OOC: @BULiK @Tarn @pokemonlover360

IC, Aurax: Archives

In a flurry of bubbles, Aurax's ACR reached out and halted itself on sublevel seven. Clambering through the empty elevator door, Aurax looked around, but his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of OTIS:

"Sir. I am detecting an active emergency beacon on this level. The probability that this beacon corresponds to the AI referred to as "Hiripaki" is 80 percent. Do you wish to find the source?"

"Yeah," Aurax said. "Why not." The HUD of his domed helmet lit up with a directional map. The king slowly began to follow it. At one point he turned a corner and came face to face with a drowned Kane-Ra. It had startled him, and he almost blew it up with a Cordak round. But he continued on after realizing it was deceased.

Eventually he came to a large, sealed vault door. "This must be the place," Aurax said to himself. Shifting around uncomfortably in his mech, the Toa wiggled an arm free and removed his Miru, replacing it with Pridak's Matatu. Settling back in, he activated the mask, intending on telekinetically pulling the vault doors open.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

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IC: [Nixie, Vhisola & Co. - The Taku]

Vhisola and Akamu only half paid attention to the transmission coming over the radio. Something about falling spheres and flying robots. That did not mean much to the Matoran who’d hunkered down in Metru-Koro previously and then spent the last who knew how many days trapped as Protocairns. They had no frame of reference. Sounded business as usual enough. Besides, Vhisola was too busy examining the fabled coffee maker. She poked at its control interface, noting there were multiple versions of the same basic drink available. There was also something that looked like an arrow symbol pointing to the right on the screen. She pressed it and another page of drink options appeared. She exchanged a look with Akamu who was standing right beside her, brows knotted in trying to figure out why the scholar was so into this little contraption. But his thoughts were interrupted when Vhisola suddenly gasped. 

“This says Chociatto!” she explained excitedly, indicating one of the icons on the control display. Then she started to look puzzled and began to look around. “Where’s the mugs?”

OOC: @BULiK
 
IC: Great Spirit Head


The fire washed over the titanic cranium, cleansing it in fire. Millennia of accumulated stardust and the grime and dirt that had settled atop the head from its impact were burned away, leaving only shiny metal that gleamed in the orange light.


The bits of the abandoned and partially rebuilt and reinforced Metru that stuck out of the lower of the two eye sockets instantly were consumed in a firestorm. Glass shattered from the sudden difference in either temperature and pressure as the Kanohi dragon’s fury consumed them. Buildings began to groan in protest. The former subdivisions of Metru Nui would be the first things to melt to slag in this onslaught.


Where the flames touched the liquid the head had halfway sunken into, it hissed and boiled, before beginning to evaporate into smoke.
And still the glow in the dark eyes followed the dragon’s every turn as they attacked, staring at them, wide and unblinking. 


The jaw of the skull moved as it once again spoke:


More! 

 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua@Tarn

 


IC [Zataka - Kini-Nui]


If anything, Toa Viltia had pegged the titan right as far as her protectiveness towards the Olmak was concerned. The moment the Nuva mentioned something was wrong, Zataka recalled the shadow table while at the same time using the dark element to return the mask’s pieces back to the satchel they’d come from.


At the mention of the volcano, her encounter with Irrnak flashed through her mind, as well as the sight of the rising Kanohi dragons and the images Scarrow had relayed of the other Zivon’s fight with the Kaita. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal one of their best backup options to the tooth’s primary occupant.


“Being careful and going to Irrnak’s tooth are diametrically opposed concepts, young one. The volcano is extremely dangerous right now. It is hotly contested. One of the nearby Ziggurat temples has already been laid waste to.” she explained. 


Her voice sounded dark, influenced by the grim impressions the time in the tooth had made on her. Yet her inflection also carried a note of humor, as if to show even the dark memories that they held no power over the titan. Irrnak might have laid claim to everything she might own - if she survived that is - but he did not own her soul. That had not been part of their deal.

“Even if we teleport in and bypass the fighting outside, the heart of the volcano is not much safer…are you sure the Suva is totally out of commission? Is it damaged? Can it be fixed? Maybe turn it off and back on again?” 

 

OOC: @Kal the Guardian
 

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6 minutes ago, ~Xemnas~ said:

Eventually he came to a large, sealed vault door. "This must be the place," Aurax said to himself. Shifting around uncomfortably in his mech, the Toa wiggled an arm free and removed his Miru, replacing it with Pridak's Matatu. Settling back in, he activated the mask, intending on telekinetically pulling the vault doors open.

IC Hiripaki | Sublevel 7, Metru Nui

"Oh good, hello! :hi-sign:" Hiripaki's voice resounded in the watery depths. It came from waterproof speaker systems that made her voice echo in magnified volume in the water. Lights still illuminated the vault's door, though everything around it looked incredibly dead, however it was apparent that the door had been opened not too long before. Aurax was not sure what to expect; anything could be waiting inside. He probably cursed himself and wondered why Stannis or whatever needed the King of Metru Nui to do a fetch mission, but nevertheless, there he was like some schmuck

"Are you here to make me not-moist? Sorry I can't let you in until you give me the passcode."

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IC, Aurax: Archives

The Toa paused his mask-usage. "Hiripaki, I presume? Yeah, Stannis sent me to rescue you. The name's Aurax. And don't worry about a passcode..." his voice trailed off as his ACR lifted its right hand. The tip of its index finger shifted, spun, and opened to reveal a data port. The Marauder reached down and stuck the finger-data port into the nearby receiver. 

"OTIS, brute-force the passcode, please," Aurax said. "Hiripaki, meet OTIS. He's gonna take real good care of you..."

The ACR's HUD changed, revealing eight lines. "Preliminary searching indicates the passcode is eight characters. Please stand by while I determine them."

Aurax smiled thinly. He loved when his creations did what they were supposed to.

OTIS's voice spoke up once more. "Nine," it said. The number 4 appeared on the HUD.

"Three."

"Five."

"Two."

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

Edited by ~Xemnas~
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IC Hiripaki | Sublevel Seven, Metru Nui

The AI grew excited at the mention of her ward, and for the briefest of moments did not notice what was imminently happening. "Toa Stannis of the Maru sent you! :br: Oh that's wonderful to hear! Hello OTIS! Wait, what are you doing? What are you— OOOOOOooooooohhhhhhhh..."

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC, Aurax: Archives

Aurax smiled thinly as OTIS continued its digital probing.

"Six."

"Six."

"Three."

"...One. Password determined: 93526631."

The numbers on the HUD light up green as OTIS finished its handiwork. The password was cracked; Aurax could gain entry.

OOC: @EmperorWhenua

Edited by ~Xemnas~
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IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro

Kanohi paused, drumming his Kiril Staff, thinking. Stannis spoke kindly, with wisdom. It was naive of him, but the Councilor chose to trust him. But he … he also knew that this might be the last conversation. Stannis was going to war, the island might be vanishing, this was the last chance perhaps to talk to this complicated Toa. This man who was trickster and friend, hero and monster, warrior and shaman. Aspect and Toa.

Or was it.

Finally he said. “You have spoken of cycles before, of the world ending and renewing, of endless eras. Do you believe that might be what I sometimes see in my visions, they might be the cycles of the past? Or the future? And do you … do you think, in an early cycle, versions of us, Knichou, and Nale may have crossed paths? And … well, the island may be fading. If this cycle ends, do you think some version of you find me again—”

And then there was the roar of rock giving way. Kanohi stumbled backwards as before him the ruins that overlooked the village shattering, chunks of debris tumbling down. The Councilor felt her heartlight sputter as he caught himself on his staff.

He … he couldn’t process this, the ruin collapsing, the portal likely severed. Avka’s warning was too late. It was too sudden to dwell on. All he could focus on, was that the refugees camps lay beneath the ruins. The villagers and refugees might need him. He would grapple away to help, but first, he would wait to hear Stannis’s words. 

OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui

IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro

As she walked away, she heard the sound of rock ripping apart explosively. The Turaga of Stone spun around, nearly losing her balance as the Ruins tumbled and shattering, shards of debris hurtling as a meteor to Zakaz.

She was too late.

Kardaka hobbled back towards the ruin and the refugee camp at its bank, even as the refugees screamed and staggered back. Avka was just staring up in horror at the falling debris as it tumbled and bounced, smashing tents. Matoran were crushed by the shards of rock, they … they were so small. So insignificant. They … they didn’t matter—

Before a chunk of rubble struck them, Kardaka swung out her Badge of Office, knocking them to the side. “I apologize, I should have hurried sooner,” the Turaga said, “help me help the refugees, I can try to slow the tremors.

Avka picked themselves up, they could feel the ground shaking, the mining the village had done, alongside the exploding ruins, it was causing tremors. The mine, if it collapsed, the village could be even more damaged. I-it was Po-Koro all over again. They … they were helpless.

But if the Turaga believed in them, saved them, th-they had to try.

I … I will try.” The Av-Matoran nodded and their hands ignited with flaming light. As the light illuminated their optics fired out twin beams of light, searing the cracking rock back into place. Their vision welded the terrain together, even as they threw fiery light bolts to knock aside crumbling debris.

Kardaka meanwhile planted her Badge of Office in front of her and closed her eyes. She reached out to the landscape, trying to stabilize the stones and rocks while her mask glowed with light. She attempted to regenerate some of the damage, mend the land.

As she struggled the Turaga spoke up, “Avka, your mask … it’s desecrated. Who do you serve?

I … I don’t serve, I just … it’s Whisper. She wants to be mortal.

An … Aspect who wants to be part of the living world.” Kardaka closed her eyes. An Aspect who wants to be part of the whole of reality, to be tied to the living. That, that might be an Aspect she could trust to desecrate her mask. Because right now, it was clear she was too weak to do much good.”

OOC: if anyone not involved with the climaxes want to do a little thing, Tobduk-Koro is a bit destabilized from the destruction of the Stone Ruins. 

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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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Kanohi: Stories of a Matoran Vigilante The Impact of a Rebirth: a Kanohi Fanfic The Willing Exiles: a Kanohi Fanfic SKA PC Profiles: Kanohi, Collector, Mahrika Kardaka BZPRPG Profiles Avatar by @Harvali 

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IC: Tekmo, Waveahk and Ostrox (Kumu Peninsula, Antidermis Caldera) - For Hate's Sake I Spit at Thee

KILL KORRUHN.

"But you can’t do that, that would be-" It was unclear what, exactly, Tekmo was objected to, as he was suddenly interrupted by-

"OOOOH, there it is! There’s what we’ve been missing! The RAGE, the FURY, the HATRED of the 'noble, enlightened race' that has ENSLAVED and BUTCHERRRRRED MILLLLLLIONS!"

KILL KORRUHN.

Ostrox put his mask on, and almost immediately switched from screaming his head off to cold mockery. "You’ll forgive me if I don’t care for the 'bonds of friendship' right now. If we were talking about killing a Zyglak, or a Skakdi, or a Frostelus, you would not hesitate."

KILL KORRUHN.

@EmperorWhenua@Void Emissary@TL01 NUVA@Keeper of Kraata

 

IC: Ulkarr, Enra and Gnabol (Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, The Bridge) - Next Sunday AD

"I do not have taste buds." Ulkarr said plainly. "I also cannot consume beverages."

With Triage’s explanation, Gnabol was able to produce his own cup of black brew. He stuck his beak into the mug and began slurping it down. While the eyebags around his eyes didn’t evaporate - they never truly went away - he did start to feel better.

Shrugging her shoulders, Enra decided to make her own as Triage suggested, copying what Gnabol did.

@Vezok's Friend@Tarn@Snelly@BULiK

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16 minutes ago, ~Xemnas~ said:

The numbers on the HUD light up green as OTIS finished its handiwork. The password was cracked; Aurax could gain entry.

IC Hiripaki | Sublevel Seven, Metru Nui

It was an easy code to crack. Stannis the Builder had never changed the password from the default. The beauty, he said once, was in its defiance of expectation; people would expect that the greatest computer programmer of distant civilization would have been a master cryptographer and used the highest quality passcodes that referenced obscure associations and furtive things, and that such an esteemed engineer would not choose to, as they say, do nothing. Unfortunately, however, while Hiripaki's security systems were built to prevent biomechanical beings from entering the sanctum, it did not predict that other synthetics would surpass Hiripaki's security abilities in time, and so OTIS had sliced through with ease. 

"You are... Welcome Ones... hnnng..."

The door swung open and the water flooded into the airlock. Bubbles escaped in a mass, obscuring vision for a few seconds until they cleared, and then the strangest thing was visible in the decompression chamber: A Bordahk unit with just one arm left listlessly reposed at a corner of the small chamber, somehow set carefully in wait for some external force that had yet to take effect on it.

Once the king and his ACR entered the airlock the door closed behind them and the water was flushed out quickly. "So! I am Hiripaki, D4QP, Matoran-Intelligence liaison and Keeper of the Vault of Histories. You said Toa Stannis of the Maru sent you for me?"

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