EDITORS NOTES:

Its been a long time since forum member “Solek, Toa Of Shadows” requested one of his stories to be featured on the front page news, today I can finally honor his request.

I’d like to add an apology to Solek for taking so long to get his story posted, a combination of reasons kept it from getting here sooner. For one I haven’t had the time to read it, and even now, all I did was skim over the chapters converting the italics and bold code over, while deleting the incompatible color formatting and correcting what typos I could find (I don’t think I got them all, and the spellcheckers I’ve been using mess with the code I just fixed >_
On top of that the good sized story was intimidating, after a similar conversion of another fan-made story “Reave”, I wasn’t eager to sit down and do the same for this one.

Getting down to business, I have added in “parts” (In example, PART THREE ) to show the original beginning and end of posts made by Solek, and to devide up the story so readers can find where they left off a little better. This story also has been reformatted for our news page, and in the process has lost some of the presentation in the process, so those with good enough eyes to read large amounts of text on a computer screen for long periods may want to read the story as it was originaly presented to us here on the New Toa New Destiny topic . I would also like to caution readers who are opposed to violent stories that they may want to avoid this one.

Solek
Deceased Mata Nui Robot

Solek wanders through the aimless skies of Karda-nui, searching for a sign of life, ruins, or the codrex. “Brr, its cold, I must have lost my mind thinking of coming here, no warmth, no light, no life support, and it’s the equivalent of flying through a corpse, or worse.” A sudden flash of light distracted him from this thought, and he, being as curious as he is, went to investigate. He stumbled upon a cave, but as he entered, he remembered Toa Kopaka, or was it some other Toa, saying to him, “Proceed with caution, for nowhere is safe.” No amount of caution could have protected him from the horror that was to come. “Augh!!” A shadow leach, on that somehow survived the storm that brewed when the Toa Nuva awakened Mata-nui, and in the process letting Makuta taking over the robotic titan, latched onto his back. Solek could feel the light being drained out of him, and the agony that came. Fortunately, lightning struck, and welcome unconsciousness drifted to him.

He awoke, feeling strange, when he got up, the ceiling was closer to him than usual, and the cave wasn’T as dark as it should be, “Odd”, he said. He studied his body. Noting how his limbs are longer than usual, he clenched his slightly larger hand into a fist, flexing his muscle, when he noticed the shadows flicker. Perplexed he went to investigate, and he didn’t find anything, when the horrible reality struck, Nooooooooo!”

Radiak, Gavla, and Vican
skies of Bara-Magna

Flying through buffeting winds, the three are having a rough time reaching the sands of Bara-Magna, Why did we even agree to this?” he said, “This is one of those times that I wish I had my old body.” Gavla and Radiak were originally Av-Matoran from karda-nui, they had packs instead of wings, until they were turned into shadow matoran, but eventually they were turned back into matoran of light, though their bodies retained the shape of shadow matoran. “You should be grateful that you can fly at all, besides this is fun!” snapped Vican. “You think everything is fun.” Grumbled Radiak. Stop bickering and concentrate, talking’s not going to get us out of this mess.” Snapped Gavla, “As friendly and warm as ever”, said Radiak, “Yeah that’s her, friendly and warm”, replied Vican. “Be quiet you two!”snapped Gavla. A fork of lightning struck the trio, sending them spiraling into unconsciousness.

Valeia
matoran of plantlife village/Bota-Magna

Freak of nature indeed, thought Valeia, who left the village because of jeers and insults from her fellow matoran, coments on the fact that she was female and not the usual male, only the Turaga sympathized with her saying, “the strange ones somehow always turns out to be the hero.”
she walks through Bota-Magna in search for adventure to show up her peers and to earn their respect. She stops to take a drink and rest, sitting under a tree. It starts to rain, making it hard to traverse, “I should have packed a portable shelter,” she said to herself. At that moment lightning struck the tree that she stood close to and knocked her into nauseating darkness.

Ihn
Ce-matoran village

“Listen Ihn,” started the Turaga, “You have great potential, don’t waste that, make the best of what you can and don’t get yourself into trouble.” Ihn was leaving for one of the agori villages for better tutillage, and to gain knowledge. “I swear on Mata-nui’s grave that I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble,” said Ihn.

“It’s so quiet out here,” said Ihn, “I wonder how everyone at home is doing?” Ihn has traveled through the border of iconox and the ce-matoran village, and the cold weather made it hard to walk, forcing her to take shelter in a cave. A storm was starting, and thunder crackled in the sky. Lightning flashed and the world lost its light.

Icarax
Deceased Mata Nui Robot

Those fools thought that I would have never come together again, they thought I had died, but no, I remained concious, I saw everything, and thanks to them, I lived, and became more powerful than I was ever before. Icarax’s disrupted particles had come together as a whole once more, but the body was different, for he had gathered passing energy and power, then took them in through his particles. He now plots to bring evil once more into the land, and he needs followers. He extracts three kraata, and puts them into three prototype Rahkshi armor. then he tosses them one by one into the energized protodermis vat in the chamber he stood in. “Energized protodermis kills or transforms,” he said, “But if multiple substances are thrown in, they merge, into a more powerful object. the Rahkshis of past had a major weakness, and that was that their armor was easily destroyed when the weak points were found. bur my Rahkshi, they are not so weak for now they are biomechanicle beings as well, and they wear the armor like Toa.” He laughs and encloses the chamber in darkness.

Ancient Artaka

After scaling karda nui until he found a portal to the Makuta fortress and using one of the portals to leave the island, Solek searches through tablets and legends hoping to reverse the, at least what he believes is, curse. he stumbles upon a tablet that had a legend that said:

Six shall be heros,
Six shall counter good,
Six will thwart this threat,
One will be cursed with shadows,
That one shall be the only one to counter the Makuta,
He shall counter the shadows with shadows,
Toa elite,Toa Nui
They rival the Nuva
Their powers and masks make them deadly,
The curse will not go, but the curse will not show,
Six shall be one,
One shall be six,
Stealth in shadows,
Transportation in jungles,
Sheilded minds,
Unknown fires,
Unseen waters,
Distracting winds,
Fire shall lead,
Shadows shall aid,
Waters shall mellow and stirr,
Minds shall give knowledge,
Winds will blow, unable to be redirected,
Jungles shall help travlers, and make the evil lose pace,
Today is bleak,
And Tomorrow will bring light

“In other words I’m stuck like this,” he said, “At least I haven’t turned evil, wonder why. But the tablet mentioned six others, wonder who they are? Guess I’d better go search for them, and find out what this ‘threat’ is.” Solek notices a box right next to were he found the tablet. He opened it and found various weapons, on top of them, he found a parchment that he would have not recognized before coming to bara-magna, it said:

These weapons are made of solidified elemental energy that can be absorbed and rematerialized, the weapons include a shadow greatsword with a flight board function, a shadow staff, twin plantlife blades, a plantlife greatsword, a plantlife staff, a great lavablade, a fire sheildblade, twin air forkblades with gliding function, a air crossbow, a sword of psionics, a blade of psionics, a aquablade, and a aquascythe.

He picked up a large sword, tested absorbing it and rematerializing it, then searched for the shadow staff, when he found it he packed the other items back inside the box, absorbed tha staff, and flew off on his sword.

Bara-Magna

Radiak was the first to wake up, his head was ringing and his eyesight was blured. When he could hake out what he could see, he realized that he was not lying in the sand as he thought he would, but in an agori caravan. he looked around and saw two other figures on the floor that he did not recognize. one of the other two bagan to stir. the female said, “Who are you? And where am I?” “Who am I? I was about to ask you the same question,” he answered, “As to where we are, I was hoping that you could answer that. I’m Radiak.” “Radiak? No, Radiak is a matoran,” said the figure.” “What are you talking about? I am a matoran!” said Radiak. “Take a look at yourself.” Radiak looked down and was shoked to see that it was not the body of a matoran with wings, but a toa. “By the great beings… I’ve got to find Gavla and Vican.” “What are you talking about?! I am Gavla!” “Wait a minuit, If your a Toa and I’m a Toa, then Vican must be one to,” Radiak said. Gavla took this in then she said”Then that means that the Toa on the floor is…” the figure on the floor chose this moment to wake up, “Hi, whos party am I crashing?”

forest of Bota- Magna

Valeia woke up and rose up… and hit her head on a branch. “What in… this tree wasn’t this short before I was unconscious…” she looked down and was shoked to see that her form was different than she thought she would see. “I know that I was looking for adventure, but I didn’t mean for it to be permenent!” she began to walk toward a clearing, shocked to see that the forest has been untouched by the storm. She tried testing her powers and resulted with nothing. Frustrated she made another attempt, and ended up in a desert in the middle of nowhere.

Iconox Ice Fields/cave

Ihn woke up, feeling warmer than usual. Odd she thought. She looked around and saw two other figures around a fire, both of them looked like they had better days. “Who are you two?” she asked. “look, who’s finally awake. I’m Tahu, and this is Takanuva. We were traveling to find a medic because, well, you can see why.” So this was Tahu and the legendary Toa of Light. “What happened?!!” she exclaimed. “Tahu and I were in Iconox when a strange beast attacked. I was knocked out before I could do anything, and Tahu here tried using the Rahkshi powers the golden armor gave him. Apparantly the beast is imune to Rahkshi abilities. Tahu was forced to rely on his fire powers, and since being weaker than before, well, you saw the results. Anyway, Ackar arrived at the village just in time to help him, and we were headed to the nearest village with medical supplies, because the beast completely destroyed Iconox’s medical suplies.” Said Takanuva. “That cursed mask. If it didn’t house Mata Nui’s spirit, and if destroying it didn’t end the world, I would shatter the thing to pieces.” ranted Tahu. “Actually I might have a solution to your problem, you see at my village, we have been experimenting with energized protodermis, and we have come to the conclusion that your genetic structure has to have something in it to have the energized protodermis transform you.” said Ihn. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. but first we need to find medical sipplies, then restore my power.” said Tahu. “Um, my village is nearby, and the place has an energized protodermis pool, so you can do both at the same time!” said Ihn. “Thanks sister! point us in the right direction and we’ll go there.” Ihn gave the two Toa directions, and when they left, she wondered Sister? Why did he call me sister? She walked until she reached a glacier, luckily without frozen water. She bent down to take a drink of water and saw something that shocked her, she was no longer a matoran.

Bara-Magna

Solek wandered through the sands, searching for his fellow Toa. “Where could they be? There shouldn’t be anything less than, oh, several thousand Toa to search through to see if any of them have just become one!” he said. He kept on searching until he saw a caravan. Might as well start there he thought. He went down to talk to the driver, and he asked if he saw any Toa nearby. “Actually, I found three unconcious and picked them up, and boy were they heavy.” said the driver. “Is it all right if I looked inside?” asked Solek. “Go ahead, I’ve got nothing to hide. Besides, its been nothing but nearly burnt down caravans to flooded rooms to rocking nearly exploding winds.” Solek went into the caravan, then absorbed his sword so that there would be more space. He saw three Toa talking to each other, and they looked like they were confused. “…Well since I have the elemental power of Air, I can try to fly by and ask the driver some questions.” “For the last time Vican, we don’t know how to use our powers, and even if we do, you can’t fly unless you have the right tools or weapons to do so. And from the time we became Toa, we didn’t have any Toa tools.” “Sorry to interupt, but I overheard your conversation and I’d like to know your elemental abilities because I might have a solution to this problem of yours.” said Solek. “Well I’m fire, she’s Water, and as you might have heard, He’s air. But who are you?”said the red figure. “I’m Solek, and like you, I was recently turned into a Toa, my element is Shadow, uh, due to a shadow leach/lightning incident that I don’t want to talk about.” “Solek? I haven’t seen you since the Karda-Nui incident! And you said something about a shadow leach, didn’t they perish in the energy storm? And even if one survived, how do I know you aren’t corupted?” “Actually I’m kind of asking the same question, and who are you? I know Vican would be suprised by my apearance, since I know him, but who are you two?” asked Solek. “I’m Radiak, and she’s Gavla.” “What in… the last thing I would expect is to be in a team with other Av-matoran, and friends I know!!” exclaimed Solek. “Wait, what was that about teams?” asked Gavla. Solek explained what he read on the tablet at Ancient Artaka, and what he knew. “From what I can make out”, said Solek, “the Toa that it’s mentioning has the elemental abilities of Fire, Water, Psionics, Plant life, Air, and Shadow. And since there has never been a Toa of shadow that was created naturaly, I fit the description, and since new Toa is a rare occurance, and you three have the elemental abilities that match the description, you three must be the other Toa I’m looking for. If this is the case, there are weapons in the box I’m holding, they can only be absorbed by the wielders destined to hold them, try absorbing them, and Gavla? Take the scyth, because its atuned to water, though scince there are a lot of blades, your going to have to work hard.” the three each searched until they found the weapons they were supposed to weild, indicating that they are indeed, Soleks fellow teamates. “All right, the driver is most likely headed toward a village, when he stops, we ask around and see if there are others like us. If we’re lucky, we*” the caravan suddenly screached to a halt, sending the four now companions flying into each other and into a wall.

Bara-Magna desert

Of all the masks to end up with and accidentally use I have to have an Olmak! screamed Valeia in her mind. She tried testing her elemental powers, and the sheer concentration accidentally triggered her mask powers, and landed her in the middle of a desert. She is currently trying to find out if she is still in her own universe, let alone her own planet. “Now I have to find my own village and see if I see myself or talk to someone who knows what happened to Mata-Nui, then I’ll know wether or not I’m still in my universe, and planet.” She treks across the desert and sees a village, she walks up to it and sees a Toa and a Glatorian gaurding one of the gates. “Um, I’m new to being a Toa and I accidentaly activated my mask powers, and unfortunatly it’s an Olmak, and I need to figure out if I’m still in my own universe. Can you tell me what happened to Mata-Nui? That’ll help me a lot.” They told her what happened and the description matches her universe, she thanks them and heads off. “Now I need transportation to get an easier path, I’d have to be crazy or stupid to walk, or there could be no transportation if I’m not lucky.” Turns out, she’s not lucky, all caravans have left, and the only other ones coming are due a month from now because they already have enough goods and supplies to last that long. She walks out of the village, hoping to find Brutaka, because if she isn’t lucky she could try using her elemental powers and accidentally end up in another universe. She walks through the sand for a few days, and she sees an agori caravan, she waves, but the driver doesn’t see her until the caravan is three Bios away, the driver in reins the rock steeds in an attempt to evade the oncoming colision. The rock steeds stop, but momentum carries them into Valeia, knocking her backwards into the sand. “Oww,” she moans, “that hurt.” Four figures steps out of the carravan, one of them saying, “Are we under attack? Is anyone hurt?” “I think that you might want to look at the Toa lying in the sand, he or she may need some medical attention. Valei sits up and knuckles her head and says, “I’m okay, but that hurt.” The four figures, aparrently Toa, helps her get up and one of them says, “Are you new to being Toa?” “Yes, I’m a Toa of plantlife.” “You’re a…” Valeia cuts him off before he said more. “Yes I know, it’s strange because all Toa of plantlife are male.” “Actually, I was going to say that you were probably the Toa that we are looking for. I asked because normally a Toa would use his or her powers to protect themselves, unless they are new or running low on elemental energy. Oh look in the box and take the twin blades and staff. Check the blades to see if you can absorb it.” She takes off her mask, recieving questioning glances, “I have an Olmak.” They nodded, and she attempted to absorb the items, but the staff got stuck halfway, forcing her to rematierialize it. “So, you are the destined one to be on our team,” the white black and gold figure said when Valeia put her mask back on, “I’m Solek, and this is Radiak, Gavla, and Vican. Like you, we are also recently transformed into Toa.” “Well, that explains the part where you didn’t use your elemental powers to knock me into unconciousness before you asked me questions.” said Valeia. She followed them into the carravan and asked, “Where are we going?” “Umm, your going to have to ask the driver that.” said Vican. She looks out the small window and asks the driver. “Apparently we’re going to Iconox, and from the looks of things, we’re almost there.” she said. They rode in sillence until they reached a village, where they sought shelter to get a good nights sleep.

Iconox

Ihn walked until she saw a village, she looked for food and sat down to eat, as she had not eaten for days. She was about to get up when a shopkeeper yelled, “Hey! Show off your powers elsewhere!” “Sorry! I’m new and I don’t know how to controll my powers!” she finally calmed down her powers before she caused any more damage, and on her way out she met five other Toa, looking as if they were expecting her. “I overheard what you said to the sop keeper, and from what we saw, your a Toa of psionics. If your the destined member of our team, you’ll be able to absorb and remateirialize the last two weapons stored in here.” She looked inside, and said, “Um, you said there were two, but am I mistaken or are there four?” the five looked insied with exclaimed looks, all of them said that there were only two left when they last checked. She took the two blades that the Toa said they last saw. She was able to absorb them with ease, but the last two weapons made the other Toa uneasy, because weapons don’t just apear from nowhere. The five each introduced themselves as Solek, Radiak, Vican, Gavla, and Valeia. “We’re going to have to figure out who these go to later,” said Solek, “but first, we are going to have to train and control our elemental powers before the evil mentioned on the tablet. And according the tablet, we are the only hope against this evil.”

Iconox

Solek wanders through the street looking for supplies, Valeia is currently looking for transportation, Radiak,Ihn, Gavla, and Vican are scattered across the village asking for information on who can train them. Solek enters a shop and talks to the shopkeeper, he buys a pack full of various goods, thanks the shopkeeper, and leaves to see how Valeia is doing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reidiak walks through the streets and sees a Toa, he asks him who trained him. The same answer is given, he was self trained, wasn’t given much of a choice, considering the crisis at the time. He meets up with Vican, asking, “Any luck?” “No, same answer over and over again.” a great figure walks over and asks, “What kind of information are you looking for?” “We are new at being Toa, and we are looking for someone to train us, and none of the Toa we met have had any training exept on the job and by themselves.” said Solek. “I’m from the order, and I’m allowed to tell you since because of the Makuta incident, EVERYONE knows about the order. Anyway, Hydraxon has trained to Toa Mata, currently known as the Nuva, so he is your go to person, and we of the order have a tracking device on every member, well Hydraxon has to have it replaced because he ‘died’ and came back. Currently he is at Vulcanus, the central of Spherus magna.” “Thanks, now all we have to do is find the others.” They leave and search for Vican, Ihn, and Gavla.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vican and Gavla, unlike Ihn and Radiak, felt that they would get the job done faster if they worked together. So far, their theory hasn’t been correct. “The same answer has been ‘Sorry, we had to train ourselves’ BLAH BLAH BLAH. I’m tired of this answer! Is there any Toa with any decent training?!” yelled Vican. “Yaaahoooo!” screamed someone close by. “Get down!” Gavla commanded. They dropped down to the floor and watched as a two wheeled vehicle jumped and drove down the streets and stopped. “Apparently our sister has found some transportation, though obviously not what we are looking for.” Valeia got of the vehicle and excitedly said, “Meet the SCELLERA V.76 brother and sister!” “Um, Valeia, we asked for transportation, but you should have obviously known that we meant one that could have taken ALL OF US!” snapped Vican. “This was the only thing available, and the shopkeeper seemed to be eager to so get rid of it, he practically gave it to me!” exclaimed Valeia. “Also, it can hold up to two people, so we could have you carry someone on your back while flying, Solek carrying someone on his sword, and me carry someone on this bike!” Vican muttered something about dead weight, then something insulting, but Valeia was too eager to notice. They went off to search for the others after finding nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ihn walked and looked for Toa, finding none, she wonders why she even picked this section of the village. She walks until she reaches another section and sees a Toa wandering around. “Hi, I’m new, and the rest of my team are scattered doing various asignments. We were wondering if…” the Toa cut her off and said, “I know what you are going to say and no I have not been trained, if you are looking for the rest of your team, I last saw them walking toward the center of town.” She thanked them and went off to the center of town, running into a reptillian being holding a staff. It hissed at her and knocked her down with its staff, the Toa saw this and yelled ” RAHKSHI!! ” she realized the danger and got up and ran to the center of the village to warn the others.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Solek and Radiak walk into the center of town, the meeting point of the Toa. They see that they are the first and ask around to see if they have seen any Toa that meets their teamates description, all of the answers point out that they have not. Sudenly Ihn bursts through the streets yelling, “Brothers! Sisters! Rahkshi!” “Ihn, calm down! Now tell us what happened slowly.” said Solek. “I was about to look for you when I walked into a reptillian figure holding a staff, it knocked me down and the Toa I was speaking to knocked me down and yelled, ‘Rahkshi!’ I came to warn you in case of an invasion.” “It’s not very likely because the Rahkshi were scattered and lived among the Rahi and wildlife, occasionaly one or two of them has wandered into villges, but so far they have been able to drive out these straglers.” Ihn calmed down, relieved that there was no immediate danger. Solek told her what they learned and they waited for the other Toa to arrive.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Valeia rides down the street, with Gavla sitting on the back… complaining about how fast she is going and how dangerous it is. Vican is gliding along, a recenlty aquired abillity that a Toa of air with the tools and ability taught him, and unfortunatly the only ablility that he was able to teach. They head for the central point of Iconox, the designated rendezvous point that the decided upon. They ride past a strange quarel, consisting of dozens of Toa and Glatorian jumping into a mass of fighting warriors, though what they are fighting is yet to be seen. They reach the central point and are greeted the sight by their fellow teamates. Vican shuts off his gliding ability and walks over to them asking, “Whats going on with the Toa and Glatorian?” “According to Ihn, a Rahkshi was sighted in the streets.” said Radiak. “Oh, I suppose that makes sense, though I don’t see why they need so many fighters to combat one single Rahkshi.” “Are you always this thick?”, asked Gavla, “Haven’t you thought of the fact that there could be more Rahkshi that wandered in?” Vican didn’t speak for a while, embarrased that he was so quick to judge. Solek and Radiak relayed the message the told to Ihn to rest of the team, and they all agread that the most likely route is Vulcanus. They get ready to leave when five Rahkshi walk in and hisses. “This is impossible,” said Solek, “there have never been more than three Rahkshi encounters, to see them mass to this level at this point only suggests that a Makuta is controlling them! And the Makuta have all supposedly died, though I suppose that the danger that the tabblet is reffering to may be a Makuta that either survived the purge or returned from the dead.” The Rahkshi atacked the assembled novices and they all fight back, hoping to regroup and attack the Rahkshi one by one. Vican and Ihn attempt to fend off a tan and red Rahkshi, having a hard time because they can’t get close enough to hit the Rahkshi, and they can’t get far enough to escape, due to the plasma bursts keeping them at bay, Solek is pinned to the floor by intense gravity by a blue and silver Rahkshi, Valeia tries to break free of the magnetism holding her by a black and gold Rahkshi, and Radiak and Gavla are busy dodging chain lightning and vision blasts launched by a silver Rahkshi and a yellow Rahkshi. “One of us has to break away and get help!” shouted Radiak, “We can’t keep this up without attempting to use our powers! And if we do, the result may be far worse than what we are facing now!” “You go! I’ll stay back and try to distract these two from you!” replied Gavla. She begins taunting the two Rahkshi, and they hiss and turn their attention to her and Radiak takes the distraction to his advantage and runs to get help. Vican somehow manages to get close enough to hit the Rahkshi hard enough to distract it from Ihn long enough so that she can run to help Gavla. The Rahkshi, now angered, knocks Vican aside and fires plasma at the fallen Toa. Vican rolls and barely evades the blast that now turned the ground he was lying at into molten magma. He gets up and tries to attack the Rahkshi, but once again, he ends up playing a game of dodge and stay. Gavla and Ihn gets close enough to hit the Rahkshi that is keeping Solek pinned, distracting it from him and freeing him from its grasp. He gets up and takes the opportunity to attack and distract the Rahkshi holding Valeia captive, releasing her and alowing her to distract the Rahkshi that is holding Vican at bay. The five regroup but cannot fend off the five opponents, forced to distract the Rahkshi from one another so that they cannot be separated or trapped. The battle seemed hopeless until Radiak arrived with a team of Toa and Glatorian, who help combat the Rahkshi, tipping the battle to their favor. The regrouped team as one attacks the Rahkshi controlling gravity, as it is the most dangerous Rahkshi, and are only able to distract it long enough that a Toa of Lightning sent a jolt through the Rahkshi, making the armor useless. The kraata inside the Rahkshi atempts to crawl out and escape, only to be disintigrated by a blast of water by a glatorian, famously known as Kiina. The Rahkshi of magnatism disapears under a mass of Glatorian, and several pins the Rahkshi’s limbs while a Toa drives a blade into the Rahkshi’s armor and rips it apart with magnetism, a fitting end for the armor, destroyed by its own power. The Rahkshi of plasma, chain lighting, and heat vision proved to be more trouble, as the grouped together and kept their attackers away from them, and matching blow for blow by throwing their power at the elemental energy and thornax assulting them. Solek sees an opening and gets far enough to power his sword at a high speed in flight function and jumps of it at the last second, impaling the rakshii. He picks up the sword and attacks the Rahkshi of chain lightning because the multiple lightning bursts are dangerous. He drops the staff he holds and swings the sword two handed, cracking the plate of the Rahkshi’s head, swung again to break the armor plate on its back. The Rahkshi crumpled and the kraata fled, only to meet its doom under a Glatorians foot. The plasma weilding Rahkshi was easier to deal with once its counterparts were defeated, under a mass of elemental energy and thornax, it could not parry them fast enough before they destroyed the armor, and the fleeing kraata was destroyed by a thornax. Once the battle was over, the team thanked to Toa and Glatorian, and asked for a map to Vulcanus, stating their intentions. They left the village once everything was gathered, and Solek was declared navigator, because he would be the only one with his hands free. Radiak rides with Valeia, Ihn glides with Vican, and Gavla flies with Solek. Solek gives the direction to go and the take off, Vulcanus as their destination.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makuta Lair/Relocated Destral

Darkness reins in a lair so dark, shadows swirl and confuse travelers. Makuta Icarax has sent a team of Rahkshi, barely close to an army. “Apparently simple Rahkshi will not be enough, no intelligence, and easy to destroy unless in high numbers. My elite Rahkshi will see to that.” He turns to three reptillian creatures, “Take an army of Rahkshi with you, and if the battle goes against us, don’t hesitate to join the battle.” “‘Hiiissssssss’Yessss masster” the lead Rahkshi, whom Icarax cristend Suurak, hissed. The three assembled Rahkshi walked off, and once more, the Lord of Shadows remains unseen, except for his glowing red eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Are we there yet?” complained Vican, who has a problem, namely, his back. “For the last time, We. Are. Almost. There.” said a very anoyed Solek. The trip to Vulcanus has been a series of complaints and stops for rests, so Solek can’t take any more talk about wether or not they are there yet. Don’t people have any patience? Vulcanus comes into view and they see a guard at the gate, which is odd because normally a gate is gaurded with at least two Toa or Glatorian, and sometimes five agori or matoran. Solek and Vican land with their passengers while Valeia slows down. “We’re looking for Hydraxon, can you point us in the right direction?” asked Solek. The tall figure laughed and said, “I am Hydraxon, though, with two minds, took me a while to figure that out. What do you want me for? You don’t look like assasins, if you are, I’m not going to hesitate to kill you, after I get information of course.” Thoroughly spooked, Solek quickly explained, “We aren’t here to assinate you, we need training because we are new to being Toa, and we need to do it fast because a tablet I found on ancient Artahka said that our arrival would signal danger to come that only we could handle.” Hydraxon took this in and said, “All right, but don’t expect me to go easy on you just because your new.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Why oh why did I listen to that Order member? I should’ve known that this would happen. thought Solek. Hydraxon did a little game training called, filch your masks while your asleep and hide them in various places and force each and every one of you to find them, in your opposit or hated elements. Solek, blinded by the light surrounding him, is irritated that fate chose him to be a Toa of Shadows, and forced him to endure his training. He tries using his powers over shadows, hoping it wont destroy everything around him for a hundred kios. It turns slightly darker, though the light and the shadows are conflicting, he can now see, and it confuses him because withought his mask, he loses seventy percent of his elemental powers. He finds his mask and sets off to find Hydraxon, shutting off once he leaves the dome of light.

Radiak, submerged, is running out of air. He is irratated, and would try anything at this point. Except, he already tried pretty much everything, He tried using his flame power for a lamp, which ended in failure. He also tried to feel his way around, but found nothing. He is now trying to warm the place so it evaporates, which isn’t working. He concentrates harder, and sees in a a different perspective, he can now make out shapes by their different heat signatures, wich makes it easier to navigate. He finds his mask and heads for the suface.

Gavla is cold, which is a new feeling for her, because she has never been cold before. She already found her mask in a mountain of ice, but she cannot use her water powers without them freezing. She thinks for a moment and tries to concentrate on making a thick jet of water, and end up turning the mountain of ice into water instead. Well…that works she thought. She picks up the mask and walks off.

Valeia is angry, very very angry, and the hot volcano mirrored her frustration. She had seveveral burnt remains of plants she grew, and her feet were numb from the pain and heat. She tried one more time and the result was a plant she never saw before. It shifted over to the Kanohi and picked it up, then tossing it at her feet, its settles, seemingly comfortable. She picks up the mask and leaves, finally glad to be gone.

Ihn is in Hydraxons mind, in a maze he constructed by borrowing Brutaka’s mask once. She was taken to this place when Hydraxon used Valeias mask to teleport her here. She found the mask yes, but the main problem was getting past the mental barrier, and she already tried throwing everything she knew of at it. She was ready to try again, she concentrated, but nothing happened. Then, she noticed a slight shift in the barrier, and it turned into a blade of some sort, she grabbed the mask, ignoring the weapon. She was suddenly back in reality, having completed her task.

Vican is caught in a air current puzzle. He cannot move without being stuck in a current, and his air power is sucked away in the torrent when he tries to use it. He tries to make a stronger current and it dissapates. he tries shooting a hooked arrow that does not have explosive tips at the end of a rope, and it ends up being ripped away from the rope by a oncoming current. He tries to use his air powers once more to create a current, and instead slows time itself, curious but figures he has no time to ponder it, he runs to grab his mask and glides out.

The six are gathered, waiting for Hydraxon. “Amazing. You are the first to pass this test without asking for help from your teamates, although you were welcome to do it.” Hydraxon said, seamingly out of knowhere. “Now that you passed the first test, you can rest. but tomorrow, you have to do the second test, you have to try to manage to defeat me in single combat. Oh and I suppose that I should tell you that you set a record for the fastest Toa to pass this test, I suppose you earned the knowledge for your pride.” He dismissed the Toa, each hoping that they wouldn’t get hurt much by the large figure, praying for luck, because they may need it.[/color]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[color=gray]Radiak is dodging bladed boomerangs, one caught on his foot and tripped him, the other flew by as he went down. “Move faster, you can’t expect to be able to survive another battle with the Rahkshi like this, unless you get backup like last time, and there wont allways be someone there to back you up, you need to learn how to fight on your own.” ordered Hydraxon. As much as he hated it, Radiak ha to admit that he was right, if he kept this up he would end up as a very dead Toa. “All right, all right, I get it.” snapped Radiak. He got up and threw a ball of fire at Hydraxons head, which Hydraxon evaded, then parried a blow that the fire was to distract him from, but he didn’t notice that the sheild that was coming up from behind him, and was tripped over. He fired his cordak blaster, to which Radiak reacted by raising his sheild and flipped to put distance between him and Hydraxon so that he wont be the target of a sneak attack. He set fire to his sheild and threw it at Hydraxon. Hydraxon saw the sheild coming and threw one of his boomerangs at it and the to weapons dropped to the floor, and he followed it up with another boomerang. Radiak saw the weapon and batted it away with his sword and caught it before it strayed too far, then threw it at his sheild to retrieve it. Hydraxon saw what he was doing and fired his last cordak at the boomerang. The two opponents were now left with only their melee weapons, and Radiak with his elemental ability of fire, which he used by making a shockwave like fire wave. Hydraxon dodged to the side and charged at Reidiak, who threw another ball of fire at him, and Hydraxon ducked, rolled, and got back up to resume his charge. The two clashed sword and blade and parried each others move, waiting for the other to slip up so that they could move in for the kill. Reidiak feinted, and Hydraxon parried the true blow. Reidiak decided to put some distance between them once more and created a temporary wall of fire so that he could retreat to attack again. Radiak did another fire shockwave and followed it up with a pillar of fire when Hydraxon flipped. He erupted another one from the wall and slammed his opponent into a wall opposite before he hit the floor. He pressed his blade up to Hydraxons throat and panted, “I…win.”

Solek did better than Radiak… well actually he did it better than everyone else. He set up a sphere of shadows so that Hydraxon couldn’t see. Then he activated his recently discovered power of stealth with his mask. He struck and put distance between them and struck again. This went on for a few ours before Solek decided to stop playing around and put his blade up to Hydraxons chest and released the darkness he created. Hydraxon said that he is not going to spar with him again, stating that he had no idea how to defeat the combination of powers he just witnessed.

Gavla, well she deprived Hydraxon of moisture then drowned him, a little joke she thought was funny, it is depending on which side of the power your on. Vican pretty much did the same, exept that he created a vacuume and then gave him a ‘little bit’ too much air. Ihn… Ihn just pretty much just slammed him up and down the floor and ceiling until Hydraxon was unconcious. And Valeia just wrapped Hydraxon in vines and pressed her blade up to his neck while he was distracted by trying to remove the vine. All in all they passed their sparring trial, and Radiak was the only one to have any trouble.

They were eating around a campfire, a wildnerness surviving training, when an agori ran up and yelled, “I was looking for warriors and I just saw you. The city of New Atero was attacked by Rahkshi, and the battle was going fine until three strange Rahkshi jumped into the battle and started to turn it against us. The city was evacuated. Few Toa and Glatorian died, but a normal Rahkshi attack never resulted in death. We think that these new Rahkshi do not use kraata, because the Toa and Glatorian cracked the armor in several places and the Rahkshi was still functional.” The Toa thanked him for this information, and when the agori left they discussed about what they should do. “I think that we run at the first sight of them.” stated Vican. “Ha. Ha. Ha. I don’t think so. We need to stay here to finish our training, and defend the village if we have to.” said Radiak. “Who died and made you leader?” shot back Vican. “Speaking of leaders, we haven’t discused who should be the team leader.” Gavla pointed out. Three of the team voted for Radiak, two voted for Solek, and one voted for Vican. Solek took first watch as the rest of the team went to sleep and doused the fire, plunging the night into darkness.[/color]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After passing their tests, the team heads toward New Atero, wondering what they will see, a stronghold or a deserted city. “One reason the Rahkshi are attacking these locations because they want to let the population to know, and fear, their presence, if not then possibly they need an area where they can conduct more attacks on other locations and retreat back to. It’s most likely both reasons I just stated because New Atero is located at the center of the assortment of villages and cities, and it’s easy to defend if attacked, though how the Rahkshi got through I don’t know.” said Solek. Everyone agreed, and Radiak came up with the theory, “Maybe they found underground tunnels that Glatorian and Toa missed, when we lived in the great spirit robot, the Rahkshi were notorious for finding forgotten or undiscovered tunnels. If this is the case, its pointless to try to find them because the Rahkshi most likely sealed off the tunnels long ago.” They started to think about ways to take back New Atero, several of the ideas were good, but there were too many flaws in them. “I say that we charge at them and go all out, its so unpredictable that the Rahkshi will be too shocked to do anything, and we will probably be able to gain the upper hand.” suggested Vican. “It’s a good idea, but as you stated, it would ‘probably’ work. But if a few of us do it, it will work better, and when the enemy comes to, the rest of us will charge through the destroyed defenses and retreat once we take down enough Rahkshi, basically we rage a guerilla war, we hit hard, we run, then we hit again. Solek, Vican, I want you to be part of the backup team because of your flight powers. Ihn and Valeia, Ihn because she is one of the most powerfull on our team, and Valeia because she can teleport into the middle of the battle causing more confusion and for this to work your going to have to go in last Valeia, you will know when to come when the walls ice over. Gavla and I will attack first, Gavla, cover the walls with moisture so that when I absorb the heat around the place the walls will ice faster. Once the walls ice, Ihn will break down a wall, then Vican and Solek will attack from opposite sides. Once everybodys inside, Valeia will seal the walls and escapes and transport herself inside the compound, once we decide that we have hit the Rahkshi hard enough, Valeia will teleport us out of there.”

Radiak stood before the entrance with Gavla, hoping that tehy would wurvive this. They charge and smash the gaurds with pillars of water and fire, then Radiak launches a fireball and follows it up with a fire shockwave. Galve decimates the foces trying to envelop her with jets of water thats followed up with pillars of water coming up from were they stand. Radiak uses this moment to draw in all the heat in the vicinity. The south wall collapses and Ihn walks in and start throwing Rahkshi into each other. Solek and Vican flies in from the east and west, surrounding the enemy and blasting them with cyclones and bolts of shadow. Vines start to cover the large walls and Valeia suddenly appears within the battle, slaming vine pillars into suprised Rahkshi. Radiak sends three Rahkshi he’s fighting flying with a fire shockwave, when suddenly the three strange Rahkshi that the agori mentioned joined the fight. Radiak decides not to tangle with these without knowing what they can do and orders Valeia to transport them out of there. The team comes out exausted, and Radiak says, “We need to know what those three can do, if a team of Toa and Glatorian and an entire village were forced to evacuate because of them, we might not last a chance against them unless we know what they can do.” The rest of the team agrees, and they make camp, taking shifts watching the sands for the supply troops of Rahkshi so that they can prevent them from reaching their destination. Valeia is now traveling from village to village trying to find those who evacuated New Atero so that they may have information on the new breed of Rahkshi. and they can only hope that they can defeat them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Radiak, Vican, and Solek looks over the horizon, and sees a caravn of Rahkshi. “Remember the plan?” asks Radiak. Vican and Solek nod and they head out. When they near the caravan, Radiak creates a ring of fire around the group of Rahkshi, then Vican increases the air preasure until the armor of the Rahkshi crack. Seventeen Rahkshi survived, seven due to their ability to be imune to to the power of air, and the other ten due to the power of temporary invunerability. Solek flies down and launches the board toward a air resistant Rahkshi. It smashes into the Rahkshi and sends it flying into the head of another Rahkshi’s headplate. Both Rahkshi’s armor cracks open and the kraata slither out. Solek uses another Rahkshi to break his fall and sends a burst of shadow energy into the Rahkshi’s head, bursting it open and sending the kraara inside flying out. Radiak sends a fire shockwave into a Rahkshi of temporary invunerability, then follows it up with a pillar of fire. The Rahkshi of course survived the attack, but it did not realize that it was not the target of the attack. The extreme heat fused the sand under the Rahkshi’s feet into glass and molten magma underneath it, and when Reidiak threw his sheild at it, it cracked, sending the Rahkshi into the pool of magma. Solek walked toward his sword while sending shadow bolts into a Rahkshi that was standing over it. It knocked the Rahkshi over and Solek picked up his sword and swung it into the Rahkshi’s midsection, smashing the armor. He noticed two Rahkshi standing near to each other and sent a shadow sphere into them and followed it up with two streams of shadow, the kraata squirming out of the remains of the two armor that Solek decimated. He then blasted another into the magma pool that Radiak created. Reidiak and Vican extchange blows with a Rahkshi of temporary invunerability, seeing an opening Radiak strikes at the Rahkshi with his shield, but it simply bounced off its armor because the invulnerability has not wore off yet. The Rahkshi attacks with its staff but Vican blocked it with his bladed fork. Radiak stabbed with his sword and the Rahkshi parried, then Solek jumped into the battle swinging his blade two-hande into the Rahkshi, cracking the armor, apparently the power of invunerability finally wore off. Vican sends a cyclone into a unsuspecting Rahkshi, knocking it into the magma pool. Solek dispatched a Rahkshi that kept its invunerability too long during the battle instead of turning it off until provoked by cracking the head. Radiak had a bit more trouble, the Rahkshi he fought was still invunerable, and he had no possible way to pierce it. He decided to heat the armor until it was red hot, unable to bear the heat, the kraata opened the helmet in which it rested and screeched. Radiak took this opportunity to snatch the kraata and send it flying, then he shoved his sword down the now abandoned armor, destroing the mechanisms and melting the armor. Only five left the Rahkshi grouped together and hissed. Solek sent a bolt of shadow into each of the Rahkshi, unaffected they charged him and lowered their staffs. Radiak and Vican backed him up, parrying the blows that came toward them. Two jets of water dispatched two of the Rahkshi, then another crumpled, Gavla and Ihn have arrived. Distracted, the Rahkshi didn’t notice that Solek swung his blade at its head. The armor cracked, then with one left, they surrounded it and overwhelmed it with elemental energy and tossing it into the magma. “Now that thats over, it’s going to be a while before the next caravan, so the only option is to wait until Valeia comes back with information” said Reidiak. The rest of the team agread and headed back to the camp.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makuta Lair/Relocated Destral

The evil lair of the Makuta, relocated to a desolate area, grew darker than ever. “What!” yelled Icarax, “How, is it remotly possible for a lone team of six toa, to defeat even three Rahkshi, let alone an army of them!” The Rahkshi took a step back and hissed it’s response. “I see… bring forth the prisoners that we captured when we enslaved the city.” the Rahkshi retreated, and two Rahkshi brought in two Toa, a Toa of Ice and a Toa of Air. Icarax pulled out a severed red claw, and said, “I sent my Rahkshi, and had a few armed with mind reading, you have darkness within you, you could make a great asset in my army.” “Why,” asked the Toa of Ice, “would I join you?” “You want power, and your fellow prisoner, wants the same, I could give it to you.” The prisoners took this in, and the Toa of Air asked, “How do we know that you wont just kill us?” Icarax chuckled and said, “If I wanted to kill you I would have already done it.” He pulled a lever next to his throne and a pool of energized protodermis was revealed when the floor slid away. “I can merge your powers with another Toa’s energy, your power will be increased by a large percent.” The two prisoners look at each other, uncertain whether or not to accept. “I’ll do it, but my companion here will make sure that you do not go back on your word.” the Toa of Ice said. “Understandable, but this wariness is unecissary.” The two Rahkshi lowered the Toa into the pool, then Icarax tossed the severed claw into the pool. The Toa of Ice emerged, changed, his mask was fused to his face, he had claws, and in those claws, he held a spear, and his muscles were much larger than they were before. The Rahkshi lowered the Toa of Air next, but before Icarax could toss in the remenents of another Toa, the Toa of Air climbed out mutated, and grinned. “Yessss, I feel stronger, more powerful, no longer hampered rules of the Toa.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vican was standing watch when a saw a figure enter the camp parameters and yelled ,”Valeia’s back!” The team grouped together and welcomed Valeia back, asking what she learned when she went out looking for information. “Well, the Rahkshi who seems to lead the three seems to control half of the known Rahkshi powers, and mostly the elemental ones, the one with a blue headplate has the ability to control aquatic material or wildlife, and the one with the green headplate has control over the Rahkshi powers of chameleon, illusion, and the power of controlled speed. They all seem to have a weapon that launches a particle disruptor, one thats highly explosive.” The team shuddered, because the powers that the Rahkshi control are powerful, and they are about to face them.

Solek looks over the fortress, and then he looks at Vican, he nods. They jump and trigger the abillity to fly and glide, and headed toward the fortress. When the fortress came near enough, he shot a sphere shadow toward the ground, and it collided causing a tremor and slamming intothe Rahkshi in the way, cracking their armor, and knocking over the other Rahkshi. Vican landed in the newly formed crater, and created a large cyclone, and blew away the Rahkshi not immune to the elemental power of air. Then Solek tossed a bolt of shadow into the air, the signal. The rest of the team sudenly apeared in the middle of of the scene from a portal that Valeia’s mask created. Rahkshi swarmed out of their chambers and holes, ready to fend off an attack, when Radiak unleashed a firestorm, burning buildings that the Rahkshi erected and rusting the armor of those who got in the way. The Rahkshi hissed, and those immune to the element of fire attacked, only to be wrapped in vines and have their armor by their crushing grasp. The Rahkshi controlling plantlife attacked when the firestorm died down, and charged with the point of their staffs forward. Solek met this charge by creating a blade of shadow on his sword, then swinging his blade, he released the shadow from his grip, and the blade of shadow sliced through three Rahkshi head on, and knocked two others down, then Solek and Radiak incapacitated the rest of the Rahkshi charge. The Rahkshi knocked down were exterminated by the power of Ihn’s element of Psionics, and she threw the remains of the armor at the other Rahkshi, impaling those she threw them at. The three Rahkshi that caused them to flee last time appeared once more, but this time with two others that they had not seen before. The menace that the five imposed made them shiver, for they knew that the real fight was about to begin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Solek dodges a lightning bolt, while simultaneously parrying a blast of plasma with a bolt of shadow, but runs into the path of a oncoming particle disruptor, knocked into a wall by the explosive power of the projectile. He got up, then ducked to avoid a wave of Sonics, then he was suddenly frozen, but he was defrosted by a fireball that Radiak threw, who was knocked away by an oncoming cyclone. Gavla and the Toa of Ice are caught in a struggle to overpower over each other, the Toa of Ice tries to freeze her, but she turns the bolt of ice to water, then redirects it at him, but the Toa of Ice then freezes it again and redirects it back at her. She sees an opening then swings her blade at him, but is knocked down by a stream of poison, the Toa of Ice was about to freeze her, but was blown away by the cyclone created by Vican, who then narrowly avoided being pulverized by a fist of vines. Radiak picked up a piece of broken Rahkshi, and threw it at the green headplate of the Rahkshi he was fighting, hoping to pierce the metal. The Rahkshi saw this, and aimed its launcher at the metal, and vaporized it in a blast of energy. Radiak then shot a fire shockwave at the Rahkshi, but the Rahkshi met this threat with it’s own power, then it was charged him so fast, he didn’t notice when it slammed the flat of the scythe it carried into his head. Dazed, he got up only to see the blade pressed against his neck, but he saw something the Rahkshi didn’t, a giant hand of vines suddenly grabbed the Rahkshi and threw it into the Rahkshi that Solek was fighting. The two Rahkshi hissed when they collided, and Solek and Radiak took this opportunity to regroup with Valeia, who was fending off the Toa of Air. The Toa of Air sent a torrent of gales whirling towards the three, tossing them to the floor. Solek got up first, then sent a bolt of shadow, to which Radiak followed up with a pillar of fire, and to keep the Toa of Air from dodging, Valeia binded the four legged Toa with thick vines. The two elements collided with the Toa of Air, and he came out scarred and angry, but the three already ran off to help Ihn fight the third Rahkshi. Ihn was already in a bind, and fortunately her opponent was as well, but neighther of them could release the other without the other striking out at them, then out of nowhere a bolt of shadow hit the Rahkshi, redirecting it’s concentration and releasing Ihn. She threw the Rahkshi into the Toa of Ice, then the team regrouped, but were suddenly surrounded by the five and the Rahkshi that remained intact. Solek shaded in, a trick that he learned to make himself invisible, then struck at the first enemy he saw, then retreated, leaving a crumpled foe on the floor. The five that led them were enraged, but when they turned around, the Toa already disappeared from sight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“That,” said Radiak, “was too close for comfort.” The narrow near death experience put the whole team on edge. After they finished setting camp, they began to talk about what to do next, Gavla suggested, “Maybe we should get help.” “That wont work, we’ll just put the rest of the Toa population in danger, and the same would be said for the Glatorian.” replied Radiak. “We could hire Dark Hunters, they hate Rahkshi because Makuta spawn them.” said Solek. “It still wouldn’t work, they’re not likely to listen to us, they still dislike Toa, even after Makuta took over the matoran universe and they allied themselves with us.” “So, we’re just going to go in again? Thats suicide!” commented Vican. “We made a mistake in allowing ourselves to be separated, maybe we can defeat them if we stay together next time, besides, we expended a lot of energy fighting standard Rahkshi, the next time we attack, we will probably have a better advantage.” responded Radiak. “It might work, and I agree with what you said about expending our energy.” said Ihn. Valeia simply nodded. The team agreed that they should rest and settle down before they resume their attack.

Tower chambers, observation room

“Even though they held their ground better, they still failed to crush these insects that call themselves Toa. Must they force my hand?!” raged Icarax. “It is time that I took matters into my own hands. Rahkshi, bring me the scavenged weapons and what is left of the Toa that our last encounter destroyed.” The Rahkshi left to do his bidding, and when they came back, they held a spear, and a few unhilted blades, with a long once bladed staff. They deposited them near their master, then retreated into the shadows. Icarax picked up all the various blades, then the staff and tossed them into the pool of molten protodermis that laid before him, then he extracted a shadow kraata, and threw it into the pool, then reached in, and pulled out a dark weapon, which he christened the Shadow Reaper . Then he picked up the spear, then the remains of the Toa with the six basic elements, and they joined the spear at the bottom of the pool, and when emerged, a spear with the six elements joined with it was revealed. Icarax pointed it at a prisoner he had the Rahkshi bring before him, and scorched the prisoner to death, leaving nothings but ashes. He chuckled, which rose to a wicked laugh, which turned to maniacal laughter, then, once again, the halls quieted, a deep silent, darkness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The team stood outside the gates, a challenge to the Rahkshi and the two corrupt Toa that they fought last time. The giant doors slowly swung open, they were ready to fight, but once the door was completely open, they were shocked to be greeted by the presence of a Makuta. “I am Icarax, I’d meet under better circumstances, but you have been giving me a great deal of trouble, and now I’m forced to kill you.” Shocked to see someone they recognized, Vican, Radiak, and Gavla took a step back, but Solek made his move to attack, and he was very angry. “You!” he raged, “Thanks to your kind, I have lost all my power over light! I may control the Shadows, but I will not take their side, you will rue the day you Makuta ever set foot in Karda-Nui!” Solek swung his blade his sword two-handed, and with such ferocity that when Icarax parried the blow, he reeled back with wide-eyed surprise. The lord of Shadows sent a shadow hand to absorb Solek, but Solek merely absorbed the shadow, then swung his sword once more, and when Icarax was too distracted to notice what he was doing, he slammed him with a fist of shadow. Now angered, Icarax used his power over gravity to pin Solek to the floor, then attempted to impale Solek with his spear. Solek had other plans though, because he lowered and raised the density of shadows around him to make him invisible, then triggered his mask of stealth. Seeing his foe disappear into thin air, Icarax was distracted enough to release his hold on gravity. Solek, now free, attacked Icarax with a bolt of shadow, then swung his sword. Battered and pinned, and with a sword to the neck, Icarax was forced to teleport elsewhere. Solek rejoined the team and they walked through the gates, but were suddenly greeted by the five foes they originally sought to defeat. Solek unleashed a blast of pure shadow energy, consuming one of the Rahkshi and sending it flying into a walls. The rest of the team attacked, Radiak unleashed a torrent of flame, while Ihn swung the two corrupt Toa into the flames. Only one of the Toa were affected though, and the other simply got angrier, flash freezing Ihn, then singed Vican. Ihn broke out of her icy prison, then she swung both her blades at the Toa, to which he parried with his spear and caught the other blade in his other claw, then sent a burning fire up the blade then froze her again afterward. Gavla attacked with her power over water, but it was deflected by a sudden burst of poison. Surprised she looked around then saw the Rahkshi that threw the blast, then she blasted it with a jet of water, then Vican blasted it with a cyclone, and Ihn, now free once more, threw it into the Toa of Ice. The Rahkshi that seemed to be in the lead shot a blast of plasma, shadows, and chain lightning, which hit Radiak and Solek, though the shadow didn’t do any damage to them because Solek absorbed the blast. Valeia crushed the Toa of Air under a vine fist, then slammed him into the Rahkshi that Solek first attacked, knocking both of them out. Now alone, the lead Rahkshi conjured an illusion of shadows, then gathered its fallen allies and retreated unleashing a elemental nova that it hadn’t used yet, blasting the team into walls and leveling some of the structures.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Ugh,” said Radiak as he got up, “that hurt. We’d better get out of here before they return with reinforcements.” The rest of the team got up, and the went out the gate, just as Rahkshi swarmed out of the hiding places and tunnels. Solek saw this, and before the Rahkshi got too close to the team, he hit them with a shadow blast, temporary stunning them, and when they regained their senses, the team had already gone. “I suggest that we find other Toa now, because we are just going to fight a nonstop battle at this rate.” Gavla said. Radiak gave in, and they headed for Metru-Nui, the central source for warriors.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arriving at the gate of Metru-Nui, the team were stopped by six Toa, namely the Toa Nuva. “What are you her for? Who are you?” asked Kopaka. “I recognize the gray and gold one brother, but the rest I do not know.” commented Tahu. “We are the Toa Nui, we are here to enlist Toa and Glatorian help to take back New Atero.” said Radiak. “And what of the strange Rahkshi? They will certainly kill us all.” said Pohatu. “Leave them to us, we have been waging skirmishes the past two week.” said Solek. “I heard tell of fighting going on around the area, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. But we must stay here because the city needs us, but you may find one or two of the fighters here to help you.” said Lewa. “Is it possible to borrow Takanuva?” asked Vican. “No, he is not in the city, we do not know where he is.” said Onua. “But,” cut in Gali, “you may find the Toa Mari available.” “Never mind, we’ll just stay here so we can get more supplies, we were running low anyway.” said Radiak. They went to find a place to rest, but before they went, there was a cry, “A swarm of Rahkshi has been spotted! Raise the defenses! Awaken the Bahrag!”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chaos reigned outside the gates of Metru-Nui, free for all battles instead of organized war. A Korahk froze a Rahkshi while another on ball form shattered it to pieces, another Rahkshi met its end under the crushing power of gravity combined with magnetism. But the battle was not complete victory, Toa and Glatorian are dying, a Toa of Air screamed as he was impaled by heat vision, another died silent when stabbed by the end of a Rahkshi’s staff. A Glatorian landed beside Solek while he exchanged blows with a Rahkshi of plasma, Solek dodged a plasma burst and before the Rahkshi recovered from firing that heated projectile, Solek decapitated it with a shadowed edge. Suddenly he was hit from behind with a stray thornax, and found himself at the mercy of tree Rahkshi of shadows. He fired a burst of shadows into one of the Rahkshi, but it did minimal damage, but while the Rahkshi was distracted, he had enough time to shade in and trigger his mask of stealth. He swung his blade into one of the Rahkshi, but it did little damage, then found himself flying through the air, accompanied with a loud thud when he hit solid ground. Luckily, he landed next to a Toa, whom helped him fend off the three Rahkshi. “The Rahkshi that evacuated New Atero have arrived! We’re doomed!” cried one of the fighters. “Hold your ground! We have more warriors this time, and the Bohrok are here as well!” called back another. Solek sent a ball of shadow through the air then scattered it to six individual pieces as the signal that the sinister team that they combated during their raids to regain New Atero had arrived. This was followed by similar signals of fire, water, and plantlife, the only possible signals that can be visible. The team regrouped and fought their way to the three Rahkshi, not surprised the see the two corrupt Toa with them, and mildly when they saw Icarax. “You six again, it seems that wherever I go now, you end up there as well.” “We should say the same about you as well, Makuta!” snapped Solek. Angered by this response, Icarax sent a beam of fire at him, but only to have it absorbed by Radiak who then attacked the lead Rahkshi. This triggered each individual Toa to pick a enemy and attack them in turn, and like last time, Solek fought Icarax. He had a harder time this time around, for Icarax did not only use his ability over shadow, but used the other six elements he seemed to posses. Radiak dodged a stream of plasma, then sent a fire shockwave toward the Rahkshi, then when it dodged it, he hit it out of midair with his shield, then slashed at it with a heated blade, to which it parried with its staff. Ihn fought with the smaller of the three, and it seemed to be immune to offensive psionics. She stabbed with her smaller blade, but the Rahkshi blocked it and fired a particle disrupter, which she knocked it aside with her blade, then attacked with it, only to have it dodged. Gavla fought with the blue hued Rahkshi, and seemed to match it in power, for they have nearly the same abilities. She parred a strike from its claw then struck with her scythe, then was hit by a particle disrupter, then shot a jet of water at it, then jumped in. Valeia and the corrupt Toa of Ice exchanged blows, she threw up a wall of vines to protect her from being frozen, then attacked with a streem of thorned vines. Vican fought with the corrupt Toa of Air, but the battle of winds was tied. Vican then fired a crossbow bolt, which exploded on impact, then fired another at a distracted Icarax. Icarax now had his attention focused on him now, and didn’t notice when Solek lunged at him. Solek unhanded him, and knocked him into the lead Rahkshi. The lead Rahkshi fell down under the weight of Icarax, but accidentaly fired a lightning bolt into a stream of water that Gavla just shot, which impacted with the Rahkshi she fired it at and knocked it down unconscious. The corrupted Toa of Ice and Air were knocked together by Ihns psionic power, then fell to the floor unconcious, and the Rahkshi she was fighting was sent into the blue Rahkshi that just regained unconsciousness, knocking both of them unconcious. Icarax got up, but was met with the threatening glances of the six Toa, and knew his position wasn’t defendable. He teleported he and the rest of his sinister accomplices out of the battle. The Toa didn’t have time to celebrate though, because they won one battle, but many more were waging around them, so they set out to help the other Toa and Glatorian in the fight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Solek and the rest of the team sits at the table across Metru-Nui governers and the Toa Nuva, the gates are closed, they managed to temporarily fend off the Rahkshi, who are now camped in front of the gates. “Tell me” said Turaga Dume, “The other Turaga and I have watched you’re skirmish with the Makuta, we need to know the weakness of these Rahkshi.” “Grand elder, these Rahkshi unlike other Rahkshi, are not merely kraata driven armor, but true bio-mechanacle beings, so for now the only thing to do is to allow us to fend them off while the other battles are fought. How many Muaka does the Archives house? It is common knowledge that Muaka and Rahkshi are natural enemies, if we can round up enough them, we can probably be able to destroy a large population of the opposing army.” relied Solek. “It might work, during my short time as a Toa, I was chased by a Rahkshi, I eventually led it to a room with a Muaka in it, and let them fight and fled. If we round up the Muaka, and set them upon the Rahkshi, we can attacke each of the distracted Rahkshi, and the Muaka will be enraged and attack the next thing it sees, and since the Rahkshi are everywhere, it will attack another and we restart the process.” said Whenua. The other Turaga agreed, but Tahu who was listening asked, “How do we know we can trust you Solek, we knew you backe in Karda-Nui when we fought the Makuta, but now you posess the powere of the Shadows yourself, how do we know that you aren’t in league with Icarax yourself? That fight with him could be a front for us to trust you so that you can learn the outlines of the city and plot an infiltration.” Angrily Solek got up and said, “If you don’t believe me, then ask hi yourself.” and left the room. Gali got up to apolagize, but Radiak said, “Don’t worry about it, during my time with him since he became a Toa of Shadow, I have known him to calm down after a while, I worry about him though.” The rest of the team agreed with him, and Turaga Onewa said, “Now that thats over, we can get back to the problem at hand, I agree with the plan that Solek laid out, but it has many flaws in it, even with the added part that Turaga Whenua offered. How do we know that the Muaka won’t turn on us? Some of the Rahi are down there for a reason, because they are so dangerous.” “I agree with Onewa, but maybe if we have some of the Toa put an Elemental cage around the battle, we can contain the Muaka and re-capture them after the battle is over.” said Turaga Nokama. “The main problem with that is that the Toa will be trapped in there too, and at the mercy of enraged Muaka.” said Turaga Vakama. “We can have Solek put a Shadow dome around the Muaka after each battle,” suggested Radiak, “they have accute senses,but Solek does have the power to inrease the density of darkness until the Muaka can’t see, and thanks to the mask of stealth he wears, he can sneak up upon the Muaka and capture them without them knowing before its too late. As for them turning on us, I suppose thats a risk we have to take, because there isn’t another course of action we can take, other than evacuating Metru-Nui.” The others nodded, agreeing with Radiak. Turaga Dume disissed the meeting, and everyone were about to got up to go out the door the the hallway, when a tremor shook the city. “The Rahkshi are attacking!” cried one of the overlookers of the city. Everyone rushed out the chamber, the Turaga screaming, “Villagers! Go to the Archives to gather the Muaka! We need them for the battle!” The matoran and agori rushed off to do as they were told.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Rahkshi broke through the gates, and the warriors of Metru-Nui fought to push back the oncoming swarm. Radiak was in a bad position, he was surrounded by Rahkshi of flame resistance, and the only way to defeat them was to fight them head on. With his hands full, he didn’t notice as one of the Rahkshi swung its staff at his legs, and he went down with a scream of pain. He looked up, only to notice that the Rahkshi had their staffs dirrected at his neck, one wrong move could decapitate him. Suddenly, two of the Rahkshi went down, impaled by two blades. The rest turned to meet their new adversary, and two more fell while they were busy doing this. Radiak took this as an opportunity and tripped one of the Rahkshi and stabbed it midsection. He got up and the Rahkshi found themselves between two Toa, not sure which was more dangerous. Radiak swung his sword at the Rahkshi, then cut the Rahkshi midsection as it was busy trying to parry his sword. The Rahkshi screeched, and Radiak impaled it while it did so. The newcomer felled two more Rahkshi, and kicked another into its partner. Radiak decapitated one of the Rahkshi and impaled the other. The remaining Rahkshi saw their disadvantage and retreated to find easier prey. Radiak turned to the newcomer who he recognized as Tahu and said, “Thanks for the help, I would have been dead if it came later.” “No thanks are required, I looked your way and it seemed that you needed help.” responed Tahu. “Their releasing the Muaka!” cried one of the villagers, “Clear the way!” the warriors took this as their cue and headed for cover. With a roar, the Muaka blasted out of the Archives entrance. They smelled each other, how dare they tread on their territory? Then they smelled Rahkshi. Enraged by this, they attacked the Rahkshi, and the battle turned into a free for all meal for Rahi. One of the Muaka clamped its mouth on two Rahkshi, while another impaled a Rahkshi with it’s claw, and shreded another seven with its other claws. A Muaka was dodging laser vision and plasma, and one of the Toa took the opportunity to use his elemental power over stone to distract it, by sending a boulder toward its head. It would have cracked the headplate of the Rahkshi had it not melted it, but it met its end anyway under the weight of the Muaka it was originally fighting. Some of the Muaka played around with the Rahkshi, breaking the armor of the Rahkshi in its great jaws so that it no longer functioned, and tossing it toward other Rahkshi, then batting those ate others, then finaly crushing the Rahkshi under its own weight. The Rahkshi couldn’t hold back the onslaught, and they retreated toward the gates, many of them still pursued by the Muaka. Solek threw a shadow dome and captured the Muaka that still lived. The other Toa helped carry the incapacitated Muaka and tossed them back into their individual cages. “That,” said Ihn, “was complete slaughter, I knew that they would hold back the Rahkshi, but I didn’t expect them to completly destroy their ranks!” “We have less Muaka to fight them though, and they’ll come back with more Rahkshi,” said Radiak, “I think that it’s time to bring the battle to them.” “I agree,” said Turaga Dume, “If we continue to only defend, we will be destroyed.” The team regrouped, and were summoned to meet with the council to discuss the situation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Rahkshi aproaches Makuta Icarax, and it brings news of their latest mission. “Yes, perfect…” said Iarax you have done well. They will never suspect the attack as a disguise for one of my Rahkshi to slip in and infitrate Metru-Nui. Now we wait and wait for it to bting news. Have found another Toa to make our prisoner?” The Rahkshi hissed its answer, wich was no. “…The next time you raid the city of legends, bring me a Toa, I shall make….. a conversion.” The Rahkshi retreated to bring nthis information to the other Rahkshi.

“We all know how New Atero fell,” said Dume, “and this time, we had the fortune to come across the Toa destined to defeat or hold back the Makuta Icarax. But even with their help combined with the Toa Nuva and the Golden armor that Tahu wears, we cannot hold the army of Rahkshi back. Radiak suggested that we attack the enemy camp, and I am complied to agree with him, it is unsuspected and random that they will not expect it.” The others nodded to this and Vakama asked, “Should we enlist the help of the Toa Hagah or the Dark hunters?” “The Toa Hagah are elswhere, and they will not come here in time to help us. However, the Dark Hunters have a base located here in Metru-Nui, and they hate the Makuta like they were bred for it. Yes we will enlist their help.” The room was filled with silence, and Solek broke the silence saying, “Maybe we should send only half our force first, like when I and the rest of the team attacked New Atero, then when the battle goes against us, the other half joins the battle.” “It’s a good idea, but maybe we should send only a quarter, so the renewed attack will be suddnely mor powerfull.” commented Gali. “But the question is, how will we keep the rest of the attack force be kept from being spotted?” “I have the ability to make myself and others invisible, it will take all my concentration to do it, but I can do it nonetheless, it will help though, if we find those who already have the ability to become invisible though.” The others all agreed to this, and at Dume’s dismissal, they left the chamber.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Toa Nuva volunteered to walk into the Muaka’s jaws first, stating “It wouldn’t be much use if our greatest weapon gets killed first. Besides, we haven’t done anything like this since… well the Makuta incident, things were getting boring scratching out the occasional Rahi or Beast attack.” so the team stayed behind with the backup army. A sudden explosion sent an earthquake rippling, and when looked upon, the enemy camp was a blazing inferno, with parts of it flying all over the place. Rahkshi poured out of the camp, staying in there would be suicide. After the camp was completely leveled, the Toa Nuva sent torrents of elemental energy that sent ranks of Rahkshi flying. “It looks like they don’t realy need our help,” commented Lariska, “they look like their having fun over there.” Everyone agreed, because it did indeed look like the Toa Nuva were having the time of their lives. Tahu sent a ball of fire into another Rahkshi, and searing another with laser vision as he did it. Gali encased a Rahkshi in a sphere of water, then increased the water preasure to crush it. Rahkshi from the other camps now came to back up their brethren, the cue that the army were waiting for. They swarmed down into the battlefield, projectiles and elemental enregy flying all about. Solek slammed the flat of his sword into a Rahkshi so hard, a crack lined the whole body of the armor. He sent the now usless armor into another Rahkshi that pinned a Glatorian, then sent a shadow edge that cut deep into a Rahkshi of intangibility that wasn’t looking. Radiak sent a shockwave of fire rumbling toward some Rahkshi that were fighting him, a few dodged it, but the main force were struck and sent flying. Solek parried a blow from a Rahkshi, who’s armored head was struck by a thornax and cracked. A pillar of water erupted in front of Solek as Gavla decimated several dozen Rahkshi in the exploding geyser. Valeia was having fun bashing Rahkshi with a vine fist, crushing a few to literaly tiny pieces. The Rahkshi army dwindled to a few, and the few left fled, only to be replaced by more, and Icarax. “A sneak attack, how clever. However, all you have done is make me angry. I won’t waste my time with you insects, I have more important things to do.” and Icarax disapeared in a flash of light without another word. The battle resumed, but now their numbers are out numbered by the new army of Rahkshi, and they were forced to retreat, but the army of Rahkshi wouldn’t let them run, instead surounding the millitary force of Metru-Nui. Radiak yelled, “Tahu! Use your mask to sheild everyone else! I’m going to perform a Nova Blast!” Tahu did as told, and Radiak sent a searing explosion of fire that destroyed or knocked over Rahkshi surrounding them, then his mask of elemental energy glowed, restoring his power, but still leaving him tired. The Rahkshi left were still in large amounts, but they were stunned, giving the strike force time to make a break for it. Solek draged Radiak, who was exausted after performing such a powerful ability, with him and flung him over his shoulder. The team regrouped, and ran back to Metru-Nui to tell the council of what happened.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The team and the Toa Nuva discusses last nights failure before the Turaga. “I think that we should just hand over the city to them at this rate.” said Vican. “Are you crazy?!” exclaimed Solek, “If we do that, we would still end up dead anyway you idiot! How could you be so stupid to not know that!” Vican looked sullen. “Screaming at each other isn’t going to solve anything. We need a plan.” said Gali. “I think, that we should release the Bohrok Kal and the Elite.” said Vakama. The other Turaga reeled at the suggestion, and the Toa Nuva winced. “I’m sorry, but what is the Elite?” “We have been working on a breed of twin Bohrok at the request of the Bahrag, and we have succeeded, these Bohrok have incredible speed, their sensors can pick up anything, unless you have a stealth ability or mask of stealth, their trasformational ability makes them as tall as a Toa, making them more agile, and they control all the powers of the original Bohrok Kal.” said Turaga Dume. The team had enough knowledge of Bohrok to know that this is a dangerous combination. “I then agree with Vakama.” commented Solek, and left. The others looked at him wide eyed, shocked that he would agree to such drastic terms. “Even if they are so powerful” started Radiak, “will it be enough to stop this oncoming Rahkshi army? Even the Toa Nuva and my team could be overwelmed with numbers.” Everyone else nodded to this, but the Turaga sat still. Nokama said, “Vakama mentioned releasing the Kal with them, and we know of at least two teams of them that currently exist, so this combined with two teams of six different breed of Bohrok should be able to help.” The others were now dumbstruck at the idea of twenty Bohrok, and the fact that eight of them are deadly didn’t help. “But, how do we know that they won’t turn on us? If this happens, many of the fighters will be killed before either we or the Toa Nui can subdue them.” said Tahu. “you forget, that they all recieve their commands from the Bahrag.” said Matau, silencing everyone. “Should we hire the Dark Hunters again?” asked Gavla, to which everyone nodded. “the more numbers we have the better, your all dismissed.” said Dume. Everyone left the chamber, each wondering what flaws could arise to this plan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The team along with the Toa Nuva went to check on the Elite. What they saw shocked them, instead of a training room with dummies and such, they saw a blackened mess of annialation. “W-What happened here?!” Solek finnaly broke out. “It looks like a Toa of Fire just decided to call in a few others, then burned down the whole area, then had a Kikanalo herd stampeed through it!” “That,” said one of the Elite’s administrators, is the work of the Elite, showing that they are ready for battle, though I thing that they overdid it a bit.” “Thats an understatement.” murmered Radiak. They went to see the Elite, and they saw something that realy impressed them, unike the other Bohrok, the Elite are intelligent, not like Kal intelligent, but sentient intelligent, it questioned everything that has been going on. “Who are they?” asked the Golden colored Bohrok. “The six over there are the Toa Nuva, and the six over there are the Toa Nui, they have been helping out on the siege on Metru-Nui.” responed the matoran tending to him. “what are they here for?” “That, you’ll have to ask them.” “We are here to collect you for the siege, we are having difficulty and we need as much help as possible.” said Tahu. The Bohrok nodded and walked off with them, leaving a relieved matoran.

“This is Cahdok and Gahdok, queen of the swarms.” introduced Lewa. “Greetings, but we don’t have time to stay for long, we need to borrow the two teams of Kal, and two of each breed of Bohrok, because if we don’t we fear that Metru-Nui will fall.” said Radiak. “We are well aware of the siege that has been happening, and we are happy to lend a hand.” responded the Bahrag, who already had the needed Bohrok assembled. They thanked them and they left with the assembled Bohrok from the Nest. “I hope they succeed, for if they don’t, everything in Metru-Nuy will be doomed, including us in this underground nest.” said Cahdok. Gahdok nodded.

The team stood on the walls overlooking the city, seeing the enemy strongholds erected. They waited for the enemy to group together so the war may commence. A sudden quake rippled through the earth, signaling the armies coming. The team gave the signal, and the real battle for Metru-Nui will comence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Metru-Nui is a mass of mayhem, as catapults were rolled out, and Bohrok were loaded into the catapults. “Is this even safe?” asked the silver hued Borok. “It’s safe, it was tested with dummy Bhorok shells, and if those survived, then you certanly can.” replied Gavla. Tahu gave the order to fire, and the Bohrok smashed into enemy defenses. The Bohrok unfolded, and the Rahkshi that surrounded them dispersed their ranks to avoid the powers that endanger them. The Toa now charge to join the fight, roaring, “FOR UNITY! FOR DUTY! FOR DESTINY! FOR METRU-NUI!” Elemental energy flew across the battle field, hitting Rahkshi unfortunate enough to be in the way. Dark Hunters took their cue and joined the battle the city of legends as well. A group of Toa were incinerated by the combined powers of heat vision and laser vision. A Toa of Lightning destroyed the two Rahkshi, then ducked to avoid being decapitated. The Rahkshi now fired their own cataputs, flaming boulders flying into the walls protecting Metru-Nui and the Toa that defended it. Reidiak set fire to one of the Rahkshi he was fighting, then tossed it into a Rahkshi of heat vision. Nearby, Lariska threw two daggers into the heads of two Rahkshi, then while they were incapacitated, she slammed their heads together, cracking the plates that protected the kraata, destroying the armor. The silver hued Elite melted a Rahkshi, then she ripped another appart with magnetism. A Toa turned to dust by the power of disintigration, but the Rahkshi that fired the blast was cut in two by an angered Solek’s blade. The gold hued Elite was backed into a corner by three Rahkshi of plasma, who were then crushed by the powers of a Toa of Gravity. The Metru-Nui catapults were reloaded, then fired into a batalion of Rahkshi that marched toward the battle. The Rahkshi in the battalion were crushed under the boulders, leaving only seven or eight that survived. “Retreat! I’m going to go Nova!” cried out Radiak. The defenders of Metru-Nui retreated, leaving only a glowing Radiak. The battlefield exploded, sending Rahkshi flying. Reidiak still stood, just learning how to keep his energy levels under control. The Rahkshi force remaining were still large enough to be threatening, and Radiak can only do up to two Nova blasts without collapsing. The Metru-Nui defenders rushed back in to combat the remaining Rahkshik, lest they destroy the remaining walls of Metru-Nui and slay the inhabitants. Solek decides to use his abilities to the max, shading in and out of areas, confusing the Rahkshi as to were he is before they were destroyed by either his blade or his power over shadow. Gavla created a large fist of water and pulverized ten Rahkshi, and knocking over many more, who were now at the mercy of several Toa and Dark Hunters. The remaining Rahkshi were now surrounded by the fighters. Hissing, they threw all they had at the defenders, but now that the chaos that was war now died down into a last stand, Tahu could now protect the defenders without being confused as to who were the enemies with his mask of shielding. Solek suddenly apeared before the Rahkshi, supprising them, giving him enough time to crush him under a fist of shadow, leaving only one to tell Icarax of the Rahkshi’s failure to defeat Metru-Nui.

“It seems,” said Icarax, “that Metru-Nui is too well defended for an attack. Still though, I do not take likely to bad news, get out of my sight before I destroy you.” The Rahkshi fled the chamber, leaving Icarax to ponder his thoughts.

“Well,” said Pohatu, “Onua and I are going to have to rebuild the walls, and Metru-Nui has seen better days, think you could help us rebuild?” After the final battle, the walls surrounding Metru-Nui were completely annialated, and buildings all over each secter were found flaming under boulders. “I think that we probably could, but after this, we’re going to attempt to hunt down Icarax and his band of evil.” said Radiak. The others nodded, and began to work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“So how do we find him?” asked Ihn. “I think that we should have Solek search New Atero, then tell us where Icarax is. Icarax is sure to be in New Atero, because he has not conquered any other villages or cities.” replied Radiak. Radiak had Valeia activate her mask to send them back to New Atero so that they can plan from there. Once there, Radiak had Solek scout the enemy territory and search for Icarax.

Solek stands at New Atero’s gate, and notices a large structure that he had not seen before, due to the chaos that happened during the teams many seiges. He walked past the Rahkshi guarding the gate, grateful that they couldn’t see him, for his mission would fail otherwise, and they would expect him the next time he came. Once he entered the tower, he nearly walked into a Rahkshi that was heading out of the tower. Letting out a sigh of relief, he continued his journey into the building, opening doors to see where the Makuta lies. Once at the highest point of the tower, he notices something strange, there is only one door alone,, where the rest of the floors below him had many. He opened it and entered. He was shocked to see many Rahkshi within a large chamber that could not have fitted into the tower. He contemplated this, then finnaly came up with the conclusion that the door he entered was actually a portal, though to where he does not know. He takes a good look at the chamber, then exits through the portall he came from, and climbs onto the roof, and he steps on his sword to fly back to the teams camp.

When he returned, he told of his discovery, and had Ihn scan his mind for the chamber he found,who then put the image into Valeias mind. Then he hid everyone (exept Gavla, who already could become invisible, and her shadow wouldn’t be seen anywhere because the whole chamber was dark) within his ability to make objects invisible. The arrived into the dark chamber he found earlier, but was supprised to see Icarax sitting upon a throne in the cnter of the chamber, for Solek had not seen him earlier. “You may come out of hiding, Olmaks always leave a large energy field when they open gateways.” said Icarax. Solek released the others, but leaving himself invisible, for he could not be detected, and Gavla revealed herself as well. “You six… where is the one with shadows? I have a score to settle with him.” “He isn’t her Icarax, and you should be grateful too, for he together with us would make mince meat out of you!” retorted Valeia. “I would crush you for the insect you are for that, if not for the fact that I know that he is somewhere in this complex. Instead I’ll leave you with my children and the five you encountered during your many seiges. I don’t know how you found this place, but I don’t care, for you will die before you ever will again.” Icarax left the chamber through another door, leaving the five with the Rahkshi and corrupt Toa, but he didn’t notice Solek slipping out of the chamber with him, and now that he is left alone with him, Solek shouts, “Now lets try to see you fight something you cant see!” Icarax turns around wide eyed then fires a burst of plasma toward where her heard the voice, but Solek was already moving, and no the battle within the stronghold commenced, and the halls roared with the echoes of the fight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Icarax is angry, his lair was invaded, then he was taken by supprise, and now he has to watch his back every time to make sure he dosen’t get hit, and he can’t even see his opponent! “Show yourself you coward!” he screamed. “Coward? Isn’t cowardice when you leave a Toa team who far outnumbers you with an army, oh and an army who is seriously losing I might add, judging from the noise I’m hearing.” retorted Solek. He launched a shadow edge, then a burst of shadows from behind Icarax while he was busy dodging the shadow edge. Icarax was now enraged, and he increased the gravity in the hall, so that everything but the walls and ceiling were pinned to the floor. Solek suddenly lost concentration on remaining invisible, but while Icarax was looking away, he caught him in a fist of shadow to break his concentration. Icarax now had a look of murderous fury, to which Solek met by tossing across the hall and shading out of sight.

Radiak and the rest of the team were not amused. The main five were the only ones putting up much of a challenge, but the minor Rahkshi kept getting in the way of them, taking the hits instead of the Toa, givint them the edge to take the assailants down. Radiak sent a shockwave of fire towards a group of raakshi and the corrupt Toa of Ice, and when it hit them, Gavla threw up a pillar of water, effectively tossing them to all corners of the chamber. Valeia was having ‘fun’ using her Olmak, creating a portal behind one of the opponents, then striking with all her might through that portal, or dropping them into each others attacks. Vican was busy sending crossbow bolts into Rahkshi, at one point hit a Rahkshi and it knocked the green one wide eyed into the energized protodermis pool. “Uh oh…” said Vican, who had an idea of what would happen next. An earsplitting screech echoed through the chamber, making it more unbearable than it already was, and from the pool, rose the Rahkshi, more powerful, larger, and the look in it’s spoke an anger that made one shudder. Unfortunatly, the Rahkshi that Vican knocked into the energized protodermis pool had power over density control, making it nearly impossible to hit, even Valeia’s portals didn’t affect it.

Solek swung his blade into Icarax’s skull, knocking him sensless, then tripping him, then using him as a battering ram into the chamber they had exited before, effectivly demolishing the door.

A sudden crash interrupted the battle in the chamber, and Icarax was floating facedown where the door once stood. “Who wants some of this!” yelled a disembodied voice. The body of Icarax flew into the large Rakshi, knocking it to the floor. The Solek apeared before a startled corrupt Toa of Air, then swung his staff into the head of the Toa, knocking him unconcious. He picked up the body, then shaded out, and threw it into the Rahkshi nearest to him. The Rahkshi that he knocked over earlier got up, now dangerously enraged, it decreased the density, then launched a spear of electricity. “We need to get out of here! Regroup and retreat!” shouted Radiak. Vican had other plans in mind however, he created this mess, and he would get them out of it. he used his mask to send screaming thoughts into the Rahkshi’s mind, disrupting its concentration, then sent a projectile into the head of the Rahkshi. He then rejoined the team, and they vanished into thin air through the portal of Valeia’s mask.

The Rahkshi got up, and it searched for its assailant, seeing that it fled, it roared in anger, and crushed a minor Rahkshi under its power. “Calm down, there will be another day, they can’t resist attacking us again.” soothed Icarax. He sat down upon his throne, pondering what he should do once the next event happens, if it does….

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“So how do we find him?” asked Ihn. “I think that we should have Solek search New Atero, then tell us where Icarax is. Icarax is sure to be in New Atero, because he has not conquered any other villages or cities.” replied Radiak. Radiak had Valeia activate her mask to send them back to New Atero so that they can plan from there. Once there, Radiak had Solek scout the enemy territory and search for Icarax.

Solek stands at New Atero’s gate, and notices a large structure that he had not seen before, due to the chaos that happened during the teams many seiges. He walked past the Rahkshi guarding the gate, grateful that they couldn’t see him, for his mission would fail otherwise, and they would expect him the next time he came. Once he entered the tower, he nearly walked into a Rahkshi that was heading out of the tower. Letting out a sigh of relief, he continued his journey into the building, opening doors to see where the Makuta lies. Once at the highest point of the tower, he notices something strange, there is only one door alone,, where the rest of the floors below him had many. He opened it and entered. He was shocked to see many Rahkshi within a large chamber that could not have fitted into the tower. He contemplated this, then finnaly came up with the conclusion that the door he entered was actually a portal, though to where he does not know. He takes a good look at the chamber, then exits through the portall he came from, and climbs onto the roof, and he steps on his sword to fly back to the teams camp.

When he returned, he told of his discovery, and had Ihn scan his mind for the chamber he found,who then put the image into Valeias mind. Then he hid everyone (exept Gavla, who already could become invisible, and her shadow wouldn’t be seen anywhere because the whole chamber was dark) within his ability to make objects invisible. The arrived into the dark chamber he found earlier, but was supprised to see Icarax sitting upon a throne in the cnter of the chamber, for Solek had not seen him earlier. “You may come out of hiding, Olmaks always leave a large energy field when they open gateways.” said Icarax. Solek released the others, but leaving himself invisible, for he could not be detected, and Gavla revealed herself as well. “You six… where is the one with shadows? I have a score to settle with him.” “He isn’t her Icarax, and you should be grateful too, for he together with us would make mince meat out of you!” retorted Valeia. “I would crush you for the insect you are for that, if not for the fact that I know that he is somewhere in this complex. Instead I’ll leave you with my children and the five you encountered during your many seiges. I don’t know how you found this place, but I don’t care, for you will die before you ever will again.” Icarax left the chamber through another door, leaving the five with the Rahkshi and corrupt Toa, but he didn’t notice Solek slipping out of the chamber with him, and now that he is left alone with him, Solek shouts, “Now lets try to see you fight something you cant see!” Icarax turns around wide eyed then fires a burst of plasma toward where her heard the voice, but Solek was already moving, and no the battle within the stronghold commenced, and the halls roared with the echoes of the fight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Icarax is angry, his lair was invaded, then he was taken by supprise, and now he has to watch his back every time to make sure he dosen’t get hit, and he can’t even see his opponent! “Show yourself you coward!” he screamed. “Coward? Isn’t cowardice when you leave a Toa team who far outnumbers you with an army, oh and an army who is seriously losing I might add, judging from the noise I’m hearing.” retorted Solek. He launched a shadow edge, then a burst of shadows from behind Icarax while he was busy dodging the shadow edge. Icarax was now enraged, and he increased the gravity in the hall, so that everything but the walls and ceiling were pinned to the floor. Solek suddenly lost concentration on remaining invisible, but while Icarax was looking away, he caught him in a fist of shadow to break his concentration. Icarax now had a look of murderous fury, to which Solek met by tossing across the hall and shading out of sight.

Radiak and the rest of the team were not amused. The main five were the only ones putting up much of a challenge, but the minor Rahkshi kept getting in the way of them, taking the hits instead of the Toa, givint them the edge to take the assailants down. Radiak sent a shockwave of fire towards a group of raakshi and the corrupt Toa of Ice, and when it hit them, Gavla threw up a pillar of water, effectively tossing them to all corners of the chamber. Valeia was having ‘fun’ using her Olmak, creating a portal behind one of the opponents, then striking with all her might through that portal, or dropping them into each others attacks. Vican was busy sending crossbow bolts into Rahkshi, at one point hit a Rahkshi and it knocked the green one wide eyed into the energized protodermis pool. “Uh oh…” said Vican, who had an idea of what would happen next. An earsplitting screech echoed through the chamber, making it more unbearable than it already was, and from the pool, rose the Rahkshi, more powerful, larger, and the look in it’s spoke an anger that made one shudder. Unfortunatly, the Rahkshi that Vican knocked into the energized protodermis pool had power over density control, making it nearly impossible to hit, even Valeia’s portals didn’t affect it.

Solek swung his blade into Icarax’s skull, knocking him sensless, then tripping him, then using him as a battering ram into the chamber they had exited before, effectivly demolishing the door.

A sudden crash interrupted the battle in the chamber, and Icarax was floating facedown where the door once stood. “Who wants some of this!” yelled a disembodied voice. The body of Icarax flew into the large Rakshi, knocking it to the floor. The Solek apeared before a startled corrupt Toa of Air, then swung his staff into the head of the Toa, knocking him unconcious. He picked up the body, then shaded out, and threw it into the Rahkshi nearest to him. The Rahkshi that he knocked over earlier got up, now dangerously enraged, it decreased the density, then launched a spear of electricity. “We need to get out of here! Regroup and retreat!” shouted Radiak. Vican had other plans in mind however, he created this mess, and he would get them out of it. he used his mask to send screaming thoughts into the Rahkshi’s mind, disrupting its concentration, then sent a projectile into the head of the Rahkshi. He then rejoined the team, and they vanished into thin air through the portal of Valeia’s mask.

The Rahkshi got up, and it searched for its assailant, seeing that it fled, it roared in anger, and crushed a minor Rahkshi under its power. “Calm down, there will be another day, they can’t resist attacking us again.” soothed Icarax. He sat down upon his throne, pondering what he should do once the next event happens, if it does….

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Solek and Radiak were standing back to back, wondering what went wrong. They were supposed to do as much damage, then escape for the rest of the team to arrive…

…”I propose that Solek and I go and do as much damage to where Icarax is staying, then retreat and bring you back with us, attacking them while their off guard”…

… The plan failed, they were noticed immediatly, and they were now completely surrounded, and the only way out was through the army of Rahkshi, when Icarax arrived. “I suspected you’d do something like this, and I’m impressed with the amount of damage you caused, not to say that I’m not annoyed. However impressed I am, I cannot spare your lives or you’ll continue to be a nusiance to me. Kill them.” said Icarax, then left, leaving the two Toa alone to contend with the hundreds of Rahkshi. “Any Ideas?” asked Solek. Radiak only nodded, not trusting himself to speak without being overheard by those whom they cannot see. Radiak created a wall of fire between them and the Rahkshi, then tapped Solek and pointed up toward a grate on the ceiling. Solek caught on, and he stepped on his sword and grabbed Radiak as he flew up to the grate, crashing into it and shattering to pieces. The grate led them to another floor, and they saw thousands of sleeping Rahkshi armor, ready to be awakened by the kraata that posses them. Solek and Radiak walked out the door, and they ran into another Rahkshi, whom Solek incapacitated with one swing of his sword, but the crunch echoed through the halls, alerting the Rahkshi to where the Toa were. Solek hid himself and Radiak by turning them invisible. They crept out the door, and saw dozens of Rahkshi marching throughout the hallway, obviously searching for them. They headed for the door that led to the chamber that held the portal, and exited through the door/portal. When they were out in the open, they released a breath that they had been holding, afraid that the Rahkshi would hear them.

When they reached camp, the rest of the team greeted them with questions, to which Radiak only answered, “We should strike now, the Rahkshi are in disarray, they were only searching for two Toa, and if six suddenly apear, they will be supprised, and confused because their orders were to capture two Toa, not six.” Valeia opened a portal and they stepped through it and entered the chamber that they fought in before.

They entered the chamber, and this time they were lucky because this time Icarax was elsewhere. Valeia sent a vine down the wall, and ordered it to grab any moving object that it touched. She binded each Rahkshi that it brought back, and then sent each one through a portal leading to a universe that held nothing. Then after a few dozen or so, she opened a portal into where Solek said the Rahkshi were created, and when they arrived, Ihn tore everything in the room apart, then Valeia opened the portal to the hall that he were last in. Icarax was there this time, and he was not very happy. “You six, have been giving me so much trouble every time we meet, you ran a seige in New Atero, destroying many of my children, then you botched my conquest of Metru-Nui, then you attack my dwelling, giving me a mess to clean up. I now have to rebuild the Rahkshi breeding stasis chambers, and do you know how difficult that is to do!?” screamed Icarax. He called upon the Rahkshi and corrupt Toa, and this time he joined the fight.

Shadow energy and elemental powers were in a storm of Chaos, and anything caught between it was instantly destroyed. Ihn slammed the corrupt Toa of Ice into a wall, then grabbed him by the neck and threw him into Icarax. Solek was tormenting Icarax, suddenly a corrupt Toa was flying into Icarax, who was now unbalanced, and Solek was obliged to knock him over. Vican was using his mask to keep the green Rahkshi from changing its density, and keeping it in a whirlind so that it cannot attack him. Radiak aided him by pinning the Rahkshi he was fighting, then throwing him into the Vicans cyclone, and now the two Rahkshi are banging against each other, and is now sensless enough no to not know who is the enemy. Valeia is playing with her prey, so to say. She created two fists of vines, then she grabbed the corrupt Toa of Air, and slamed him to the floor, then pulverized him under the other fist, then sent him through a portal that made him fall through the ceiling, then punched him into the Rahkshi that Gavla was fighting. Gavla and the blue and silver Rahkshi were trading blows and jets of water, when it fell under the weight of the corrupt Toa of Air. Gavla then created a geyser, that ripped the floor open and sent them into the cyclone that raged in the center of the hall. Vicans whirlwind is now overflowing, and the foes within it flew all directions and hit the walls, knocking them unconcious. Now all the dangerous foes were littering the floors unconscious, unaware of the fact that the team is now on rampaging through the halls, causing mayhem and tearing down walls. Ihn then decided to tear down the very foundations of the lair, and the halls shook, unstable. Valeia opened a portal to their camp, and now they excape through it to avoid being crushed by the downfall of the lair.

Now that the major problem was solved, New Atero could now be free of the tyrants that ran it, the Rahkshi were driven out, and the buildings were rebuilt. They filled in the caves and tunnels so that furture incidents like this wouldn’t occure. But Icarax was not gone, Solek knew that, he wouldn’t tell the rest of the team, they deserved their rest, be he knew.

Deep down under the rubble of Destral, a figure walked over it. They think that I have gone, but I haven’t, I’ll have to reloacate myself,but I am not defeated, I’ll come back, and when I do, those who defied me will regret the that they have roused the wrath of Icarax. Five other figurs apeared behind him, and they disapeared unto the shrouded shadows, unseen by eyes who do not know shadows.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Saga of The Prophecy End-Light Begins

Today is bleak,
And Tomorrow will bring light

And Tomorrow will bring light

At a Ga-Matoran village…
Taela and her friends were having fun, they were running around the village playing, steal the kanohi. “Got you!” Taela said. “Hey Taela! Catch!” yelled a matoran from a roof top. She caught a kanoka, and she threw it back. She kept running, and didn’t notice the energized protodermis pool she was about to fall into. “Taela! Look out!” called out a matoran. Taela looked up, and saw the pool, she tried to stop, but it was too late, momentum carried her and she flew into the pool. “You think she’ll be okay?” asked one of the matoran. “Haven’t you heard the stories? Those who fall in a energized protodermis pool usually don’t come out alive, and those who do come out mutated and scary, with the exeption of the Toa Nuva that is. Come on, lets go, I don’t want to be around if she comes back up.” replied another matoran. The left the site, so they didn’t see the hand of a perfectly well Toa emerge, with the mask that Taela wore.

At Metru-Nui…
Solek was in a training stadium, and his opponent was Lariska. “Are you serious? Your supposed to be tough! Don’t make me regret this!” she screamed. Solek was going easy on her, but now he didn’t think that doing that was such a good idea. He made himself invisible, and activated his mask of stealth. “This hard enough for you?” he called back. He struck at her back when she turned around, expecting him to attack her from behind, she was partly correct. She threw a dagger where Solek had struck from, but he was long gone. Solek grabbed her with a shadow fist, then threw her into a wall. He toyed around with her a little, like a Muaka toying with its prey. He eventually got bored, and apeared before her with his blade at her neck. “Give up, this bores me. Unless you like pain that is.” he said. Lariska gave up and walked out of the stadium, deflated that she lost so badly.

Radiak was talking with Ihn and Vican. “I say that we build it there!” said Vican. They were discussing where they should build their hut, and they ended up in an argument. “No! We build it closer to the gate, if an attack happens, we would be the first to know!” screemed Ihn. “An attack will never happen, I say we build it next to Ga-Metru, imported goods are always going there, and we won’t have to walk a long way to get there to purchase them!” retorted Vican. “I happen to agree with Ihn, we need to be ready at all costs.” said Radiak. “Sure, agree with this daughter of a Karzahni” “What did you call me!” Ihn screamed. “I think we had better leave this discussion, it’s making us vionlent, we had better discuss it when we’re calmer.” said Radiak. Ihn and Vican left the site, angry at each other for not seeing the others prospective. Radiak sighed. “How are we going to find out where we live if we don’t agree on it first?” he sighed again.

At the Ga-matoran village…
Taela was playing around with her elemental abilities, juggling around balls of light, then sending them into a wall and having them bounce back. A Turaga entered. “You’r abilities are not toys Taela, stop playing with them!” he shouted crossly. The Turaga of the village was formerly a Toa of Plasma, explaining why he was male, the village had never had a Turaga until he came along. “You, need to learn how to control your abilitis, which I see you have some of. But theres more to that than just making bouncable balls of light and juggling them. It’s peculiar how you became a Toa of Light, anyone would have guessed water as your element.” “I apologize Turaga, I’ll never use my powers for entertainment again.” said Taela. “See that you do not, for it is dangerous to do so. Now, come with me.” he led her to a dome that she never noticed before. “This, is an area for training Toa, I used it when I became a Toa, It’s collapsable, meaning that you can bring it wherever you need to. come inside. The inside was bland, there was nothing, exept for a floating piece that was apparently a tablet. “Say your element.” instructed the Turaga. “Light.” Taela said, feeling a little embarassed. To her suprise, the metal dome transformed into a dome of mirrors. “Now, concentrate your energy into your finger, I don’t know why you don’t have a weapon, but it’s apparent that you are to recieve it when the time comes, so you will have to make do with what you have.” Taela obeyed, and a beam of light shot into the mirror, and it bounced back, now ricocheting off of all the mirrored walls, forcing the Turaga and Taela to hit the floor. “Concentrate on trying to absorb it, think about it like breathing in!” shouted the Turaga over the loud noise of the light bouncing back and forth all over the domed walls. Taela did as told once again, and this time the light disapeared into nothingness. By the time training was over, Taela was tired, and ready to collapse, but she wanted to try one more thing. She raised and lowered the amount of light around her, bending it so that she was invisivle. Someone bumped into her, making her cry out. “Please spare me!” cried the matoran. “I did nothing to anger you oh spirit, please spare me!” Taela reapeared, and tried to reasure her. She decided to do experiments from withing her hut frome now on, so as not to scare more matoran.

At Icarax’s new lair…
“Bring me the Toa of Air.” commanded Icarax. The insectoid mutant came forth and asked, “What is your bidding?” “I believe that your one elemental ability makes you a liability, so I decided to make you, a Shadow Toa. Climb into the pool before you.” said Icarax. The corrupted Toa did what Icarax comanded to do and as he did, he heard a splash. What came out, was once again different from Icarax expected, due to his mutational powers, the corrupted Toa of Air whenever exposed to energized protodermis, would adapt upon that element, and become what substance it came from, and in this case, a Makuta, but he was not a full Makuta, only a lesser version. “So, the laws of nature defy me again, but, I need more than just another of my kind, Rahkshi!” ten Rahkshi came forth and Icarax commanded, “Bring me a Toa, and use any means nessesary, from what I know, a new Toa has been born, and it is a Toa of Light, avoid her, and bring me a Toa, any Toa, so that I may begin my experiments.” The Rahkshi went off to do his bidding, and the shrouded shadows became darker.[/color]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Taela is farther from the village than she had ever been, she and the turaga are out on the beach, kios away from the village. “We are out here, in case you were wondering, because if your mask power is something like say… gravity, the village would be half destroyed because you couldn’t or don’t know how to control it.” said the Turaga. “But wouldn’t you be harmed out here alone with me? Wouldn’t this endanger your well being?” asked Taela, concerned. “It is a risk that I will have to take, because it is my duty to train you to your full potential, because your coming signals a threat that may very well endanger the universe itself. Now, no more questions, it’s time to begin. Focus your mind, picture your mask glowing, or imagine that it’s working. Then, ask yourself, what is the mask power your gifted with. And, last, mentaly ask the mask to work whatever powers it’s hidden.” Taela listened, and concentrated on doing what the Turaga asked her to do. At first, nothing happened, then the landscape changed, and she was by herself. She looked around for the Turaga, and saw him a kio away, running up to attempt to catch up with her. When he finnaly stood beside her, he said, “The mask you wear is Kanohi Kualsi, the mask of quick travel, it grants you the ability to travel as far as you can see in a blink of an eye, and alows you to travel through transparent barriers, meaning that even a shielded fortress will be powerless before you.” “Is it dangerous to use?” asked Taela. “No, but, it is risky if you see through the mind of a Suletu user, because the image is not clear. However, a Toa of Psionics will indefinetly work, because the mental image will be clearer than it would be if used by a Suletu, but as I said, it still has an element of risk to it.” Taela and the Turaga traveled back to the village, and when they arrived, docking their boat on the small islands shore, they arrived to see the village in smoldering ruins. Matoran were on the floor groaning in pain, many more were dead, and piled in mass corpses. “What happened here?!” exclaimed Taela alarmed. A surviver (her best friend who had fortunatly survived) said,”R-r-r-rahkshi entered the village, they were none that I had ever seen… I don’t k-k-k-know how they entered the v-v-village in the first place, they demand that w-w-we give them a T-t-toa or they w-w-would kill us all. T-t-they left as soon as w-w-we explained that you w-w-w-were not here, a-a-and that you were a Toa of Light, b-b-but not before they killed or injured m-m-many of us.” stammered the matoran. Taela was furious, but she was afraid the most, because she was inexperienced as a Toa, and her training was unfortunatly short, and she knew the Turaga would halt it so that she would protect the village, but what came out of his mouth was different than what she thought, “I know of a team of Toa, who may know of this threat. The Rahkshi will not come back, I know because they left because they are afraid of you, and they do not know if you are experienced or not, because it could be the legendary Takanuva that your friend spoke of.” He led her to a underground tunnel that she never knew of and said, “This I, expect, is how the Rahkshi came to be here. Use this to travel, use your mask as well, for when I came, the journey was very long, and you have no time to waste, because who knows where the Toa team I spoke of will be when you arrive at Metru-Nui, their current location.” She set off, not knowing how treaterous her journey would be, because the Rahkshi are already heading for Metru-Nui.

At Metru-Nui…
“Gaurdians! Gaurdians! Gather! I have news of an attack from Rahkshi on a village across the sea on an island! A traveler saw smoke over the horizon and used a telescope to see what it was and saw a blackened mess! He went to investigate and asked what happened, and the answer has been traveling throughout all of Spherus Magna!” yelled a matoran “It’s Icarax, I know it’s him, I had a feeling that we didn’t finish him off when his lair colapsed, and I was right.” said Solek. Everyone looked at him shocked and Vican said, “It can’t be him, how do you know your right? You can’t be sure that every Rahkshi attack is going to be him!” “There hasn’t been any sighn of Rahkshi, and even if this was an random attack, it’s too coordinated to be anything but Icarax.” At this, everyone looked sullen, because they thought they saw the last of Icarax, and now that he were back, war was invitable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Taela was now out in the open, but she was greeted by a Rahkshi, guarding the tunnel in case a Toa came out of it. It didn’t notice her yet, and she didn’t move exept to turn herself invisible. At some point the Rahkshi looked toward the tunnel, she stopped breathing, in case the Rahkshi heard her. The hours and minuits dragged by, and she was afraid that she would never be able to move. Then she remembered her mask power, which allows her to travel far distances as far as she can see. She saw a sand dune, and when she was there using her ability, she didn’t stop running until the Rahkshi was far out of sight, and she kept walking until she met a gated wall, and two husky guards lowered their weapons. “What is your buisness or intentions to be here?” asked the first guard. “Is this Metru-Nui? I am supposed to look for a certain team of Toa there apparently.” replied Taela. “Ha haaa!” gufawed the second guard, “She asks if this is Metru-Nui! She must be a half wit to know this is knowhere near the size of the city of legends!” “I’m sorry, but I have never been far from my village, I don’t know whats so funny.” retorted Taela. “Listen to her you fool, you had never taken anything seriously. No, to answer your question, this is not Metru-Nui, this is the Order of Mata Nui’s base, and I suggest you leave, everything here is… clasified information. If you want to know where Metru-Nui is, head west, and keep going until you see thick protodermis walls with crossbows, then you will know you have arrived.” He then proceeded to acting as if she wasn’t there and he had never met her. The other was however, not so smart, he proceede to talking to Taela, trying to make a conversation, “So, are you from the village that was nearly destroyed by the Rahkshi attack? Why are you away from the village? Why are you headed toward Metru-Nui? Where do you…..” He continued this until “What… do… you… think… your… doing?” Helryx, the head of The Order, came out, obviously agitated. “You, are not supposed to converse, never forget that I can always wipe your memory clean, then force you among the senior members of this order, your job is to gaurd this gate until I say otherwise, do I make myself clear?” The member muttered his response and Helryx left to other perameters of the building. Taela left, afraid of what would happen to her if she stayed around longer.

At Metru-Nui…
As soon as Solek mentioned the name Icarax, everyone diverted their attention, looked at Solek, and panicked. All around the team, the Toa and Glatorian ran off to warn elders and the Turaga of Metru-Nui, and within a matter of hours, everyone was already taking positions and shifts at the crossbows, the catapults were out early, and now instead of two guards at the gate, ten were now posted. Chaos reined, Matoran and Agori were ushered into the Grand Coleseum, and when that was too full, others were moved to empty Bohrok nests or the Archives. The Toa Nuva were standing on watch until needed to be spoken to by the Turaga. The team were kept under guard to be used at the right time, so as not to be assasinated before then. “This is ridiculous, we are capable of holding our own, wy do we have to be held up like this?” said Valeia. The door opened, and a Glatorian said, “You are needed at the chambers.” They were escorted to the meeting room, where they were met by the Turaga’s worried faces. “We have detected a movement along this world, and the Rahkshi seems to be searching for something. It is a matter of time before they reach Metru-Nui, and we fear the worst.” said Dume. The team looked at each other, and left the room.

With Taela…
Taela left the village and headed toward Metru-Nui, not far from where she was at. She arrived at a site that rivaled, no, was greater than the stronghold she saw many days ago. She was marveling the site, but was suddenly set upon by three Rahkshi, they overpowered her, and were about to pick her up, when a voice shouted, “Unhand her, there will be no abductions tonight.” The Rahkshi looked toward the direction where the voice came from and screeched. The voice that said it sounded like it meant buisness, and Taela looked up and… saw nothing. Puzzled, she looked around, then saw the Rahkshi being knocked around like toys, one suddenly had the head crushed, then the craata inside it was flung into the face of the second Rahkshi, who was hit by a bolt of shadow that mateirialized from air, and its staff was flung at the third Rahkshi and impaled the midsection of the last. A gold, white, and black figure apeared before her and said, “This place isn’t healthy, I had better get you inside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At Metru-Nui…
Solek walked the unknown Toa through the gate, but what he didn’t see was that a Rahkshi slipped through the wall, and carried another Toa with it. He brought her before the Turaga, and said, “I found her outside the walls, tackled by Rahkshi, apparently they are hoping to capture Toa, though I don’t understand what for.” “I believe that it may have something to do with your Makuta’s sinister plans, I don’t know what they are, but I do know that it is not good.” said Dume. Nuju got up, and gave very disturbing news, “I have read the stars, and they say that a new Makuta has come to being, if he works with Icarax, I believe that our predicament will be more complicated.” “This is truly disturbing,” said Gali, “Icarax was already a problem to begin with, and the new Makuta, even if he does not work with Icarax, will certainly add to our problem, but I ask, what do you think Icarax wants with Toa? Haven’t Toa given the Makuta enough trouble?” “I believe that he intends to torture information from the Toa, then kill him, though this method has always failed, so I don’t know what else it could be.” replied Solek. This caused many mutterings, until Nuju interupted, “I have not finished speaking, I have more news than this, the stars also speak of a new Toa coming to Metru-Nui, and that she would join the Nui to fight this evil, and that would be you, tell us your name.” The Toa shifted, and said, “I’m Taela, I come from a village that has been destroyed by Rahkshi, and my Turaga said that I would find a team of Toa that had previously conquered this evil, do you know who this team would be?” “That would be us, we are the Toa Nui, and since Nuju says that you would join us, welcome.” said Radiak. Taela bumped fists with him, and they averted their gaze to Dume, who said, “You are all dismissed, there is nothing to discuss.” everyone left, but Dume stayed behind and said to himself, “If we cannot defeat him this time, we are doomed”. He sighed and left the chamber.

At Icarax’s lair…
A Rahkshi brought the Toa Icarax ordered to bring and dropped him at his feet. “You will join me, I give you this choice.” Icarax said. “And why would I do that? Your kind has brought suffering to the world, and it is the Toa’s duty to cleanse the world of your kind.” retorted the Toa. “I did not ask you, I demanded, and since you refuse, Rahkshi, drag him to the pit of energized protodermis, and one of you jump in, carrying a kraata.” Two Rahkshi did his bidding, carrying the screaming Toa, “You’ll regret this! Your past will catch up to you, and you’ll regret this!” He went in with a loud splash, then one of the Rahkshi jumped ine, taking the Rahkshi’s next to its kraata with it. Then Icarax threw a bolt of shadow, that was absorbed into the energized protodermis. A tall, black figure emerged, it’s eyes glowing red, and it unleased a bolt of shadow, destroying a cliff inside where they stood.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At Metru-Nui…
Taela stood over the balcony of the walls overlooking the outside of the city, she saw nothing but sand. A tap on her shoulder startled her, but it was only Solek. “I’ve spoken with my team, and we think that maybe you are the one destined to hold these weapons, but we can only be sure if you are able to absorb it.” he said, holding out the box that he and his team had carried for a long time. Taela took the weapon, and it disapeared in a flash of light. “So you are the destined one for the weapon, if you need it, all you need to do is will it with your mind, and it will appear before you no matter what.” With that, he leaped over the wall before she could ask him any questions. Alarmed, she looked over the balcony, but instead of seeing him sprawled on the floor, to her amazement, he flew away, standing on the flat of his sword. She went back to her duty, looking over the walls for enemies.

At Icarax’s lair…
“They believe that I will attack once I regroup my forces. They are mistaken, I must wait for the right time, of course, it tortures them, waiting for me to attack, not knowing when.” Icarax turned to the Rahkshi assembled, “I want you to moniter the villages and cities, and you will alert me when the point of time has come, and I will give the command to attack. They will not be prepared for a mass attack, and by attacking all of the settlements, they cannot travel with forces to aid other villages or cities. Do not ignore the Order though, they will try to interfere, and we cannot moniter them for they will know, but we will be on step ahead of them, we will set armies toward all entrances to the villages and cities, making entry impossible, and each army will have a backup, and in case this fails, I will have a Rahkshi army in the skies attack from above, and another from underneath the ground.” The Rahkshi went and carried out his plans, and he flicked a switch, and released more Rahkshi from the breeding chamber into the caves. He turned to an assembled Rahkshi group with distinctive markings, and said, “I created you to be more powerful than the rest, your armor is made of a substance I discovered stronger than protodermis, but the supplies was used completely on you, and elemental powers are reduced by half when they strike, a mechanism proving hard to make, I cannot make anything stronger, and the supplies, once again, have been used soely on you. You are to be my generals in this war, for I have also gifted you with intelligence, unlike the normal breed.” The assembled group went their separate ways to lead the various armies, and Icarax gave a sinister smile, his plan had been set into motion.

At Metru-Nui…
Taela woke up when someone shook her. She looked up to a Glatorian who said, “I’m here to take your shift, you dozed off for a while, I don’t blame you, considering that you hadn’t slept at all last night.” She thanked him, and walked off. Unseen to her, the Glatorian smiled, and not a friendly one, an evil sinister grin that would have sent chills down her spine if she saw it. She walked down the wall, and ran into Radiak, who said, “I’ve been waiting for you to end your shift, Solek told me what happened, and we want to test your abilities a little, in a sparring bout, a word of warning though, don’t let your gaurd down.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Taela can’t see her opponent, and she can’t hear him either, but fortunatly, niether can he. Taela was in a sparring bout with Solek, and he did something similar to her ability first, giving no chances, and now each is waiting for the other to make a move. Taela waited, and still no movement. Taela had decided that if they were to play a waiting game, that she would win, little does she know that Solek is merely biding his time.

Solek has everything planned out, now all he has to do is wait for the right moment, when an eclipse came, he knew that it would come, studying the time and frame, but it was only last minuite, for his origanal plan was to wait until night. The sky suddenly started to turn dark, and that was when he made his move, but Taela was prepared for this.

Taela had planned in the event that if darkness enveloped the stadium, she would cast a dome of light, completly blinding Solek, what she didn’t expect was Solek to react by pushing back by creating a shadow dome, which caused the two to merge into a dome of swirling energy, unsafe to pass unless one or the other releases their hold on the energy within it.

Solek now has a problem, the merged domes now put the arena back into the way it was seen before the eclipse, and he needed a way to get rid of this dome before the eclipse ends. He decides to send a shadow edge into the middle of the stadium, hoping to hit Taela.

Taela sees the shadow edge and where it came from, and she uses her mask and strikes with her staff at where Solek was before, only to hit empty air.

Solek heard the whistle of a blade through air and attacks where he heard it, and heard a cry of pain, when Taela emerged from nowhere, but she latched onto his blade and flipped him to the ground.

Taela’s opponent is now visible, and she releases the sphere trapped inside of her staff and reloads it when Solek dodges.

Solek now exchanges blows and strikes with Taela, he is cut several times, but matches those cuts with hers. They continue until they hear a loud and clear voice shouting, “STOP!”

Radiak decided he had enough information of how good Taela is, and he called for the halt of the sparring bout, no need for them to be exausted or dead when the time comes when they need the whole team to be present.

At Icarax’s lair…
A Rahkshi aproaches and screeches it’s conversation with him. “It is time.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Still nothing thought one of the guards. He turned to his companion to complain, only to look into the face of a Rahkshi, he was instantly slain. The Rahkshi looked around, and threw the body into a bin nearby. It reverted back to the form of a guard, and walked up to the guard holding the alarm signal. It shrugged off its illusion, drew back its staff, and… the Rahkshi fell, under the power of Solek’s sword. “I thought there was something wrong with the way this guard was acting.” Solek threw the Rahkshi over the wall, and said to the guard, “Sound the alarm, this Rahkshi must have been here to extort some kind of signal, if it has, we need to be prepared.” The guard blew several blasts into the horn, and it was answered by many others. The Bohrok rolled out of their nests and were loaded into the catapults, Toa and Glatorian swarmed out of the gates, followed by the Dark Hunters, and the crossbows and newly latched cordak blasters were mounted. A black speck grew in the horizon, and as it grew nearer, Taela, wide eyed, said, “Oh Mata Nui, there must be millions of them!” Solek and the rest nodded, and they waited for the Rahkshi to get nearer. “Fire” shouted the commanding voice of Tahu. The Toa mounting the crossbows set their elemental powers upon them and fired them into the aproaching army with devastating power, and Glatorian shot down many more with the explosive power of the cordak blasters. Glatorian in the frontlines fired their thornax launchers, and retreated to the back to reload and fired them again. The advancing Rahkshi army was still sizable, and the catapults were fired. The Bohrok in each of the catapults crushed several Rahkshi in their wake and a few unfurled to attack the enemy, while others stayed in spherical form and rolled over or batted away the Rahkshi. The size of the army was still enormous. Now the defenders charged with their battle cries to meet the Rahkshi, and Taela fired a thin beam of light through the army, impaling many, and incapitating many more for their side to defeat. Solek crushed many under a fist of shadows, and swatted away more like they were insects. Ihn ripped up layers of earth with her power, along with several Rahkshi, and flipped it over and slammed it upon the back of the enemy army. A Glatorian nearby was slain, but replaced by another who in turn decapitated the Rahkshi who killed his companion. The war waged on, no real victor determined. At the center of the battlefield, a cyclone was raging, Vican at the center of it, sending many Rahkshi into the air. A few Rahkshi banded together and killed many of the defenders, until they were melted to slag by the power of Radiak joined with a Toa of Plasma. The war still had no victor. Eight Rahkshi were brought down by a team of Bohrok, frozen and shattered. Ihn joined together with a Toa of Earth and a Toa of fire, and they set about creating a makeshift meteor, they called for a retreat so that they would not harm any fellow allies, and sent it into the army of Rahkshi. The defenders charged back into the fray, fighting and dieing for Metru-Nui. Night began to fall, making it hard to see, Taela decided to illuminate the way for her allies. The Rahkshi army was still powerful. Taela decided to try something she had never done before, she sliced one Rahkshi with a laser, and used her mask to apear right in front of another and do the same over again. The Elite were released from the gates, decimating more Rahkshi in their paths. Still no winner. The war waged until there was no end, the Rahkshi were pushing the defenders, and the defenders pushed back. More Bohrok were released through the gates. A fallen Rahkshi was replaced by several more, and so on and so on. Still no victory for either sides. The sides both began to tire, they pushed until they could push no more, and they sides retreated to fight again the next day, when they were ready and not so weary.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The team sat oposite of the Turaga and the Toa Nuva in the council chambers. “I say that we should bring in Teridax and Miserix, seeing as they are Makuta which grants them cinsiderable power, and know Rahkshi better than we do.” said Vakama. “Yes, they are powerful indeed, and we trust them at least Teridax, to some degree, but unfortunatly they don’t allways see eye to eye, and their tempers can be…. destructive.” replied Dume. The other Turaga murmered and nodded in agreement, seeing the destructive power of the two in an argument, and of course, the cleanup that followed it, amazingly, no-one was ever hurt in one of their spats, but it became so frequent that they had to be separated. “If they have trouble it will be good for us, remember, they will be behind enemy lines, so if they start to become destructive, it will only harm Icarax’s moral, not us.” said Ihn. The rest of the Toa at the table nodded, seeing the logic in her words. “Whats to keep them from being destructive when we bring them together? They will certainly treat each other with disdain, and the insut to one another will certainly have an reaction.” antagonized Matau. “We will bring them to the enemy camp separatly, and point them in that direction, then run and avoid being caught in one of their power struggles.” The rest of the council agreed to this solution, and they asked for the team to keep track of Miserix, seeing as they were the only ones to ever have luck against a truly powerful Makuta.

“Okay you two, if you insult each other one more time, I will personaly strangle you.” said Solek, who’s nerves were being run over the edge, because the two Makuta were arguing and insulting each other in a loud degree. The two kept arguing, regardless of Solek’s threats, and Solek decided to act upon this. He created two hands of shadows, and grabbed the two by their necks while they weren’t looking, Miserix not aparently affected. “Now, will you be as kind to be silent? Or do I have to bash your heads together to make you stop?” asked Solek. “Go ahead, I am not affected by sleep, or unconscousness, seeing as I am an entity of shadow in armor.” sneered Miserix. “Well, it would certainly be a problem if you were stuck in a bottle instead of a shell, isn’t it? I can allways have Ihn rip open your armor, or if she doesen’t, Valeia is allways there to use her mask to send something… unpleasent as a gift.” The prospect of being stuck in a bottle was too much for Miserix aparently, for he gave in to Solek’s demands. The two walked with the group, looking away, not wanting to give each other any pleasure of acknowledgment. The walk continued until they reached what apeared to be a sheilded stronghold, of course Icarax wasn’t taking any chances because of his last failure. Taela conunteared to go in to shut down the sheild, but the rest of the team decided against it, saying that it would be too dangerous to go alone. They decided to wait until the Rahkshi shut down the feild when they attack to make their, move, and made separate camps to keep the two Makuta apart.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dawn, still no movement, Icarax obviously wan’t taking any chances. “We still wait, what did you bring us here for? This is not what I should be doing, wasting my time.” rumbled Miserix. “We didn’t expect for this to take so long, now be quiet or it’ll be a pleasure to see if you’re antidermis can breathe in water, don’t worry, I won’t kill you, just give you a little…. bath, after all, you must not have had a clean body for a long time.” threatened Galva, irratated. The threat had an immediate affect on Miserix’s mood, more specifically, made it more foul. “How dare you speak to me in such a way! I am the iamge of power, the lord of lords, I could crush you like an insignificant flee, and not care about it!” “Try it, and I’ll see to it that you end up in a laboratory as a test subject, in a jar.” said Solek. “And what, do you think you can do to me? You are but a child in the ways of shadows, you cannot best me!” “Oh realy? How do you fight something you can’t see or hear?” “No such thing exists, unless you can show me.” “Be careful what you wish for, I may just do so.” with this, Solek walked off, not wanting to be have to give a demonstration of just how dangerous he could be. “Coward! You could not prove a flea of any power, let alone me!” Miserix bellowed, clearly not done with him yet. Suddenly Solek disapeared, and a moment later, he was an Miserix’s back, pressing his sword point at the large Makuta’s long throat. “As I said, be careful what you wish for.” Solek walked away to check on the progress. Miserix was fuming, but he didn’t dare attack, knowing that there was no way to combat Solek, as his shadow power would be simply absorbed, and of course gravatic power took too much concentration in a large field. Solek stood overlooking the enemy camp, and there was still no absence of an energy sheild. Solek was about to leave when Taela walke up to him. “So, still stern on staying together?” she asked, sarcasm dripping. “Yes, because staying together has been vital for this team, so we intend to keep it that way.” snapped Solek, and walked off. Taela looked over at the field of energy, and the world still lays quiet. She noticed a movement, and saw that the Rahkshi are moving out of the field. “The field doesn’t affect Rahkshi!” she shouted, but quiet enough so that the Rahkshi would not hear her. The rest of the camp poured out of their shelters, so that they may see what is happening. They stood with their mouths agape, because they beleived that the energy field would have to be shut down in order for the Rahkshi to leave the fortress. The group silently strided toward the advancing army. Teridax jumped into action, swinging his hammer and felling three with one blow, then proceeding to go with a spinning rage of destrution, his hammer smashing into the armor of the Rahkshi. Miserix gave himself some amusment by reducing the gravity around a group of Rahkhsi and watching them float and be crushed by a ceiling of shadow he had created. A Rahkshi fired its heat vision before it was crushed, leaving a scarr on Miserix’s armor, though it did not peirce it. It was enough to anger him though, and Miserix threw his spear and watched as it impaled several Rahkshi, and he ripped several others apart with magnetim, and crushing many more with the remains of those he had destroyed. The Rahkshi army was still advancing from the fortress, and now the team joined by the Toa Nuva attacked, sending elemental energy flying all over the known area. A Rahkshi narrowly missed Vicans mask with it’s staff, and he stabbed it, then kicked it into another Rahkshi nearby. He created a small cyclone, and sent it into a group of Rahkshi overpowering Reidiak. Gavla piledrived a Rahkshi with her fists, then sent a stream of water, pushing the Rahkshi into many others, then she ran towards the mess, picking up her scythe as she went. Solek got there first however, and proceeded to destroying the kraata housed armor. The Rahkshi moved back, and the group felt elated, thinking that they had won, but their hopes fell when the army of Rahkshi parted, revealing the teams hated enemy… Icarax. “Well well well, what have we here, still protecting this region are we?” he taunted And now you have two Makuta to help you, how nice, however, I too have help of another Makuta, and a Shadow Toa as well.” Icarax gestured to the assembled team of Rahkshi, Toa, and a Makuta. “I would like to stick around to see you die, but I have other pressing matter to attend t…” He was cut of as a laser was fired, singeing his mask. He growled and looked to see who did this, and his eyes laid upon a smug looking Taela. “You will regret that.” “I doubt it.” retorted Taela. Icarax reared to swing his shadow reaper into her, but was kicked to the floor by Teridax, a sphere of light swirling in his hand. Icarax snarled and grabbed Teridax with a shadow hand, but Teridax merly shrugged it off, further enraging Icarax.The tension now broke, and the six others now joined in the attack. Solek fought with the Makuta, who had a power over air as well, which suprised him. “I am Makuta Trifalthax, and you are dead.” the Makuta said, revealing his name. Solek dodged a strike, and the quickness of the blows prevented him to have time to concentrate on shading out of view. Taela joined Teridax in fighting Icarax, and they pelted him with raining light. Teridax swung his hammer into Icarax, knocking him sprawled onto the floor. Taela proceeded to firing the sphere at the end of her staff, and it hit Icarax as he got up, and he flew into a cliff wall. “Looks like this is a Makuta hating party, care if I join?” shouted Takanuva, who apeared from nowhere. He jumped and swung his fist into Icarax’s face, causing him to stagger. Takanuva was not alone, he brought with him more of Metru-Nui’s defenders, and the true war commenced.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At Vulcanus…
Vulcanus is normally a peacful place, and Raanu now overlooks the war overhead and shakes his head. “Elder, one of the messengers have returned.” one of the Matoran who have taken residence in Vulcanus anounced. Raanu had sent a patrol of messengers out to various cities and villages to ask for help, because it would give them a better advantage in numbers. “Raanu, unfortunately, as soon as we reached the ford, we were set upon by Rahkshi. Unfortunately, everyone was killed, I am the only surviver. When I escaped, I was close enough to the Metru-Nui to see it over the horizon, and it seems that they too, are at war.” Raanu sighed and turned to the platform overlooking the still waging battle. “Why all this pointless death and destruction?” he asked to no one in particular, and his reply was nothing.

At the war…
Taela fought vigorously with the other gaurdians of light, and now Icarax has been joined by the Makuta and the Shadow Toa. Solek had just entered the fight, helping the three fight back the power of shadows with his own, absorbing all forms of harmful shadow energy. Taela sent a wide beam of light, knocking the Makuta known as Trifalthax to the floor. Teridax kicks Icarax in the legs, tripping him, and swings his hammer into his stomach, causing Icarax to scream in pain, who in turn repayed Teridax by smashing him with a shadow fist. Taela and Solek combines their elemental energy, and sends a conjures of light and shadows from beneath the Makuta, sending him flying into the air. Teridax saw this, and he jumped, then swung his hammer into the Makuta, and used momentum to slam Trifalthax into a wide eyed Icarax. Takanuva kicked the Shadow Toa into the pile, and he, Teridax, and Taela worked their power over light into a large fist, and brought it down onto the masters of shadows, but Icarax teleported them out of the way, leaving the fist crashing uselesly into the sands. It was not, however as useless as they thought, as it caused a ripple through the ground, knocking many Rahkshi over, though some of their allies were tripped as well. The absence of Icarax’s power gave the overall battle some advantage toward the defenders of Metru-Nui, and Miserix raged throughout the battlefield, mutating Rahkshi into insects one at a time, and crushing them with his spear laced with crackling lightning. The battle continued until not a single Rahkshi was left standing, or in one piece, though Teridax and Miserix did all the work, though the defenders tried their best to keep them separat, lest they harm them in their widely known rampages. Everyone traveled back towards Metru Nui, but as soon as they reached the gates, a loud explosion rocked the world. The defenders turned around, and they saw smoke trailing in the horizon, and the streaming of Rahkshi from the far east.

At Icarax’s lair…
“Bring me the coward.” Icarax demanded. He had recently learned that he was not the only one of his kind to have survived the extermination, as Teridax, lord of Shadows, need other Makuta to create Rahkshi for him. A stricken Makuta was dragged across the cavern floor, and dropped at his feet. “Ah, Makuta Kraata the first creator of the kraata that inhabits the shells we know as Rahkshi, how… fitting that Teridax let you live to create more Rahkshi for him, and do you know, who else survived?” “I know not, we were kept separate, in case Teridax was revolted against. If you wish to seek out our other brothers, you must find them yourself.” replied the Makuta darkly. “… If I was to offer you a position in my army, would you take it?” asked Icarax. “Yes, for if I don’t I know that you would kill me.” “HaHaHa… well put, you are smarter than I thought. I need more generals, one of my experimental Rakhshi General units have been reported destroyed by the Order, and I lack the rescources to create another, so you are in luck, the position is open, for if not, you would have to sart as a lowly servant.” “I thank you, and if I ever see Teridax, not likely that he survived, he will die.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At Metru-Nui…
“TAHU! How far do the catapults launch!” shouted Solek. Tahu walked up and said, “Not far enough, we will have to wait for them to get closer, meanwhile we stay prepared, and keep the two Makuta we have… separate.” The defenders split off into eighteen camps, guarrding all sides of the wall.

At Icarax’s lair…
“I have created another ten armies, the process is going well, and I have unearthed more materials for the creation of Rahkshi General units. The Order has been routed so far, though I do not know weterh or not we can hold our position against them, as they are a powerful organization.” Makuta Kraata reported. “Yes, I see that issuing you as general did me well, you helped me conquer a city, one that proved, resilient, I must hold back however, on the matter of Metru-Nui, let our children take care of it, I will not send the six either, I fully intend to tire out their forces, before I launch an attack on them, a Rahkshi I sent to infiltrate Metru-Nui in my early… attempt still resides there, it will tell me when the situation is in fruitility.” Icarax stated. “Yes, this plan is good, but maybe we should send more than one army, they have proved… difficult, even more resilient than the city I helped defeat, after all the Toa there, or a specific team, as you told me, defeated you in your early attempts, and they still frustrate you, as they now currently defend Metru-Nui.” “Yes, I suppose this idea is good, send all my forces to Metru-Nui, leave enough to hold the villages and cities from aiding them.” Makuta Kraata went to do as told, and Icarax turned to the six, “You are to fish out the rest of the surviving Makuta, I need as many powerful allies as possible, but before you do this, I require a certain artifact, an artifact of power, I need the staff of Artahka, I lost it once before, but this time, this time I will fuse it with the weapons I weild now.” The collection of Rahkshi, Makuta, and Toa walked off, and gathered a team of Rahkshi to do Icarax’s bidding.

At Vulcanus…
“Raanu! The Rahkshi army is leaving!” shouted Raanus attendant. Raanu turned to the windo, shocked, and saw indeed that they were leaving, but wait… they still left enough! Raanu looked at the direction that the Rahkshi were headed, and knew that that Metru-Nui was in complete danger.

At Metru-Nui, campsite 11…
“Solek, Radiak, Rahkshi have been sighted, pouring from all directions, and the ones we saw earlier have resided int the fortress the last army stayed in, and another arrived and are now erecting another as we are speaking, the energy field already up.” reported a Glatorian. Solek turned to Radiak, “It seems that Icarax is not taking any chances, he sends more than one army to us, intending to crush us, I think that we should erect a second and third wall, dome shaped with a gap, to distract them from getting in, and when they are sighted, we attack them while they are still averted from our attention, any that come into the gap will be instantly defeated, giving us less Rahkshi to contend with.” “Yes, the plan is not entirely flawless, but it is a good idea none of the less, and we should also have Toa of Ice cover the outside layers of the walls with smooth polished ice so that it will be harder to be breached.” replied Radiak. The two isued their request, and the Glatorian said that he will ask the Toa in the vicinity with earth, stone, iron, and ice powers. The sky grew dark as the walls are erected, leaving only a small bit of sunlight escaping through the gaped dome.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A sonorous thud permiated the atmosphere, echoing through the dome. “Their attacking, all flight positions stay on the alert!” called out Solek on his sword. The sky inside the dome started to have a flurry of action, all long range weapons now are pointed at the gap in the dome, the Toa Nuva activated their adaptive armor for flight, and the catapults currently aimed at the gap in the sky, fired. An explosion and the sound of screeches let the defenders know that their target was hit, and now the Bohrok were now causing chaos and confusion among the Rahkshi. Energy pulse cannons now were readied for action when the Rahkshi broke through the domed walls. The thudding on the walls continued, and a Rahkshi fell from the gap smoking to the earth, brought down by one of the beings in the sky. A crash signaled the destruction of the first wall, and the screeches stopped, meaning that the Bohrok were defeated, and the catapults were fired again. The thudding grew louder now, and cracks lined the walls leaking more light into the dome. A staff broke through, and Radiak grabbed it and sent fire coursing through it, burning the Rahkshi, and then retreating back behind the lines, so as not to be caught in the crossfire. The dome shattered, and the Rahkshi army poured through, and the pulse cannons fired, destrying and knocking over many of the Rahkshi. The warriors behind the lines now charged, screaming battle chants and firing whatever long range weapons they weilded. The defenders in thee sky now dove and grabbed or destroyed whatever Rahkshi they found, and the ones grabbed were dropped into the mass of confusion, either cracking their armor, or impaled upon whatever weapon they landed on. Miserix and Teridax entered the battle, crushing Rahkshi under their immense power. A few Toa of Gravity combined their power, and crushed a field of Rahkshi that had not been reached yet. Teridax swung his hammer into the ground, causing tremors and unbalancing many. The defenders were still outnumbered, even with the measures they had taken, though they didn’t expect any less. A Toa of Magnetism ripped open a Rahkshi that Solek had been fighting, then moved on to another. Solek dismembered several Rahkshi in one swing, but got his sword stuck in another. He absorbed it and called upon his staff, and sent a Shadow Blast into a group of Rahkshi closing in on Radiak and Taela. Solek found himself pinned into another corner, and these Rahkshi were different, harder to destroy and more intelligent. Solek picked up a few with a fist of shadow, and slammed them into the ground, but it did nothing but anger them. A sudden explosion distracted the Rahkshi, and Solek took this opportunity to shade out of view. He concentrated a fist of shadow, but this time he decided to crush them one by one with it. He then moved on to another group of Rahkshi, then erupted a pillar of shadow, sending them flying. A laser nearly hit Solek, and he turned to the Rahkshi who did it, but it was impaled by a spear from the sky before he could get to it. The Rahkshi started to retreat, though the defenders were confused because they were still badly outnumbered, but they took the opurtuniy to regroup, and fire the catapults one last time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Taela and Vican were dead, their corpses strewn across the floor, Radiak unconscious, Solek didn’t know what happened to Gavla, Ihn and Valeia, they could also be dead for all he knew, but they advanced on him, weapons drawn, and pointed at him, their eyes devoid and empty, and they spoke not a word nor did they breathe. Solek dared not attack them, fearing that he would kill whatever of them there were left of their brittle consciousness. Solek grabbed one of them with a fist of shadow, but the other two were too fast. They closed in on him, and the fear driving him distracted him from keeping Gavla pinned, who launched a spear of water that pierced his armor. Gasping for his last breath, Solek looked up and saw… He woke up screaming, when he realized he was merely dreaming, panting he go out of bed, and headed for the door, the image still clear in his mind. He encountered several Toa walking through the streets, most disorganized from yesterdays assult. He finnaly ran into his teammates, still talking about how they would respond to another assult. He sat and spoke nothing about the dream, because it would scare them away from the task at hand, there would be more time for this later. “We should have all of them positioned at both back gates and front gates, because they will be the most likely places they will attac, you know this and yet you don’t agree!” screamed Gavla. “You forget that when the Rahkshi army left, they had enough size to outnumber us twenty times over, maybe more, they could attack all gates if they wanted, or maybe the walls.” retorted Radiak. “We should have the catapults positioned around the walls like a chain, this way we can thin out the army, no matter ho widespread they are, and the rest of the weapons thar are mounted will pick them off one by one, making it easier for us to defend.” suggested Valeia. “That might work, but thats a big if, though we realy don’t have any better options.” “Is this a private conversation or can we join?” asked Tahu, who apeared with the other Toa Nuva. “We should be meeting at the Chamber, instead of speaking where others can hear.” The assembled walked to a nearby chute and boarded it, sending them to the Grand Colloseum. They climbed the steps until the center floor was reached, and they found the Turaga waiting. “Enter, we have been waiting long.” said Nokama. They walked through the large doors and sat around the table at the center of the room. The team spoke of their plan and the Turaga agreed, seeing as they had no other course of action. The conversation then ran into another one, about how they would have a better security system, and how travel would be made faster. The room suddenly rumbled, and the floor and exploded, and several Rahkshi entered the room through the only weak point in the whole chamber.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Rahkshi turned to the assembled and screeched, their eyes menacing and chilled the bones of Solek, who’s mind remembered the terrible nightmare of the night before. They strided over, and Solek mustered enough courage to materialize his sword and block the blow directed at him. He struck, but hesitated, giving his enemy enough time to knock him to the floor. Pinned, he had no choice but to watch the Rahkshi as it poised, ready to kill him. The staff plunged, but was knocked aside by a shield thrown by Radiak. The Rahkshi turned to the opressor, but was decapitated before it did any more damage. Taela stood still, afraid to move, for she still was fresh, despite the war happening. Seeing her hesitation, the Rahkshi averted their attention to her, striding slowly, so as not to startle her and make her run. A Turahk emerged from the still gaping hole and used its power over fear to still Taela. She screamed as she saw the Rahkshi advancing uppon her, but was too afraid to talk, let alone use her powers. One of the Rahkshi were ready to swing it’s staff, and the others defended it so it would not be vulnerable, surrounding it. Taela, who was still screaming, they thought would be surely doomed, for even the Toa would not be fast enough to stop her death. Another hole opened up, Taela and a few other Rahkshi fell through it, and all landed on a pillar of earth. A fist of earth erupted from the pillar and crushed the two Rahkshi that landed with her. The Rahkshi above pressed the Toa, for they had to protect the Turaga, and the task left them vulnerable. More Rahkshi now apeared through the jaws of the floor, and the Toa had no way to win now. The Toa of Earth who had rescued Taela had not come alone, and they climbed a stone staircase up the hole the Toa of Earth created. The Grand Colloseum was now flooded with Rahkshi, and no one knew from which where they came, and mass death rotted the floors of the once grand and thought impenitrable building. Ihn and others with her power now had to stop the Rahkshi from destroying the building and everything in it with their powers to hold everything in place while Toa of Iron fixed whatever vital that has been destroyed. Toa not of Earth and Stone hunted the Rahkshi and destroyed them while those that are searched for the opening and would attempt to seal it. Solek found a Rahkshi standing over a corpse, its staff impaled through its body. It turned its gaze to him, its eyes full of anger. It screeched and punced at him, and Solek threw his staff between it’s eyes, and as it went through the armor, the body jerked, and fell to the floor lifeless. Solek picked up his staff and walked off to rejoin the hunt.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the hunt progressed, the team of earth and stone moved to the many training stadiums, seeing as they would be the only possible route the Rahkshi could come through without being opposed. While they went forward, seven in the far back disapeared, though none of them noticed until nine more disapeared and the numbers continued to dwindle. Now the Toa looked around, seeing nothing, they decided to continue. Suddenly Rahkshi dropped from the ceiling, and killed the remaining Toa, and now the threat ceased, they spread out to the rest of the Grand Colloseum.

Solek and the rest cleaned out the rest of the Rahkshi, though at some point there was a jump in numbers, but the situation finaly calmed down. They went to see how the Toa of Earth and Stone were doing, and when they reached the training arena, they saw several corpses containing Toa and Rahkshi. “So this is why there was a jump in numbers, some Rahkshi must have stayed behind.” commented Solek. They now had to continue where the others had failed, but they gaurded the Toa of Iron, as they are needed to seal the hole, and it wouldn’t do for them to die prematurily. As they advanced upon the hole, they saw several Rahkshi gaurding it, and Solek proceeded to use a wall of shadow to push them back into the cavern. Toa of Magnetism held everything in the hole in place as the Toa of Iron went to work, layering the floor until there was a good layer of protodermis, temporary until the Toa of Earth and Stone outside of the Grand Colloseum were found.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Around the table inside the fixed Meeting Chamber, the Toa and the Turaga were discussing how out of place they were at the moment. “We can’t go on any longer!” screemed Dume, “Even with the Makuta’s help, the sheer vast numbers of the Rahkshi will overun us, and there is a limit to ones power, even a Makuta’s!” The other Turaga murmured in agreement, unfortunately because of the circumstances and the incident that recently occured, he was probably right. “We still have something in reserve, Valeia has an Olmak, a mask of dimensional gates, she can travel dimensions, and bring us powerful beings that may or may not help us, I hoped not to suggest this, because the mask may release many more risks than we are currently taking, we would probably have more enemies than we had before.” said Solek. “We currently need to take risks because if we don’t, we may as well surrender or die, and personaly, I prefer dying than serve under a madman.” replied Vakama. “But the dangers would be raised even higher than possible imagined! Imagine an army Icaraxs! Or an even higher amount of Rahkshi! We would die before a minuite!” Valeia yelled. “Yes, but if we don’t we would die a slow and painful death, Makuta aren’t known for their tollerance, and we have been resisting Icarax for a very long time indeed.” Nokama calmy explained. “But the price we pay would be…” would be no worse than we are now.” interupted Jaller, who recently entered with the rest of his team, “The Makuta deserve whatever they get from us, they caused most of the mess in the world, if it weren’t for them, Mata-Nui wouldn’t be in slumber once more, Matoro wouldn’t have died, and we wouldn’t be here arguing about what way do we die.” His comment plunged the room to complete silence. A moment passed, and Valeia broke the silence saying, “I’ll do it, but if the world dies, don’t blame it on me.” She opened a portal and disapeared through it.

At Icarax’s Lair…
Icarax sat on his throne, toying with a mask. The six he sent to retrieve the Staff of Artahka returned, with the fruit in bear. “Ah, you’ve returned,” said Icarax “how fortuitous. And I see the staff has come with you as well, my fortune has indeed been good. Throw it into the pool of energized protodermis and let us begin the process.” The six did as he bid, and the edged away, knowing that being too close could be a danger to their well being. Icarax tossed his Spear of Elements, and began to stir the energized protodermis with his scythe with his power over magnetism. Once the energized protodermis turned black with dark energy, he threw the scythe into the pool, covering his eyes so as not to be blinded by the surge of energy creating his powerful weapon. He called for one of the Makuta he had found during his many searches, and ordered, “This mask in my hand was found by Teridax during his dimensional travels to find and corrupt Toa of Light, floating in the darkness between dimensions, it has the power to open dimensional gates, and knowing Teridax, he must have thought that such power should not be wasted, or that it should be kept in his wake so that it will not be found by others and used against him. During my travel to reclaim Destral, I stumbled upon it, it was hidden well so I was suprised that I found it. I brought it here, and now I want you to use it to bring me an army of Rahkshi from the next dimensions neighboring ours.” The Makuta accepted the mask, and he disapeared within the portal into darkness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With Valeia…
Valeia emerged through the portal into a dark surrounding world, filled with… “Oh no, this cannot be.” wispered Valeia. She had stumbled upon a world where Makuta ruled all of Spherus Magna. Several winged figures suddenly screeched and dropped out of the sky, forcing Valeia to flee, and shield herself with vine walls, which were destroyed one after the other. She continued to run, until a large figure grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to it’s face, a teribly familiar one. “Icarax.” “Yes, and how have you come to be? I believe I had already killed you, oh yes, the Olmak, of course, you must be from another universe, of course you lasting this long must mean that you are considerably smarter than your counterpart, and decided to stick with the rest of your team, and not go off when they found you.” sneered Icarax. “I will have to dispose of you, one naive version of you was trouble enough, I don’t need a smarter version.” “Put her down Icarax, or I’ll make you do it.” snarled Solek, who evidently followed her through the portal. “The rest of your teammates are dead, yet you still defy me. How are you so persistent?” “Because we share the same element, and that element will be your downfall, and I will avenge the death of my fellow friends.” This comment did not make sense to Valeia, she and the others were still alive and well was she not? Solek lunged at Icarax, forcing him to drop Valeia to block the attack. She took this opportunity to grab Icarax in a vine fist, giving Solek the chance to strike Icarax. “You will pay dearly for that, look, my bretheren come to aid me.” threatened Icarax. Valeia looked back and saw that he was correct, the winged figures she was running from had caught up to her. “Solek! Worry about this later! We need to get out of here now or they’ll kill us!” she shouted. Solek looked at her direction, then where she pointed. “Are you so much of a coward that you would hide behind your pawns backs? I thought you were tough, but it seems that you have the bravery of an infant.” Solek said, before grabbing Valeia and dragging her behind them. The winged figures oddly did not follow them, but merely landed and looked around in confusion. She looked forward, and saw nothing Then she remembered Solek’s power to turn himself and others invisible. She felt a tug, and found herself standing in the air, flying over the baren rock landscape. After a while, she saw an isolated hut, and her view slanted toward it. Solek and his sword came back into view them, and he pulled her into the hut. He locked the door, and he led her down into a barred door. “I wish to gain entrance.” he said. “What be your truth?” asked a voice. “My truth be none, the world has fallen.” answered Solek. The door opened to a large cavern, and a large figure gestured for them to walk forward. Valeia heard a loud clang, and she looked back to see the door closed. They arrived at a second door, in which another figure asked, “What happened to the subject?” “The subject is not in existence, Icarax has not risen it, and he will never do so.” “Enter.” The door opened, and the cavern continued. They walked through seven more doors with such questions until they reached a large metal room, with a large gate fitted into it, from which a voice rumbled, “What be the future? And what end if it does not exist? What be the savior of the Makuta’s death?” “The future is Icarax’s death, the end is death, and the savior, is himself, for no one dare aproaches him, in fear of death.” was Solek’s answer, and the large gates opened to a titanic figure who said, “Welcome to the last resistance to Icarax, may your sward be the one that severs his head from his shoulders.” Solek lead her to a chamber, and said, “I know you have many questions, but I can only answer one, I do not come from your world, you must wait here until another can assist you with your questions, you may be the key to winning our victory Valeia, do not throw it away.” “But must go back to my universe, or else the fate that met this world will meet mine, I’m sorry, but I must go.” replied Valeia. “I see that you have not figured how to use your mask to bring you back to the time when you left your universe, I will have Brutaka attend to you later, I don’t lie when I say there is time for you to be here, but be cautious and do not venture to rooms that you had not know what lies within.” Solek left the room, leaving Valeia to sit by herself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Valeia ended up winding through several different universes, one where she was nearly killed by a war between Glatorian and Toa, how many universes, however, she didn’t know, because she lost count after seventeen. “Again, it’s an hour since you left.” Brutaka smirked, obviously enjoying the treatment he was dishing out. “How do I know that you aren’t lying?” asked Valeia, “And even if you aren’t, how am supposed to get anything out of this if I don’t learn anything out of it?” “First, you don’t, second, try harder.” “Oh, that is realy helpful, see you in the next millenia, assuming you live that long.” She disapeared through another portal, and ended up facing a Toa with half a mask. “You have a full mask, leave now, convert, or die. Too late to choose, die.” He raised his blade to strike, but Valeia franticly opened up a portal underneath him, and he fell into who knows where, only that she hoped to never meet him again. She opened a portal back to the last universe she was in, and found the dead body of the Toa she sent underneath her feet. She quickly jumped off him, her mask greener than usual. “Twenty minuits, better, oh and, next time don’t send anything for me to kill, it makes a mess on the floor.” She vanished through another portal, throwing the nearest thing through it before it closed, hoping that it would hit Brutaka’s face. This time, she ended up in front of many bright colored Makuta. “I don’t take it that this is good, and that I’m going to die.” “Great Beings, no! What makes you think that?” asked one of the Makuta. “Do you not remember the Matoran of another universe where Makuta reverted to shadow, sister? We have sent Teridax through with him last I remember, perhaps she comes from the same that he does.” said the one next to her. “Um, yes. So I’m not going to die?” “No!” they both cried out in unison, exasperated. “So can one or more of you come to my universe?” “You must bring another being with you, or the universal balance will be disrupted.” “That will be easy then,” Valeia said, opening two portals. The two Makuta reached in and pulled out several Rahkshi, locking them in stasis fields. She then went through the second portal saying, “Oh, and there is another place that might need help, I only need one to come with me, the majority of you may go through here, wait though, I have another being that I need to bring to my world. She vanished through the portal. She was knocked to the floor by Brutaka, who said, “Fourty minuitse, worse, don’t ever do a stunt like that again.” “I’m not staying any longer, I have a few, er friends thats coming over to help, I need the giant at the gate though.” Brutaka let her up and called, “Makuta Centax! Get in here!” The titanic figure she saw at the gate the day before suddenly loomed over her, and asked, “What is it Brutaka? My work is needed.” “Your shift is over.” Valeia sent him through a portal, and opened another where a few Makuta stepped through. She left through the portal, where the female who had greeted her on her last trip said, “I’m to accompony you to your world, the Rahkshi are bieng taken for…. um, experimenting.” She led her through the portal, where Centax met them. “Centax, your a Makuta, why do you fight against Icarax?” “I am tired of being a simple solier, even a general, Teridax once led me into near doom, and Icarax will do the same. I developed a sense of self will when Teridax took over the world and used my as a simple pawn to make Rahkshi.” Valeia decided that she had best not ask anymore questions. She looked around, and the rest of the Governers of Metru-Nui stared at her agape, except for the exception of Miserix and Teridax, who had apparently decided that they needed an input in the war efforts. “Hello Gorast, I see that it is your turn to come to this universe.” was all Teridax said, and turned back to the rest of the group. “And I see that your sense of humor has not changed.” retorted Gorast, taking a seat. The conversation turned into a debate, then an argument about how to destroy the ranks of Rahkshi. Gorast and Teridax were the main contributors to the argument, and Solek had to threaten them to break them up, blaming Valeia for picking the wrong Makuta. Soon, the argument was restarted, though now Miserix and Centax joined, and four Makuta were too much for Solek to handle with threats. At some point the argument veered away, and Teridax and Gorast were shouting failures of each others past. Valeia decided to drop them through a portal back to their seats to stop the argument, but they now glared at her with menacing eyes. “What? I can’t have you all starting a fight in here.” was all she could muster under their gaze. The entire group then went back to discussing battle strategies, pacifying a Makuta when he or she started to get violent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Makuta were spread out so if the Rahkhsi attacked, they would be able to be one of the first to attack, and of course, to be separated so no damage was caused. Solek overlooked the field, and the calm peace helped his black mood. Radiak walked up to him and said, “Still upset?” Solek turned, shocked that his fellow friend had noticed what he was feeling. “Yes, but I can’t tell you what about, it’s best if I kept it secret for a while.” replied Solek. Radiak nodded and walked off, thinking it better to leave Solek to his own thoughts. Solek looked once more over the battlefield, and he saw a few Rahkshi, but only enough to be a scouting party. He anounced this to the warriors on the weapons balcony, and they picked off the Rahkshi with the crossbows. Nothing eventful happened then, and Solek was doubtful the Icarax was to attack again, but the fortresses out in the horizon negated his thoughts. He walked back through the gates of the great city, asking a Toa he walked by to switch his shift. His still lurking suspitions took him to the Great Temple, and he saw a hatchat the floor. He opened it, and found a locked combination pad. He pondered what would be so valuable as to keep it such a secret. He entered a code known only to those who are a permanent resident in Metru-Nui, then the one those in Karda-Nui knew. It opened as soon as he punched in the last key, and he slid down into a vast hallway. He walked down the hall, and he encountered a Toa in stasis. He had no possible way of knowing how to release her, so he moved on. He arrived at a padded door, he tried to pull it open, but it was firm in it’s place. The padding on the door pealed away, revealing yet another coded pad. He this time tried a combination of Metru codes, then decided to combine the codes into one large one, having to go through seven different combinations before getting it right. The door swung open, and he commited the two codes to his memory, thinking that it may ne needed someday. He walked into a domed room, and at the center was a pedestal, and floating above it, was the Mask of Life. He thought back as to how this could be. He remembered after Makuta fell, and the large robotic body that held Mata Nui’s spirit colapsed, the mask disapeered as soon as Mata Nui gave his last speech and Kiina had brought it to who knows where. He figured that the Order had probably asked for it, and he also remembered the Order helping relocate Metru-Nui, so during the time in between, the Order probably had a hidden chamber excavated while the citizens were away, and hid the mask in here as soon as they got it from Kiina. He decided to leave it alone, and returend back to the surface. He returned to his room in the inn to sleep, but it did not come. He jumped off the bed, and walked out to see the Turaga and ask a question about the mask. Tremors suddenly shook the earth, and the alarm was sounded. The oposing army had arrived.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This army was different, Icarax must have intended to destroy the city for good. Exo-Toa now lined parts of the army, and it came as a surge, instead of a wave. Strange new Rahkshi are between every section of the legions and at the lead. Gorast was the first to leap into the battle, tearing out chunks of the army, while long range weapons and the catapults fired. When the Bohrok landed, they were different, they disapeared out of view and confused Rahkshi and Exo-Toa were destroyed without hesitation. Miserix was the next, sending a line of crushing gravity down the ranks, although it only slightly damaged the strange Rahkshi. Teridax and Centax combined their powers and sent a tornado of various energy down, careful not to hit their allies. The defenders of Metru-Nui’s first wave went forward, all wearing masks of invisibilities. The first wave was only used to cause chaos, letting the second wave do most of the damage with masks of gravity. The second wave crushed as many as they could and retreated. The third wave all wore masks of shielding, protecting them as they rammed through the field, only to be stopped midway by the strange Rahkshi. Ihn at the lead however, slipped through the line, and used her power to use one of them as a mace. Solek apeared at the far back with the rest of the first wave, as he and the rest were supposed to sneak past the enemy to attack from the back while the Makuta ravaged the middle. From the sides appeared the fourth and fifth waves, all with various powers and abilities, these were used to surround the army. The dark forces still outnumbered the heroes unfortunatly, and they fought to keep from getting pinned. Icarax and The Six apeared and kept the Makuta busy so they would not do more damaged to the army. Rahkshi Kaita now joined, sending destruction into motion. No amount of effort now could keep the enemy down. Now the sixth and seventh wave of Bohrok was forced to be used, and the battle went toward their direction. But Icarax still had one mor trick, he brought in gathered surviving Makuta. A sudden explosion rumbled in the ranks of the enemy, and everyone looked above to see a large aircraft. Icarax, you’ve done a good job of keeping us held up, but you have underestimated the Order, and you make things easier by keaping the entire army together. boomed a voice from the speakers. Figures jumped out of the aircraft, and more explosions rocked the earch. The Makuta retreated, leaving only The Six and Icarax with the wrath of the enemy. The army finnaly dwindled to a large circle, The Six was nowhere to be seen, assumed destroyed. The fight now was consisted of only Icarax and the strange Rahkshi, and soon, the Order captured Icarax and forced the Rahkshi to surrender. He was imprisoned with heavy safeguards, the Order did not want him loose again. During the reconstruction, Solek attempted to ask Helryx about the chamber he saw, but she told him that he would find out when the time was right.

At Icarax’s lair…
The Six entered battered and beaten, and ordered the Makuta to make more Rahkshi. They entered the throne chambers Icarax once sat upon, and waited, plotting their masters return, or at least the three Rahkshi of the group did, the Makuta and the two Toa thought that leaving the army to their control was better. The arguement lasted an hour, until a large force of energy shook them to the floor, and a two figures arrived. “Icarax? I brought help for your task. Icarax?” one of the figures was a Makuta, and in his right hand held an Olmak. The Six told him what happened, and the figure next to him said, “Well, it seems that the fool was too impatient, serves him right.” This comment made the Rahkhsi bristle, “However, he still was smart to have waited long enough for a large army, I’ll give him credit for that. As for who I am, I am Makuta Tuyet, I’ll be happy to… help with your problems, as long as I get a certain cut in the power.”

Tuyet’s Tale

Tuyet was a Matoran without honor, as all the Matoran were. She waited for the great reward of becoming a Makuta, so she could aid with the extinction of Toa. The day it came was when Toa Teridax came with a band of Toa, and attempted to sieze and ‘save’ all those who were ‘lost’ to the elements. “Tuyet!” yelled Lihkan, who was nearby. “I’m going to kill all the Toa and become a Makuta! Then I’ll destroy the do-gooder Shadow Beasts and Karsahnii!” “Dream on idiot, the day you are imbued with elements abd Energy Powers of Shadow is the day a shadowstone becomes bright.” snapped Tuyet. “But Tuyet, even the Makuta agree that I’m greater than most Matoran, ranking second or third, are you just jealous?” Tuyet grabbed Lihkan by the neck, seething, “Jealous of you? I am a Supreme Asister of the Makuta, I don’t need to be ranked by the charts.” She flung him into a wall, knocking his mask off. She walked by the Masks of Recent Conquests, and decided to still not choose what mask that suited her, after all, why not wait until she actually became a Makuta? She went to her tasks of helping the Makuta with their experiments with Toa, attempting to imbue them with powers. Toa she thought, were as weak as insects, no power whatsoever, with the only exception of skill and minor manipulation of energy, and only with great effort, with the exeption of the greatest elite. A second Toa died in the experiments, and she growled with frustration. Screaming, she tossed a spear into another, and the sweet sound of pain ripped through the air. Smiling now, she went back to the tasks, so concentrated she never noticed a fist reaching out for her until brightness filled her vision and she passed out.

Tuyet woke up and saw the roof above her torn off, she also saw a Toa attempting to strangle her. She reached for a spear next to her, and shoved it into the supprised Toa’s eye. He died instantly, a pity for she wanted to torture him for a bit longer. She tore the mask of the Toa’s face and hung it on the wall then scratching her name into his armor. She noticed the Makuta crushing Toa, but they still had numbers. Lihkan was having great fun, he picked up a Toa and swung him around, knocking several Toa over before he released him and sent him flying into the last Toa before him. He then dragged a sword and stabbed whatever Toa he found lying around dazed from being knocked flying. Tuyet chuckled and thought that maybe he had potential after all, and she picked up a large sword and began to rotate it and threw it at a Toa. It sheared off his head and ran another Toa through. She decided that she had better leave them, her work was well known. A call for retreat was released and all the Toa disapeared through a hole in the ground, thus ending the first war Tuyet fought in.

“Tuyet, you and I are wanted by the Makuta.” wispered Lihkan. “Oh, and what do they want with you? Your head?” mocked Tuyet. “Ha ha, very funny, now follow me.” Lihkan led her through the caverns and they stopped before a large circular door. “Open up, I’m here.” Lihkan yelled. A light scanned he and Tuyet, and the door opened. “Come in, Tuyer, Lihkan.” a voice boomed, “Your presence is indeed great, for you Tuyer, have slain the dreaded Teridax.” Tuyet and Lihkan gasped. Teridax was the King of the Toa, a title not to be taken lightly. The king can do many amazing things that even the Makuta envied, and Teridax was the most powerful known, and the last. “Lihkan, you have slain a considerable amound of Toa, quite a number actually, we lost count after seven hundred and seven. You both, now have earned more than Makuta Status, you have earned the right to become one of the Makuta Lords.” Lihkan looked smugly at Tuyet, and said, “Ha, told you that they’d praise me someday.” “Yes, only because you probably have a little too much glee killing than you should, you should torture them some.” The Makuta led them to a large oval pool, and set element stones around them, then he put a Kraata at the center and told them to jump in and breathe. Lihkan hesitated, but Tuyet, with great ambitions, dove into the waters and Lihkan not wanting to be bested jumped after her. The two emerged, and Lihkan said, “This feels great!” “I agree, the power is a good favor, I’m going to go to bed however, we aren’t Toa, we aren’t made of energy stuffed in armor.” Tuyet walked by, tripping Lihkan into the waters, and laughing as she did.

Three years have passed since Tuyet bacame a Makuta. The day still seems like a dream to her, after all, who ever heard of having their wish granted? Her work has become exceedingly easier now, and torturing Toa was simple, with all the powers that came with being a Makuta. Tuyet reached for a sword and jammed it into a mechanism controling the elevator, she didn’t want anyone disturbing her work. Placing several tubes into a Toa, she proceeded to pulling a lever that injected elemental fluid into him. The Toa screamed, but nonrelenting Tuyet increased the flow until the flow was near the limit of killing the Toa. Leaving the Toa, she walked to another prisoner that needed questioning. “So, who are you? Our agents caught you spying on us, and that is quite… stupid.” “I’m not giving any answers.” was the reply. “Realy? I have ways of making people talk, though I’m sure that we can come to an arrangement, or am I mistaken in the fact that Toa are smarter than we Makuta think?” “Not giving answers, but your right, we keep certain infomation form you Makuta, so that’s the reason the steryotype cme into being.” “Yes, yet you still defy me, I’ll have to do an experiment with one of my newly created torture machines.” Teyuet pressed a button, and a door opened, sliding out a large box. The box opened, and revealed a machine that apeared to be made of a bunch of tubes interconected, and atached to a generator of some sort. Pulling out one of the tubes, she stabbed it into the Toa’s midsection, causing the Toa to scream. “This machine will drain your fluids slowly, a sensation known to be very unpleasant, now will you change your mind? Or do I need to start torturing you?” “I’m not giving you information.” Tuyet flipped a switch, and the Toa began screaming. She went to check on the progress of the Toa that she was experimenting with, but she found him gone, with traces of burned binds that once held him. “Interesting, it worked, but now I have him on the loose, how… inconvenient.” At that moment, the screaming of the other Toa stopped, alerting them to his attention. She found the machine destroyed, and the Toa strapped to it gone as well. She smashed a glass case and pulled the alarm, alerting the entire building to the escaped Toa’s prescence, but not before anouncing that both must be captured. An object hit her back and shattered. Turning around, she saw the two escaped Toa crouched, with substitute weapons at hand. Tuyet sent a section of the ceiling to crush the the minor one under it, leaving him half dead. The other Toa charged her, getting too close for her to use her own powers. She reached for a sword and slashed at the Toa. The Toa blindsided her and cut her at the waist, then cut her in the eye. She dropped screaming to the floor clutching her eye, and the Toa raised the sword to kill her. She grabbed him by the foot, and flung him into a wall, before passing out.

Lihkans smug face was the first thing she saw when Tuyet woke up. “Well look who’s awake, you were stupid enough to let yourself get cut, and now one of your eyes are blind.” Tuyet punched him in the face, knocking him sprawled to the floor. She got up, and kicked him, and proceeded to walk out the door. She stopped at the door to the Makuta Council chambers. The door identified her and opened, showing the council members already deep in conversation. “I have finnished the element implant experiment, but unfortunatly, I haven’t managed to get where the Toa base is located, but I have a guess.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the meeting, Tuyet went to see the Toa who blinded her eye. “Good morning, your quite vicious.” she smiled. The Toa merely growled, but Tuyet continued nonetheless, “You would make a fine addition to our ranks, would you care? Or do I have to leave you with the council to decide, marking a Makuta is death you know.” The Toa didn’t answer, and Tuyet left him to his own thoughts. Arriving at a training ground, she found Lihkan waiting there. “I owe you for that punch you know.” “Yes, I know, and of course when your quite through with me, I owe you an insult.” Tuyet sarcasticaly replied. “Not that you’ll do much of course.” “You know me better than that you idiot.” “Another insult I owe you, keep it up and I might have to insult you every time I see you.” “Sarcasm will get you nowhere, though it might get you a sword through the neck, of course you’ll probably kill the bieng before he or she can do anything to you, with the exception of the Toa in one of the holding chambers, speaking of which, why did you leave him alive?” “None of your buisness, as you well know, of course, you could stick your head through the cell, see what happens.” Lihkan walked off, leaving her on her own with the pratice dummies to keep her company. Tuyet sent a few daggers of water, then decided to disintigrate the dummy. Deciding that she needed a signiture weapon, she went down to the armory. “Well, I don’t see you a lot, actually not at all.” said the weapons keeper. “Well, that means that I haven’t been ordered to kill you.” she responded. She shifted through several swords and launchers, before finaly coming down to a single staff that seemed to attract her. “Interesting choice, no one has ever used that, at least not for a few millenium, even I don’t remember why we kept it down here.” Tuyet decided that she would take it, and she went back to the training field. She aimed the staff at one of the dummies, and channeled water mixed with shadow, the result was majorly different from what she expected, the staff fired energy of light and fire, the polar opposite of her elements. She tried several times, and the result was the same. Calling a fellow Makuta over, she asked him to try the staff, and the result was a large stone layered with light, that fell on the unfortunate Makuta’s foot. Laughing hysterically, Tuyet picked up her staff. She spread her wings and flew up to one of the many towers to check if there were any attempted seiges. none whatsoever, she dropped down to the ground, and went to her living quarters. She came to an analyzing machine, and set her staff on the scanner. A hum came from the machine, and the screen showed the basic components of the staff, and one particular build that intruiged her. She decided that this was best left a mystery, after all, she didn’t want anyone else to have such a weapon to use against her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tuyet was tossing a ball of shadow back and forth to pass the time. Nothing eventful has happened recently, and boredom has accumulated recently, in some events, Makuta have challenged each other to petty competitions, even Lihkan has challenged her to a winged race accross the skies. Tuyet, however, had better things to do, but not now. She threw the ball of shadow at a wall, and watched it dissapate. Deeming that this day was the day she participated in the activities that the Makuta have been setting up, she walked out of her quarters. “Lihkan! I’ve come to take up your offer of a race.” suggested Tuyet. “Sorry, allready going to have one with Nokama and Nihdiki. Besides, I remember that you said that ‘I have better things to do’ to me.” “I have less things to do now, and what’s wrong with one more?” “None.” Lihkan grudgingly admitted. The race was set up to be from Tuyet’s quarters, which Tuyet disliked, but Lihkan and the others persisted, into the hall of masks, where Tuyet had forgotten to go to in quite a while since her last visit. The Makuta took flight, and Tuyet allowed them to shoot ahead, using the philosophy that the rest would tire eventualy and halfway she would shoot ahead herself and win the race. It probably would have worked if she and the others were not hit and stunned by energy bolts, knocked out of the sky. Smarting from the landing, the world couldn’t seem to stop spinning in Tuyet’s head. When her head cleared eventually, she saw raining energy bolts, not from over the wall, but actually from the sky. This was an odd prospect, after all, who ever heard of raining power? She took the opportunity to run to her quarters and drag out two machines, one a tool used to drain energy, another used to collect rain to convert to energy, and plugging the two machines together, she created a maching that harvest raining energy. She left it out and caught one of the drops of energy herself for study. Little did she know, that once every second millenium, energy rained on various Toa controlled sectors, and Toa used the energy to create a new power for themselves, and that this sector was taken from Toa seventy centuries ago. Tuyet discovered part of this, by examining the energy, she found she can absorb it, and create some power she never had. She thought of the prospect, and decided to keep it secret, and to use the power’s she creates in reserve, but first thing was to check upon the machine outside. Bringing it in, she took a sample and examined the energy from the machine to see if being bunched together would affect it whatsoever. The difference, she concluded, was none at all. Considering the possibilities, she decided not to take upon powers yet, and left the energy in a hiding place. She then teleported to the hall of masks, and looked through the masks, gaze laning on a Kanohi Cirilt, mask of perfection, with a scar through the right eye, the eye that matched hers. Donning the mask, she left the chambers.

“For years, the Makuta have the advantage over power, we left with nothing.” begined a Toa to a large crowd, “Today, we shall gain the powers of the elements ourselves, and at least rid of their supreriority. We have suffered a great loss three years ago, Teridax, our king, has been slayed, and from then the opposition has gained more advantage over us than they should have. But the second Millenium has arrived, and I happily honor those who lived from the last energy harvest.” The crowd cheered, and the Toa continued, “We now will have the elements, but, we will not be lost to them, we have been known for our great responsibility. A certain Toa is proof that this energy does not corrupt.” The Toa that Tuyet has injected elemental energy into stepped out. “Yes, I have survived the experiments, and I have escaped. Take the energy, and the Makuta will not stop us!” The crowd cheered louder, and the Toa smiled to himself, recalling the conversation with Tuyet,

“So,” she said, “What do you want?” “I have decided to take your offer, I will join you. However, I will not openly oppose my kind, but spy on them until I deem it is right that I should join the battle.” “Shrewd, as I judged you before, I am impressed, I should say that I would like to have you as my assistant when this is all over.” “I’ll think about it.”

Turning away from the crowd, he went to his chambers to contact Tuyet, and to explain some of the history of the Toa.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Interesting. So, the energy I found is what Toa use to gain their power.” Tuyet turned off the screen and went down to check on the vault of energy. She took out a disposable blueprint of her staff, and constructed it. Taking a sliver of energy from the vault, she placed it withing the staffs mechanism, and channeled her element through it, with the result of nothing but what usually happens. She checks for the energy, and looks at it again, to check if anything was different. Readings shown nothing, and Tuyet placed it back inside of the vault. She takes apart the new staff, and destroys the blueprint, before she departs with a spherewith some strange liquid. Setting the liquid filled sphere atop a pedastal, she kicks a lever, and flips a switch. A small force field slowly apears, protecting the sphere. Leaving her quarters, she teleported herself to Makuta Science and Manufacturing. When she arrived, she saw a complete mess, and saw several Makuta attempting to subdue a creature. She grabbed a secretary by the neck and demanded to know what was happening. “I don’t know,” replied the secretary, “I only heard about a program of creating a new species, and using the energy we found.” Tuyet reached into a compartment inside her staff, and drew out a vial of the energy. “I assume that this is what you are talking about.” said Tuyet. “Yes, how did you come by it?” “It was raining the stuff, all one had to do was to is use ones mind.” Tuyet noticed that none of her bretheren had used their elemental powers. Activating her mask, she aimed her staff at the beast, and fired a beam of concentrated light, which only bounced of harmlessly and killed a fellow Makuta. A few of the Makuta looked at her, but were killed instantly by the beast. Tuyet tried using other methods, before angrily grabbing the beast with a shadow hand, and smashing it headfirst into the floor. “Really, that was insulting.” growled the beast. Taken aback, as Tuyet had thought the beast mindless, she said, “You speak.” “Of course I speak, you merely state the obvious, now who are you, and tell me or I will kill you like I did you’re bretheren.” “You seem to forget that I hold you prisoner.” The beast noticed this and struggled. “What is this? The others were not able to contain you, how could you?” “I merely thought that I should use the opposite of the element I first used, and of course the others couldn’t contain you, obviously because one of them tried his or her primary element and thought that elements don’t affect you at all.” “Devious, you’re no fool, unlike the rest of these.” “I think that we can come to a compromise, I can grant you powers, and I believe that you have none.” “Correct.” “Yes, and if I release you, I’ll promote the creation of more of you’re kind, provided that you do not kill us, if you do, you will not know the location of the energy store I posess.” The agreement was struck and the scienetists were forced to continue the manufacturing, for fear of being slaughtered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the incident, Tuyet decided it would be safe to assume a power of Rahkshi (as it was called then) termination, and another of persuasive manipulation. Soon, an army of the biengs were created, Tuyet set the rank of the first one as her lieutenant, and as Tuyet was the only one who could control them, she was set as military administer. Her first priority however, was to subjigate the Toa under her comand. “So, Toa, have you managed a route for me to come through?” “Yes, mistress, although I don’t see how teleportation isn’t an issue.” “Because, you fool, I can only teleport to placed I have been before.” “Ah, I see, now I have downloaded a map to you’re…”

“We march, today, on the Makuta!” yelled the Toa’s leader. Chants of death were raised, and the Toa were in a frenzy. “Our fellow Toa here has an anouncement to make!” “Thank you, I would like to introduce you to a being named, Tuyet.” Gasps were heard from all over the crowd, as a large female figure came out from the shadows. “I come here, because I believe that you all are jealous of we the Makuta, jealous of our power” Murmers of consent were heard from all over. “Yes, but what if I say we can share this power, we can crush our enemies, we can destroy alliences with creating one of our own.” This created an uproar of agreement, no more did the Toa have to live under the heel of the Makuta, when they can join them and crush others who di not join them. “But, what if the Dark Hunters intervene? They far outnumber us, as the operate from most of the world.” “Yes, that is a valid question, however, I believe that we should oporate in secret, and when the time comes, we will be powerful enough to destrouy the Hunters, and raise an empire. Follow me, and we will have our glory!” Cheering and shouting were heard from all over the City of Toa.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Several wars ensued throughout the years, and the final battle now ensues…

Dodging a Rotuka, Tuyet fires a beam of light, and takes out a wall wurrounding a fortress. “You can’t be serious, we’re fighting a losing battle!” shouted Tuyet. “Hah! too scared?” shot Lihkan. “Scared? No, but look, we’re the only ones left standing.” A poisoned arrow takes Lihkan in the chest while he was distracted, and knocking him out. “Make that I’m the only one standing now. Wheres the stupid reinforcements when you need them?!” Screamed Tuyet. Explosions sounded in the distance, marking where the back-up was. Tuyet, now angry, decides to puck up an enemy, tossed it at the wall, fired a concentrated beam of light and shadow, and disintegrated the ground in front of her, making a pit trap, and tripping many unfortunates who were near the site. “Hey Makuta!” shouted a voice. “Up here!” A large airship carrying a unknown object was hovering over her. The claws holding onto the object loosened, and the object fell on her, bocking out all sight.

Tuyet originally thought that she would be killed instantly, but she found out soon that the object was empty and hollow, but suprisingly sturdy, because no matter what she did now, nothing could penetrate it, like a bubble that can’t be destroyed from the inside. An audible silence could be heard within, and soon the boredom drove Tuyet mad. Pounding on the walls, she yelled, “Get me out of her!” No one answered however, and left her silently pouting. After a few hours, or at least what felt like a few hours, a crack lined the walls, and the prison in which she was held broke, and she was greeted by the smiling face of the Shadowed One. “Hello, I believe that I haven’t been introduced yet.” “What do you need me for?” “Oh, nothing, only to use you as a bargaining chip so your allies don’t kill us, and so we can just be left alone to our own work.” “You know that’s not quite possible, you know the rule, or at least aur rules, join or be crushed and forced to join.” “Yes, that’s rather unfortunate, guards, lock her up.” Several large burly figures picked her up and escorted her to a prison cell, guarded by eighty odd others. “Try anything, and you’re head will by my trophy.” growled one of the guards. “Yes, I figured that.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Prison life was dull, aside from oppurtunities to annoy the guards. At some point, the guards tried to relieve her of her weapon, finding it an impossible task, and some of them had singed masks, and a few no longer had limbs, so had to be dismissed. “So, guarding prisoners must be you’re favorite jobs, or is it just a job that you had to do? I thought Dark Hunters were supposed to be fair.” said Tuyet. “Listen, if you don’t shut you’re mouth, I will peronaly rip it out, and feed it to itself.” said guard #1. “Oh really, I’d like to see you try, maybe I can try the same with you once you are finnished with the attempt. Then, I’ll shove it down you’re throat, pull out you’re digestive tracts, and let you watch you’re bodily fluids decompose you’re mouth so you can scream in disgust.” Tuyet said this with a sweet tone, like enjoying a nice joke, causing both guards to turn green, and turn away. “Has any one of you ever tried sticking you’re head into somewhere unpleasent? Because that’s how you look right now.” This went on until they called in a new shift, and left gladly. “So, did they tell you how much of a mouthfull I am?” “Yes, now be quiet, our job is hard enough without you attempting suicide by angering us.” said one of the new Guards. A knock sounded from beneath the floor of the cell. “Tuyet!” called out a familliar voice. “What was that?” asked one of the guards. “How should I know, I don’t know everything that goes on around here.” “We’re investigating none of the less.” “Go right ahead.” The two guards opened the door and went inside, posting backup in case of Tuyet tried anything. A ghostly figure emerged from the floor, saying, “I am the spirit of those you have slain, I will haunt you and all those who reside here, end the war so I can depart to the afterlife.” “Yes, I know all of the Makuta’s powers, and I don’t…” a noise distracted him from the conversation, a bad move apparently, if the sword protruding from his neck had anthing to go by. The figure turned to Tuyet, who had two guards tied together in a body knot, without heads, and a third that didn’t need mentioning. “Hello Tuyet, I see you’ve finnished playing kill the guards.” “Yes Lihkan, although last time I saw you, you had an arrow sticking out of you.” “No thanks to you, I would think that you wanted me killed.” Now why would I want that?” Tuyet guestured to the open door, “We can’t exit you’re way, although it doesn’t prevent others to come in, getting out is another matter.” Tuyet used a good sized charge of energy to prove her point, leaving not even a dent in the prison cell. “It absorbs the energy coming from the inside, the only way to acces it is to break it from the outside, I learned this when I was trapped in a similar object, it seems light, but in reality is quite heavy.” The two decided to stay insubstatial, and kill whoever got in their way. Amazingly, the two met no misfortune, except for meeting the Shadowed One at the door. “I knew you would eventually find you’re way here, I’d like a chat.”

Of all the things that she expected the Shadowed one would say, this was the absolute last. “A chat? What do you think we are? Winged Rahi with nowhere to go?” asked Lihkan, aparently not sharing her shock. “I want you to know, I only do this because it’s the only way out for both of us. I don’t want to do this, and I’m sure that you might not either. as one of you needs to die.” “What?” asked the still dumbstruck Tuyet. “I may be able to set us both on equall terms, we are about to re-awaken the Great Makuta, but for that to be done, we need to stick one of you, inside his mind.” “Wait, you know where his mind is? When we’ve been searching for it for seven millenia?” “We’re standing inside what houses it.” This time, Lihkan joined her in what seemed to be a contagious spread of stupification. “That’s not possible, we were here before you were able to take over, and we never discovered any mind then.” said Tuyet. “That’s because you never searched thorough enough. Haven’t you noticed that the walls all seem to be thicker than they should be?” “But their impenitrable, there isn’t a single way to find the mind inside any of them if it was supposed to be found.” “Ah, but you look at the obvious, they hide a secret passage, and I know where it…” The Shadowed one choked of at the last word when a spear flew out and impaled him, and he fell without a word. “Lihkan, grab his body and run, we may be able to extract some of the secrets he holds with one of my machines.” “How? He’s DEAD!” “I don’t have any time to explain, run!” They break of into a sprint to run through the already closing gates. With a cry, the two Makuta leaped out and landed onto the rock hard floor. “Oof, I never want to do this again.” complained Lihkan. “I understand you’re sentiments, but we’re still in enemy lines, and with a corpse. With a spear embedded in it.” “And I’m the one carrying it, so don’t complain if I lag behind.” I’m not complaining, I’m telling you to pic up you’re sorry behind, and run until you drop agian, and do the process over again.” A voice boome over head speaking, “You delay the inevitable, you’re forces has already pulled back, an there is nowhere to run to, you might as well give up now. “Our forces has…” smiling, Tuyet turned to Lihkan. “If our forces has retreated, then we have no qualms about telporting back to our main city, correct?” “Well, sure, we wouldn’t be abandoning our posts, and if… I see where you’re going with this, and I don’t like it.” “You never like my ideas, now come on.” Already concentrating, Tuyet began the process of transporting herself to the main city. Up on the tower wall, the Dark Hunters were jeering at them, thinking they had given up. “Look at them, as soon as they hear that their forces has given up on them, they just stop and cry!” “Hah! And they call themselves warriors and fighters!” “Wait, they’ve gone!” “What!” Looking over the walls, the Dark Hunters standing on duty saw nothing but the baren rock. “The Shadowed one isn’t going to like this at all.” “The Shadowed One is dead, and so are you.” Everyone turned around and saw a hulking figure, and that was the last thing they saw before a blast vaporized them, leaving only smoking black marks where they were standing to mark that they had existed. “Yes, he is dead, and I am ruler now over his corpse.” smiled the figure.