CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Battle for Metru Nui had ended, but the Great City was not the best off for it. The Coliseum laid in ruins, and the rest of the metrus were still in the ravaged state that the Great Cataclysm had wrought upon it. What little repairs had been made in the seven months since then had been undone by the battle itself, leaving Metru Nui in a near-uninhabitable state.
The island of Destral remained on the coast, having been taken over by the Order of Mata Nui. Most of the Makuta that had been stationed on the island had been swiftly executed by the likes of Tobduk, while servants like Roodaka and the Shadow Matoran had been apprehended. The Visorak hordes had scattered, with Order agents being dispatched to locate the “Heart” that controlled them and either destroy it or, at the very least, redirect them to an uninhabited island before they could invade any Matoran settlements.
The Toa Seal containing Makuta Teridax remained on the Coliseum, with the Order agents arranging plans to relocate it somewhere safe. The Shadowed One, leader of the Dark Hunters, had attempted to destroy it and obliterate Teridax, but his disintegration eye beams had no effect on the indestructible crystal, only causing him intense pain instead. Cursing the stars, the Shadowed One had taken his Dark Hunters and departed from Metru Nui, promising Helryx that she had not seen the last of them.
Helryx did not doubt that, which was why she knew Metru Nui needed to be protected in order to ward off any move made by the Dark Hunters to seize the Great City. However, the state the island was in made it impossible for the Matoran to live together in peace, especially not with any Toa protecting them. The surviving members of the Toa Tenebrae had turned down an offer to serve as the city’s new defenders, not seeing themselves fit for the job.
She was aware that a Ga-Matoran by the name of Macku had found six Toa stones while on Destral. While Helryx did not know where these stones had come from, she knew they would be useful in creating a new generation of Toa. It was simply a matter of finding the right Matoran.
As she dwelt on this matter, watching as her agents carefully removed Teridax’s Toa Seal from the Coliseum, she was approached by Turaga Lhikan, walking on his Firestaff.
“I take it you and your… friends won’t be sticking around?” the Turaga of Fire asked.
Helryx shook her head. “We have matters elsewhere to attend to. Some of the Makuta’s forces remain scattered, including the surviving Makuta themselves. As much as I would like to stay and keep an eye on Metru Nui, I simply cannot ignore my other duties.”
Turaga Lhikan nodded. It was at that moment Helryx noticed he was carrying the six Toa stones Macku had discovered. “I just wanted to make sure before I prepare our new Toa Metru.”
Helryx raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure that you can be trusted to select Toa? The last group you chose weren’t all that successful.”
“Yes, well, this time I have Dume to cross-reference with, if only to make sure my choices are suitable.”
Helryx couldn’t help but smile. “I will admit, I feel partially responsible for the failure of Nuhrii and the others.”
Lhikan looked up at her in surprise. “Pardon?”
“Were the six you chose — Nuhrii, Tehutti, Ahkmou… were they the only candidates you were considering?”
The Turaga narrowed his eyes. “I had… others in mind, yes. But the stars foretold it would be Nuhrii and the others, so—”
“The stars lied, Lhikan,” Helryx said. When the Turaga’s eyes widened in surprise, she elaborated. “The Great Spirit was aware of Makuta’s plan and rearranged the stars to hide the names of the true Toa Metru, making Makuta believe they were the false ones. Makuta was then supposed to mislead you into choosing the correct candidates, thinking they were the wrong ones… but you ended up choosing the actual wrong ones instead.”
Lhikan’s mouth fell agape. “You mean…?”
Helryx smiled at him. “You had better find Vakama and the others, Turaga. You wouldn’t want them to get away from you a second time.”
* * *
“So… what are your plans for the future?”
“I’m going back to being solo,” said Chiara, resting in front of the Suva of the Great Temple. “I was never much one for teamwork. It’s not that I don’t like you guys… I’m just better off alone.”
“Same,” said Zaria. “I might see if the Order has any spots for a Toa of Iron. They might need one if they want to get rid of the remaining Makuta.”
“I think most of us were already solo in the first place,” Toa Orde, leaning against a pillar. “Most of the universe doesn’t want us, which is probably exactly why the Order chose us for this mission in the first place.”
“I’m thinking of finding a Matoran village to protect,” Seldaan said quietly, tracing a finger along the walls. “My homeland probably won’t welcome me back, so I’ll have to find somewhere that’s never heard of me.”
“I’m still undecided,” said Varian. “I’ve been away for several thousand years now, so I have a lot to catch up on. I’ll probably stick around here with Norik and the Rahaga until I know where my destiny lies.”
“Hopefully your destiny will be better than Arctur’s,” muttered Zaria. He dropped himself to the floor, resting his head against a pillar. “He deserved better than what he got.”
“He bought us time,” Orde said softly. “If it hadn’t been for his mask, Makuta would have destroyed us with his. He saved Metru Nui, whether he knew it or not.”
Zaria sighed but said nothing further. Silence fell over the five former Toa Tenebrae, waiting for the sixth of their number to return. Lesovikk had gone off without telling the others why; he had simply asked them to meet him at the Great Temple. Orde had made some cryptic comment about knowing what the Toa of Air was doing but refused to elaborate, not matter how many times Chiara prodded him. Fortunately for him, the Toa of Lightning was too exhausted to harass him anymore than she already had.
After what felt like hours, Lesovikk finally emerged through the front gates to the Great Temple, looking more drained than he had been after they had defeated Makuta Teridax. Before anyone could question him, Taurrus appeared behind the Toa of Air, having to crouch down so that he would fit inside.
“Are we all decided on where to go?” asked the Saevta.
“I’m staying behind,” Varian said, stepping away from the rest of the group. She briefly glanced at Lesovikk, scanning his mind. She then exchanged a look with Orde and smiled slightly.
“All right then!” Taurrus beckoned for the five Toa to gather before taking a position behind them, wrapping his arms around then. “Off we go.”
In a flash of light, the five Toa and their Saevta transporter were gone, leaving Varian alone in the Great Temple. The sound of rotors prompted her to look up to see a small, red-armored figure descend from the rafters. Touching down, Rahaga Norik folded up his rotors and stepped up to his former teammate, a smile on his face.
“Now then,” he said, “where would you like me to begin?”
Varian rubbed her chin. “Hmm… try somewhere around seven thousand years ago.”
* * *
“We cannot stay here.”
Turaga Dume’s expression was grim as he regarded the ruins of Metru Nui. Turaga Lhikan stood beside him, having already delivered the Toa stones to the necessary Matoran and sent them off to the Great Temple. Although they would become known as the new Toa Metru, both Turaga knew that it would not be Metru Nui that they would be defending.
“We will need to relocate,” Dume went on. “It is too dangerous for the Matoran to live here; nothing is in operating order and there could still be servants of the Makuta roaming in the shadows. It would take a thousand years to repair the damage that has been done. We need to find someplace new for the Matoran to live.”
“I believe there is a passageway somewhere in the Great Barrier,” said Lhikan. “Not the one leading to Karzahni, but tunnels that opened up after the Cataclysm. We could perhaps travel through there to the world beyond.”
Dume gave him a look. “That will be dangerous as well. We would be treading uncharted territory.”
Lhikan nodded. “I know. But what other choice do we have?”
Dume sighed as he looked back towards the city. “You know, I hate it when you’re right,” the Turaga of Fire muttered. “Do you have any means for transportation?”
“The Order is providing us with enough airships to carry all of the Matoran.” Lhikan paused before raising an eyebrow at Dume. “Wait. Don’t you mean ‘we,’ not ‘you?’”
Dume shook his head. “I’m staying behind, old friend. Someone has to to watch over the city. The Rahaga are staying as well, along with their Toa friend.”
Lhikan frowned. “Are you sure it will be enough?”
“It will have to be.”
Lhikan opened his mouth, wanting to argue with Dume and convince him to come with them to whatever awaited beyond the Great Barrier. But he knew it would be useless; for all Dume accused him of being stubborn, the elder Turaga of Fire was no different.
Instead, all Lhikan said was, “May the Great Spirit be with you, old friend. Perhaps some day we will see each other again.”
“Yes,” Dume said quietly. “Some day.”
* * *
Off the coast of Metru Nui, on the abandoned island of Destral, agents of the Order of Mata Nui stepped through the ruins of the Makuta Fortress. They had already rescued the Matoran that the Makuta had captured, which they had been planning on converting into Shadow Matoran. Other prisoners included the former Visorak “king” Sidorak, who they whisked away to lock up with his “queen” Roodaka.
He knew what they were truly looking for, though: the Kanohi Avohkii, the Great Mask of Light. It had been reclaimed by the Brotherhood of Makuta not long before their takeover of Metru Nui, meaning it had to be on Destral. But no matter how much the Order picked through the wreckage, they would not find it, for it was now in the hands of the one prisoner they had failed to find and recapture.
Standing on a stone terrace that oversaw the Silver Sea, Mallake watched the Order agents from afar as they continued their futile search. With him were two Makuta servants — Shikaiju and Umarak — who had managed to escape in the midst of all the chaos. Mallake did not know enough about either of them to know whether he should trust them, but he figured he would find that out in due time.
Looking down at the Kanohi Avohkii in his hands, Mallake allowed a smile to cross his mask. The Toa would be looking for this, he knew. How far they would go to find it remained to be seen.
Turning back to Shikaiju and Umarak, he gave them a simple nod. Without a word, Shikaiju surrounded herself around the other two and teleported them away.
* * *
“We’re all set!”
Nuparu pulled himself out from under the airship’s controls, a wide grin on his orange mask. It was the happiest Macku had seen him in quite some time.
She supposed she couldn’t blame him. Despite being their home, Metru Nui was now the source of several bad memories for a lot of them; Nuparu especially given his responsibility for creating the Vahki and inadvertently assisting in the Makuta’s takeover. To get away from such a place was… liberating, in a way. None of them knew what was waiting for them beyond the Great Barrier, but the possibilities were endless. Macku couldn’t help but feel excited herself.
She turned around to look at the rest of the Matoran crewing the airship; one of many that the Order of Mata Nui had provided them with. Hewkii was beaming at her; Onepu was telling Kongu something about Gukko birds that the latter found very interesting; Jaller was trying very hard not to smile at a joke Hahli had made; Matoro was still reading the tablets they had ended up not using very much; and the chronicler himself, Takua, was stepping on board alongside Toa Vakama—
Wait… Toa Vakama?
Macku found herself staring slack-jawed at the freshly armored Toa Metru of Fire as he stepped onto the airship. He exchanged a nod with Jaller and gave a friendly wave to the other Matoran. He looked slightly bothered by the fact that many of them were staring at him, but that did not deter him as he stepped up to the front of the airship. Kongu hopped over and jumped into the pilot’s seat.
“All right!” the Le-Matoran said. “Let’s go—”
“Not yet,” said Toa Vakama. “We still have to wait for Turaga Lhikan.”
“I’m here.” The Turaga of Fire hobbled onto the airship, stepping up to stand beside Vakama. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Had to make sure someone other than Toa Matau was piloting the airship directly behind us. Wouldn’t want an accident to happen before we were even a few kios from the city.”
“Wait… did you say ‘Toa’ Matau?” Kongu groaned as he slumped down in his seat. “We are so dead.”
“Now, now, that’s no way to talk of your new protectors,” Turaga Lhikan said with a chuckle. “Go ahead and start things up.”
As the Le-Matoran got to work, Macku looked over to see Takua carving words onto a stone tablet. “Already chronicling, eh?” she said.
Takua chuckled. “Hey, we are about to make history here. Someone has to document it.”
Macku shook her head, unable to fight the smile creeping onto her mask. She watched through the viewport as the airship began to depart from Metru Nui, heading towards the tunnel that would take them out of this world of darkness. Whatever was waiting for them on the end, she had a feeling it would make for a pretty good story.
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