#Fikou Nui

[irradiated-imp]

So, been a while since I posted Rahi so have some of my recent ones. The Kahu and Kikanalo have been updated recently with new wings and feet, tho that's it.

Tullo Fish Tropical fish rahi found in the oceans around Okoto Nui. They are common prey for numerous rahi and animals.

Khabew Large beetle-like Rahi. They are temperamental and very territorial often fighting with each other or anything else that enters their territory. Bone Hunters have been known to catch them to pit against each other or other rahi for fun.

Tarakava Semi-aquatic lizards. Tarakava are massive, dangerous predators able to punch with enough force to break solid protodermis.

They dig dens for themselves under water, gathering air weed to breath. Some have been known to take stones with coral polyps on them and placing them at the mouths of their dens intending to use the burgeoning coral to draw in small fish to use as bait for larger prey.

Whali Small bugs found almost everywhere. Many matoran consider them cute.

Fikou Nui Massive, venomous Spider-rahi that stalk Okoto-Nui's forests, jungles, and caverns. The only spiders feared more than them are the Vizorak.

Size comps

I always thought it was weird that something that spent alot of time under water didn't seem like it could swim, so I corrected that with my Tarakava build. I like the idea that tropical fish will school around Tarakava for protection.

#bionicle #bionicle moc #lego #lego moc #okoto nui #rahi #animals #Kahu #Kikanalo #Tullo Fish #Khabew #Tarakava #Whali #Fikou Nui

[toacody]

Fikou

Like a bear cub: cute yet potentially harmful.

Source

Creator: FeroxJ

#lego #bionicle #animal #animal shape #insect #insectoid #arthropod #rahi #land #land rahi #fikou #matoran universe #mata nui #carapace #green eyes #armor #natural armor #eyes #green #bug #bug eues #multiple limbs #multiple legs

[nattarthetimedragon]

Fikou-Nui

#bionicle #moc #nattar moc #rahi

[lemonylepid]

Announcing commissions!

Do you have a Matoran OC that you love very much? Do you like my art and what I do? Do you want to support me in some way? Well, I am opening commissions!

My art is Miramax Movie inspired, and if you'd like to see your matoran drawn that way, details are below!!

Let's get straight into pricing, I'm offering matoran drawings of this quality starting at $40 USD. Basic matoran, like these ones here, with no special armors, limited to one prop are the flat $40.

Matoran with specialized plating, such as Metru armor, Bohrok shield armor, and similar affects, are $50. (There are some older examples here and a bonus fikou oops)

And lastly, if you have a custom matoran build you'd like me to tackle and miramax-ify, that's going to be $60. Any matoran type with a wonky build like the Voya Nui matoran or later builds like the Marhi matoran or Av-Matoran also fall into this category. Taking the build you give me and translating it into a Miramax style takes far more effort, which is why I have the price so high.

I really try to pour emotion and personality into my art, and if you'd like to see your favorite OC drawn by me, please DM me here or shoot me a DM over Discord! You can find me on many Bionicle servers.

If you DON'T have an OC, I can work with you to make a new one for you! And lastly, if you want to support me and don't feel like commissioning anything or these are too pricey for you, you can support me on my Ko-Fi. :)

All payments are limited through Paypal or Ko-Fi.

#bionicle #lego #art #commission #commissions open

[downtofragglerock]

Alright, only one group left to look at (kinda), its time for the arthropod extravaganza

Out of every group of animal, it is by far arthropods with the most rahi representation

We got four main subgroups to look at so lets go over them

The myriapods (centipedes and millipedes) only have one maybe rep in the form of the terrain crawler, which for some reason was canonized as a rahi despite all promo and story material clearly not having that be the intention

As arachnids go, the mu is chockfull of spiders and scorpions, many of them very large. For spiders you have the the chute lurker, the dagger spider, the electric spider, the Fenrakk, the Fikou, the Fikou-Nui, the sea spider, the silver chute spider, and all seven breeds of Visorak. Then for scorpions you have the catapult scorpion, the Kofo-Jaga, the Nui-Jaga, the Zivon, and the scorpion rahi from the cancelled pc game. Interestingly, a uniting factor across all arachnid rahi is that they are immensely bigger than the largest of their real life counterparts, to the point where event he smallest ones are as big as the largest real life ones.

Onto insects, there are also quite a lot, several of which aren't given much elaboration on what specific type of insect they are: like the cliff bug, the colony drone (which technically isn't outright stated to be an insect but from context clues and also the name, kind of has to be), the electric bug, the fireflyer, the lava crawler, and the night creeper (which again, while also not outright stated to be one, is probably an insect due to context clues)

As for specifics, the acid fly is well, a fly. The frost beetle and Hoto are both stated to be beetles, the Kirikori Nui is a grasshopper/locust, the metallic hornet is a hornet, the metru mantis is a mantis, context clues imply the Niazesk is a gadfly of some kind, similarly context clues imply the sand snipe is a gnat, the Nui Kopen is a wasp, I think the tunnel stalker might be an earwig, and the Nui Rama is a bit of a cluster fuck, as it's been referred to as a fly or a mosquito by different media, and they also have the eusociality and hive-building like bees or wasps, so I think they're another one for the specevo pile

Lastly, the crustaceans, all of which are crabs: The Hahnah, the Keras, the Mana-ko, the Manas, the spider crab, the crab rahi from the cancelled pc game, and the ever-lovable Usaal

Despite there being so many arthropod rahi, a number of groups are left out, other types of crustaceans, arachnids that aren't spiders or scorpions, and numerous rather recognizable insect groups like ants, butterflies, moths, roaches, dragonflies, a lot of different beetles, termites, stick insects, and cicadas

And again, a interesting unifying factor among all of them, barring some insects, is how overall larger they are than their real-life counterparts

And with that where done, we've gone over basically every animal group

But there's still some cleaning up to do

#bionicle #rahi taxonomy

[opercot]

OCTOBER BIONICLE POST (PART 2)

HEYYYYYY, i came back, one day later afte i said i would, but i finally finished another 10 more, for all of ya to enjoy, so, hope ya like it.

Also, the last batch of images, it would be 11, so, ya will like it :v

Day 11: Red

Here i depicted Takua going to the telescope to see the mysterious Red Star roaming the sky

Day 12: Mask

Made a collage of the Toa Mata with their golden Kanohi. Always loved how they look with it (Tried to make it a bit similar to the MNOG, but i saw it was too much, so, i desided in mid of it, a collage :v)

Day 13: Wings

Here i depicted the attack that the Nui-Rama did in Le-Koro (even with one of the canceled colors that they would have). Hope ya like it

Day 14: Tool

Made the part in 2002, were Taipu, Onepu & Nuparu created the first Boxor, while they were inside the cave

Day 15: Mist

In this, i did the Bohrok attack in 2002, specifically, Lehvak attacking the jungle, were they leaved a ton of acid mist in the air for their intervention

Day 16: Queen

Recreated one of the scenes in the movie of 2005, where our "Queen" Roodaka was "convincing" Vakama to join her (queen stuff as always :v)

Day 17: Matoran

Did the 2 friends talking in their way to some adventure, while discussing about their futures. Pewku feels that those two would still be friends, and they have a more greater future

Day 18: Bug

Did a little scene of a Gafna being with it's Fikou friend in the jungle, while some other funky bugs in the back chill in their environment

Day 19: Mythical

I imagine that, in the moment that Tahu got the Golden Mask, Vakama went and give him the Vahi (mask of time) as a gift for his achievement, and told him that it was really dangerous, and only use it in an extreme case

Day 20: Shield

Made one of the scenes in the 2003 story line, and i imagine that the Rahkshi did attack a lot in there, so i think that they went for the villagers too, and Tahu protect them from those spaws of Makuta

That's it for the moment, hope y'all like it, we will see the finish line, in the 31 of october......... Hopefully :v

#art #digital art #bionicle #bonkle #lego bionicle #lego #bionicle moc #stud.io #bonktober #bonkles

[boobonicle]

bunko bops

#one for each year mostly tried to keep it to ones that could happen and some fan faves #lmk your ideas if you want : )

[rahiwatching]

A1, A16, B9, C26 for the BIONICLE asks?

A1 - Favourite Character

Traditionally, I have always said Pohatu was my favourite, I've always thought he was great and still do. Though I have to say that Vakama is also a favourite of mine as I really adore the journey his character went on over the course of the Metru-Nui arcs.

A16 - Favourite Rahi

The Tarakava will always have a place in my heart as it was my first Rahi set back in 2001. Story wise I love the Catapult Scorpion because of how needlessly extra its powerset is (seriously, the Makuta who created it just went and said "I'm going to make a Rahi that can create LAVA, just so it can create its own rocks to fling at its enemies - because just giving it the power to make rocks in the first place isn't metal enough"). I also love the Fikou. Because its cute.

B9 - Favourite Storyline

Got to either be 2004-2005 or 2007. The Metru-Nui arc was when the Bionicle world really became a world, and it was the jumping off point for the massive expanse that the storyline became (not that I'm saying i disliked the more local scale of 2001-2003 mind you). And 2007 was just fantastic, some of Greg's best writing if you ask me. I loved the way the story explored what a Toa might have to do when their back was against the wall and where the line that a hero mustn't cross became blurry and undefined, and yet they still managed to stay heroes anyway despite everything. Plus, you know, Matoro.

C26 - Favourite Fic author

I've not read a whole lot of Bionicle Fics to be honest (I'm more of a Bionicle meta post guy), but I did enjoy "The Sculptors and the Smelters" by PersnicketyPuffin on Ao3.

#bionicle #Bionicle ask meme #sorry for getting to this so late #ill try to answer the others soon too

[boxturret]

Fikou-Nui

I really, really liked the design of this Rahi so I bought all the parts I needed to make it.

I was originally going to get a dark gray Rau, like what the one in the game has, but the cost of one of those was nearly as much as all the other parts combined! So instead I bought a cheaper colour, in this case it’s the brown and silver one from the Metruan Ahkmou, it was only 50 cents instead of 40 dollars. Then I painted it black and infected it. 

I really like the results. The airbrushing gave it a lovely pitted texture. 

For the eyes I used a gem piece which is different from what’s in my 3D model or the game model, which is a ball joint. I tried it with a pair of black ball joints, and a pair of red ones but it just didn’t look right. Then I stuck a couple of red studs on the head with bluetack and it looked so much better, and the best way of achieving a similar result was the gem parts.

This would have made a cool set. I wonder if it was ever considered or if it was just something they made for the game.

Here it is before painting the mask and with the red eyes.

#Bionicle #Fikou Nui #Rahi

[sepublic]

Above is a link to a short story I wrote for Bionicle: RaE. It’s written more in the style of a recap/explanation, and it details how Onua fought one of Makuta’s servants, the Fikou Nui. It’s a bit of a spooky tale, and what better time to tell it than October, the Month of Halloween?

(I mean I could always wait for the day of Halloween itself, but I also have other posts I want to get onto and this story has been waiting in my documents for like a year. So...)

Below is an excerpt of the story. You can access the rest of it in the above link.

           The Fikou Nui is a hyper-intelligent, massive Fikou spider, with long, spindly legs sharp enough to puncture flesh, a digging ability, and heightened senses from which to detect other organisms. Given its task by Makuta, the Fikou Nui was set loose on the Okotans living in the tunnels of the Region of Earth.

           Using its senses, the Fikou Nui was able to map out the underground tunnels mined by the Okotans. After establishing its own nest-cavern near these tunnels, the Fikou Nui set to work digging incredibly small tunnels with which it squeezed its body through. Finally, the Fikou Nui set to work preparing traps for its prey;

           Once it was close enough to a tunnel, it then used only a single, spindly leg to carve an incredibly small, tube-like opening that connected its tunnel, with one of the underground passages. Such a small hole would be hard to notice, but just in case, the Fikou Nui then reached out into the breached passage, sensing no one was near, and grabbed a rock, spreading a splotch of webbing across the bottom, and glued it over the small opening it had made.

           The Fikou Nui repeated this process on several other nearby tunnels, before proceeding to wait in its nest, sensing the vibrations for the occasion in which a single miner would pass through the tunnels below. When it did sense a potential victim, the Fikou Nui set to work, making its way to one of the openings it had carved out. Then, it waited, its leg stuffed down the tube-opening, poised to flip open the rock covering it on its hinge-like web. The Fikou Nui let its prey pass by this single stone, and with their back turned, it struck.

           The Fikou Nui pushed the rock to the side, its long appendage poking through, with its sharp end bent towards the vulnerable nape of the unsuspecting Okotan- And then struck hard and fast, puncturing their spine and instantly killing them. With its dead prey now hooked onto its leg, the Fikou Nui would then drag the prey right up to its opening. From its mouth, a long, thin proboscis would emerge, sliding down the tube and piercing the prey on the other side. The Fikou Nui would suck out the blood and juices of the prey until it was dry.

           Once that was done, it would lower the prey’s emaciated body to the ground, and with a few precise cuts, flay their skin, before stuffing it up its tube-opening, pulling it through into its own tunnel, where the Fikou Nui would devour the skin. Even as it did, its leg would then go down the tube once more, using its sharp end to cut apart the flayed corpse into smaller chunks of meat that could fit through its tunnel. The Fikou Nui would devour a piece before cutting out another one, devouring as much as it could until it sensed another Okotan coming nearby.

           In the event that the Fikou Nui could not just kill this Okotan (such as if they were in a group) it would simply abandon what was left of the body, assuming it hadn’t devoured all of it, and retreat its leg back through the tube, making sure to carefully close the webbed-rock over the opening. The Fikou Nui, content with its meal, would then haul itself back to the nest, where it would wait in a semi-hibernation mode, where only its senses were active, for another lone Okotan to wander down these tunnels.

           The Fikou Nui managed to get its first victim and devour all of them, leaving behind only the bones- Although it then proceeded to break those into pieces and eat them as well. It finished its meal and retreated back to its nest.

           This poor, lone victim was soon after missed when his fellow miners realized that he hadn’t returned from his tunnel yet. Concerned, they did a sweep of the tunnel, with Korgot concerned that perhaps the Skull Spiders had breached again and seized another victim. Instead, the search party found the entire tunnel to be un-breached (as far as they could tell). Puzzled, they began combing the tunnel, again and again, but no sign of the lost miner.

           Unrest and paranoia spread as Korgot announced the disappearance and urged for everyone to search the tunnels. The lost Okotan was never found, yet the tunnels themselves had obviously not been breached. There were no openings for Skull Spiders to come through…

           So where did the Okotan go? It’s not like they had dug a tunnel, and then covered it up- They’d have seen signs of digging. Again, Korgot and the search parties skimmed the area for the lost Okotan, yet no sign. Days passed, yet nothing, with Korgot even asking Takua and Tamaru if anyone sighted the lost Okotan, on some unruly chance.

           No sign- And eventually, the search was shut down. As far as anyone else could tell, the miner had just… disappeared in thin air. With nothing else to do, the mystified miners decided that they needed to continue work- And so they did.

           Soon after, more disappearances occurred. In those passing days, the Fikou Nui fed itself more, but as time passed it needed to finish its meal more quickly, as people came in to unknowingly interrupt its feast- Until one day, the Fikou Nui was forced to retreat, leaving behind the partly-broken bones it had been meaning to eat.

#bionicle #bionicle g2 #Bionicle RaE #onua #fikou nui #korgot #nuparu #okoto #makuta #short story #rahi #spiders #gore tw #horror #october #halloween

[irradiated-imp]

Time for some more Rahi. I've made a handful more since I last posted, and updated two of my older ones.

Fikou Nui Massive Spider Rahi closely related to the Fikou spiders. They will eat almost anything they can catch. They prefer dark, damp places, so they are commonly found in the jungles of Ga-Oko and Le-Oko, as well as the caverns of Onu-Oko. They were made from a modified version of the actual Fikou Nui.

Whali Small bugs that can be found all over Okoto Nui. Like the fikou Nui, they were made from a modified version of the Whali.

Tarakava Large, aggressive, lizard-like Rahi. Where as Murk Lurkers stalk swamps and marshlands, Tarakava live in the shallows along the coastlines. They dig out burrows under water to live in, and regularly grab airweed to use to create air bubbles in their dens. They lie in wait to ambush their prey, stunning or killing it with a swift and powerful punch. Some Tarakava have recently learned to 'farm' coral. They have been observed taking rocks with coral growth and relocating it to the mouth of their den. As the coral grows, it attracts small fish for the safety of the coral. The small fish draw in their larger predators, and consequently prey for the Tarakava.

Khabew Massive beetle-like Rahi. They are solitary Rahi and have few predators due to their armor, bulk, and the powerful horn cannons they possess on the back of their thorax. Khabew Massive beetle-like Rahi. They are solitary Rahi and have few predators due to their armor, bulk, and the powerful horn cannons they possess on the back of their thorax. They are found mostly in the desert of Po-Oko, but some haveb een spotted in Ta-Oko. Khazaak and Zilaak's Bonehunters have on numerous occassions captured them and pit them against other Rahi in colesseum fights in Old Po-Ifo.

And the updates. Recently got some new parts, namely the articulated Piraka Feet, and figured out a better wing structure for the Kahu.

Some additional renders. Pretty sure I shared the last three before, but figured I'd share the updated versions again. Up top is a swimming Tarakava with a school of tropical fish traveling with it for protection. The fish are Rewii, which I shared before. Last three, like I said, are updates to some old Renders I did before.

#bionicle #bionicle moc #lego #lego moc #okoto nui #matoran #rahi #animal #animals #Fikou Nui #Whali #Tarakava #Khabew #Kikanalo #Kahu

[tiredspacedragon]

BIONICLE Retrospective

2001: Quest for the Masks

Part 7.11: Fikou

Ah yes, deceit incarnate. The Fikou is, outside of Pokémon, probably the cutest spider I have ever seen. They can be found all over the island of Mata Nui, though most commonly in the jungles of Le-Wahi, where they weave incredibly strong webs. Oh, also, these adorable little guys are vicious and dangerous, even to Matoran. They’re known to jump at prey that avoids their webs and have a nasty bite. And here I was thinking about how cute they are.

The Fikou was released several times, but made its first appearance in 2001 as a combiner model. Now you see, the Fikou has something of a reputation. A reputation as a liar. Supposedly, this little critter can be made using pieces from Pohatu and Onua, and for the most part, this is true. Most of the Rahi is built from Onua’s claws with his mask serving as a carapace. However, the spider requires three voodoo balls to be complete, two for its eyes and one to give it neck articulation. Yeah, I know, neck articulation! The problem is that Pohatu and Onua do not have three ball pieces between them. Pohatu comes with two, and Onua has none. You actually need one of the other Toa that features a ball accent, be it Lewa, Kopaka, or Tahu, to finish this build. It’s not a Herculean task to accomplish that, but it’s still false advertising.

Also, getting the eye-pieces out of Toa Mata heads is a nightmare, so whoever designed this thing is clearly a sadist. If you’re hell-bent on building this thing, I strongly recommend the use of a standard Lego brick separator. It can still a fair bit of work, but it’s the only reliable way I’ve found to do remove the eyepiece without damaging the parts or yourself.

The Fikou is a funny little thing. It’s cute, I still think that. Even though I now know that it is demon spider hell-spawn that makes its home in a web of lies and pain. Whatever. The head articulation is nice, and the colour scheme is incredibly consistent, so it gets props for that. It’s a fine little spider, I really just wish this thing acted as cute as it looks.

At least it's not this thing. I’m really glad the Fikou-Nui never became a set. And seeing its model makes me glad Legend of Mata Nui didn’t come out either. That thing is nightmare fuel.

Next up: Mukau

#bionicle #bionicle retrospective #bionicle setrospective #fikou #fikou-nui

[toehunger]

Kohrok Va Considers Ko-Wahi

* * *

Got more ambitious with the colors and background on this one, to middling results imo. Also doesn’t help that this is the first toehunger I’ve colored in Procreate on an iPad instead of on Sketchbook on my laptop; I feel like the tools weren’t working quite as well and the layer effects were messing up my lines, tbh I might stick with marker color more going forward as much as I can

Lines: Prismacolor marker, Muji pen

Color: Procreate

#bionicle #bionicle bohrok #bohrok #bohrok va #kohrok #kohrok va #fikou #ko-wahi #mata nui #sketching #markers #lego bionicle #bonkles

[writerfromtheshore]

Kraata Hunting

“So what was it?” asked Matau, impatient for answers. The other Turaga looked at Whenua with similar expressions, anticipating his answer.

“The Matoran said it was some sort of ship,” said the Turaga of Earth.

“Like the Vahki transport we drove?” asked Vakama.

Whenua shook his head. “No— as in an actual ship. Some sort of warship. I have not been out there myself, but from the descriptions my scouts gave… definitely something used in war.”

“What did they find on there?” Nokama asked.

“Weapons, charts, all sorts of things,” Whenua said. He placed a parcel on the Amaja Nui storytelling circle. A series of very thin tablets, very flexible in nature as compared to what the six of them were used to. Paper. Passing it around, each of them looked through it, eyeing the peculiar text on the pages. Nuju clicked and whistled incessantly as he squinted at the contents of the parcel. Any attempt by Nokama with her mask of translation provided to be useless. None of them knew what the writing could mean.

“Takua ranted about weapons when he returned to Ta-Koro,” said Vakama. “Something about wielding a sword with what seemed to be the power of a Toa.”

“He does not even know what a Toa is,” the Ko-Matoran Matoro said, translating for Nuju.

“I have never whisper-heard of power-charged elemental weapons before,” said Matau.

“What super Toa could possibly have these?” Onewa asked.

“I do not think what the Chronicler encountered was from a Toa,” Whenua said, the unease apparent in his voice. “Unless some other society south of Metru Nui that we did not know of which immigrated to the surface, it seems as if these weapons, this ship, all of it— comes from somewhere else. We may not be alone on this ocean up here.”

“I second our earth brother,” said Matau to everyone’s surprise. Pulling something from his pack, he placed a mask on the table alongside the notebook log Whenua produced.

“What kind of Kanohi is that?” asked a bewildered Nokama. Vakama, the only one familiar with masks from the group, shook his head. The shape was totally alien to him.

“That is the thing, teacher-sister,” Matau said. “This is definitely not a Kanohi. I can think of all the masks I have spot seen in my life—add-including the ones the Toa Mangai wore-sported— and this resembles nothing I have seen.”

“This isn’t even protodermis,” Whenua agreed upon closer inspection. “Where did you find it?”

“A Matoran brought it to me,” Matau began. “The last time Nokama and I potion brewed, when Makuta spurred a sickness upon us— I sent my Gukko Force into the jungle for one of the ingredients. They said they ended up in the Fau swamp, and found a figure buried under the mud. This was what it was wearing.”

The six of them sat in silence for a moment, each feeling uncomfortable in their own way. All were certain the figure Matau spoke of was not a Matoran.

“This place was never on any maps of the universe, was it?” asked Vakama. Whenua shook his head.

“There could be others, south of the sea gates, who came up through the Great Barrier as well,” said Whenua. “But no language like this— to my knowledge— was ever used in the history of the universe. Skakdi, Vortixx… nothing comes to mind when I look at this journal.”

Onewa frowned. This discussion was getting them nowhere.

“If there is someone out there coming to this island, let them come,” snapped Onewa. “We will deal with them then. There is no need to get worked up about something that may simply come to pass. We can sit around Amaja Nui all day telling ghost stories, or we can discuss more pressing matters. There was something else you brought us together for, Whenua, was there not?”

The Turaga of Earth nodded. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a long cylindrical container. The other Turaga leaned in, but could not identify the contents of the container. “You may want to step back for this,” he suggested to the group.

The rest of the Turaga looked uncomfortably at each other before heeding Whenua’s advice. Twisting the lid of the stasis tube, he unscrewed it and placed it on the circle before all of the Turaga.

A chilling hiss came from the tube as whatever was in there woke up. Onewa, Vakama, Nokama, Matau, and Nuju all peered suspiciously at the opening, only to withdraw in disgust when the creature within slithered out into the sand of Amaja Nui.

The snake like thing peered groggily at each of the Turaga. Then it gave a hiss, recognizing what it was that stared at it. The creature coiled up and lunged at their masks. It only got its head in the air before it jerked back to the sand— if not for Whenua’s badge of office pinning the creature’s tail, it would have latched itself onto the Kanohi of one of the elders.

“Seven levels of Karzahni!” Matau swore, brandishing his Kau Kau staff. The little buzzsaw on the Turaga of Air’s badge of office began to whirl. “What is that thing?”

“Do not kill it!” insisted Whenua. Matau looked at him incredulously, buzzsaw whirling, before lowering his staff.

“Kraata,” growled Vakama. “Where did you find it?”

“In a mine, trying to corner one of the workers,” Whenua said. “As soon as I captured it, I knew the six of us had to talk.”

“Another ugly Rahi beast,” Matau said. He watched the Kraata scream as it tried to writhe out of the grip of Whenua’s drill. “So what?”

“These are not just Rahi, Matau,” Whenua shook his head.

“Remember the Rahkshi from the Fikou Web, brother?” asked Nokama. “These are what pilot them.”

“So they are Makuta spawn,” the Turaga of Air said. “Have any Rahkshi been spot-seen on the island?”

Four of the Turaga shook their heads. Vakama, on the other hand, stared at the Kraata with an empty eyed gaze, his mind elsewhere. The Turaga looked at each other, familiar with this expression.

“No, they are not here,” Vakama said. “But one day they will be. Makuta has made Rahkshi with several Kraata before, in one of his lairs between here and Metru Nui. One of his thousand contingency plans.”

“Another vision?” Onewa asked. The Turaga of Fire nodded, frowning at the creature.

“And that is not the only concern with these Kraata,” said Whenua. “Vakama, you brought the mask, as requested?”

Vakama nodded, producing the requested item from his own pack. Even though he did not have his forge anymore, he did still produce masks, on the off chance they did run out of the cache they had retrieved from Metru Nui.

He placed the Kanohi within the sand circle, near the still struggling kraata. The painful screams changed as the Kraata noticed the nearby mask. Whenua looked at his cohorts, and then lifted his drill. The Kraata squirmed free, slithering in a beeline for the mask. The grey silver sheen of the unworn surface became rusted and pitted where the creature touched it, infection coming over it as quickly as a passing shadow.

The Kraata slithered though and around the mask while it changed, the screams a moment before now gentle growls. It was almost as if it were cuddling it. The Turaga watched this happen, repulsed— the perverse affection the infectious creature had for the mask made the elders feel uneasy.

“Just as I thought,” Whenua whispered.

“Is that—“ Matoro said, translating for Turaga Nuju as well as asking of his own accord.

“That is how the Rahi here have come to serve the Makuta,” Whenua said. “Kraata can corrupt the masks they wear. I believe since these come from Makuta himself, it gives him the ability to assume control over the mask and the Matoran wearing it. Or in our cases, the Rahi.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” asked Nokama.

“Look for them in and near your Koro,” said Whenua. “I have more than enough stasis containers to store these things in.”

“And just leave stasis tubes laying around for the Matoran, or even the Makuta, to find?” Vakama asked.

“There are several caves in Po-Wahi, far enough away from where any Matoran would venture,” said Onewa. “We can store them there.”

Whenua nodded thanks to the Turaga of Stone. “We need to find and capture these things before they infect the entire island.”

Several of the Turaga nodded in agreement, accepting their new mission.

“Why can’t we just kill these things?” Matau asked, raising his buzzsaw in confusion.

“Because we need to study them,” Matoro said over the clicks and whirls of Turaga Nuju. “Like Turaga Whenua just said— I am not calling him that, Turaga Nuju—we need to figure out what they can do to the island.”

“If they can corrupt Kanohi with just a touch, who knows what other havoc they can wreak on the island,” Whenua added.

“It will be messy if we do just kill them, brother,” Onewa said. “We can’t leave our mess for the Matoran to find.”

“There is still a lot we do not know about these things,” Whenua said. “The records in the Archives exhibits were vague at best. Aside from cutting them up, how else can they be killed? Can they infect masks even if they are dead? What other powers do they have?”

“It sure seems you are skip-missing an opportunity-chance to experiment-test,” Matau grumbled, crossing his arms and nodding at the Amaja Nui circle before them.

“The more we can capture, the more we can study,” Nokama advised.

“Matau, this is more than Whenua wanting to play Archivist,” Vakama said. “The Kraata pose a danger to us. These are the Makuta’s creatures. After all we did to escape him, his Visorak, and all the other stuff he threatened us and the Matoran with, we are just going to let another one of his creatures slip into our villages and ruin all our hard work?”

Matau looked down at the creature. “You’re right, firespitter,” he said. “Whenua is right. We’ve collect found the Great Disks, homes for our village people; what’s another scavenger find-hunt?”

“Thank you Matau,” Whenua smiled. “May each of you go back to your villages with a sharp eye. I will have stasis tubes sent out to each of you. For now, Onewa, you can show me some of your caves on the trip back north. May your villagers be safe from the Kraata’s reach.”

“And the Great Spirit watch over us all,” added Nokama.

***

Matau swung through the trees of Le-Wahi, grabbing vines as he travelled back to his village.

The meeting was on the forefront of his mind, very much annoying him. But why? He had collected a lot of things over the years on this island. Various fruits, types of bark, all little knick knacks in nature that caught Matau’s attention. What was one more scavenger hunt? he thought to himself.

This collectible you cannot leave lying around your hut, a little voice in the back of his mind told him. That was the uncomfortable part. Matau enjoyed collecting fun things… but this was business. More serious business than just an ivy that made his organics itch from time to time. And on top of all the Rahi attacks they had to look out for, this was just more than a simple challenge.

The Turaga of Air forced himself to stop thinking for a moment and enjoy the jungle around him. Rahi could be heard in the distance, but for the most part, it was quiet. The sun shone from some hole in the jungle canopy. The day was good.

Perhaps he would go food hunting to lighten his mood. Collect something fun, and ease into it. There had to be some bush, some tree, something around here which grew some food for him to collect. Matau swung, grabbing onto each vine as he looked around for crop…

Look up— no one ever looks up, he thought to himself. Matau looked up, eyeing the vines he grabbed. Each line was tough and firm, but coarse, the outer skin of the vines like a hard leaf. He grabbed them skillfully and he swung through looking for fruit—

The next thing he grabbed was definitely not that. Instead of the firm, rope like texture of a vine, his hand closed around something soft and slippery. Matau’s eyes lit up with shock as he looked up to see what he had grabbed.

You have got to be joke-kidding me! the Turaga of Air thought, as the yellowish Kraata screeched under his grip.

The initial shock of grabbing something living made Matau jerk back, letting go. His momentum carried him forward though, and having let go of the previous vine, he fell fast toward the grounds of Le-Wahi.

***

As a general rule, Onu-Matoran did not take well to brightness. Spending most of their time underground left their eyes weak in sunny circumstances— having adapted to seeing in the dark, daylight was almost painful.  

Their Turaga was no exception. Whenua's eyesight was terrible in comparison, if not worse than, his villagers. And having used a Ruru during his time in the caves of Onu-Wahi made his tolerance for the desert sunlight almost unbearable.

Much to Whenua’s dismay, the journey back to his home in the Great Mine ventured through Po-Wahi. He and Onewa ventured on Mahi steeds over the desert, looking out onto the very sunny horizon.

Onewa had said there were caves he knew of where they could store the captured Kraata. Whenua was eager to see them, so they could begin this new project. The brightness did not settle well with him, but nevertheless, he followed atop a Mahi steed. The Turaga of Stone led the way, dead set with a particular destination in mind. The majority of the venture through the canyons had passed almost wordlessly. Onewa hardly stopped to check for direction or rest.

“You know Po-Wahi well, brother,” Whenua remarked. “Is this near where…?”

“No, but I first ventured out this way when I looked for a way back,” Onewa said. “There were a few spots where I wanted to settle Po-Koro. When we returned with all of the Matoran, I spent a lot of time surveying the land. Spent the better part of ten years figuring out which tunnels connected to below, and which were just caves. Helped me figure out where exactly to settle Po-Koro— far away from anywhere a Matoran might figure out a passageway to below. I know this entire region better than the Makuta knows even his own shadows.”

Ten years. Whenua raised his eyebrows. They had already been here on Mata Nui for a few centuries, but ten years in of itself…that was a long time to be cave exploring. “So this cave, for the Kraata… where exactly is it?”

Onewa turned on his steed and smiled at his brother. He could see the Turaga of Earth’s eyes were straining in the bright light.

“Not far now, Whenua,” Onewa smiled.

Whenua spent the rest of the ride staring narrow-eyed at Onewa’s back.

***

The Turaga of Earth was more than relieved when the canyons rose around them, shade finally falling onto their path. Whenua glowered for a bit as his eyesight adjusted, almost able to see Onewa’s smirk from behind him.

They dismounted after maybe an hour of riding, somewhere deep in the winding crevices of the canyon. The two of them looked around, seeing the empty area around them. No Matoran was anywhere close to here. Besides their steeds, no Rahi roamed around the place. This was not somewhere one would roam to by accident. Definitely somewhere where you would go to hide something, Whenua thought.

“Not even Takua could find this place,” Onewa said, satisfaction in his voice. Petting the Mahi, he nodded for Whenua to follow him just a little further.

The cave mouth yawned open for them, a veil of deeper shadow hanging over the entrance. Whenua nodded his approval of the place. Isolated, protected from the elements, it could be the perfect hiding spot.

Small little lights wandered over the walls of the cave, but Onewa dismissed them. Electric spiders. Natural guards, he insisted, in case the Kraata found some way to escape their tubes. Whenua nodded, remembering his Archival days where he put Electric spiders into stasis. Even after several transformations, he could still feel the shock on his fingertips.

Whenua took his drill and traced it along the cavern walls. Just as he did in Onu-Koro, he sensed the walls for empty pockets, places unwelcome guests could nest in. The drill, combined with his connection to the element of earth, could sense tunnels and cavities in the walls. But here, he found none.

“Well?” Onewa asked. “Do you approve?”

Whenua withdrew the stasis tube from his pack and set it down against the wall. He was more than satisfied with the place. Smiling, the Turaga of Earth shuffled to the entrance of the cave. Raising his drill to the canyon wall, he carved in a quick sketch of the Kraata.

***

The sound of chiseling was practically music to Whenua’s ears. After wandering with Onewa to Mata Nui knew where in the Motara desert, he finally had a sense of where he was. The pair had almost reached to Po-Koro— and better yet, in Whenua’s opinion, a tunnel that led back to Onu-Koro.

After years of excavating for raw carving material, the area surrounding the Po-Koro Quarry was riddled with cavities, the result of years of Po-Matoran mining material for their statues. Little alcoves littered the open pit mine, as Matoran over the years would pull from anywhere and everywhere for stone to use. This had caused quarrels between carvers every so often, some Po-Matoran accusing others of toppling their greatest creations for material. (Hafu was a frequent complainer, to which a time came where Onewa was given him his own private section of the quarry-canyon.)

The Turaga dismounted for a rest from their ride, having been traveling on the Mahi for the better part of the day. Onewa took a moment’s leave from the Turaga, going around to inspect the carvings his villagers were producing. Whenua watched as the Turaga of Stone dolled out advice to the craftsmen. He would point here or there on a statue, gesturing with his hammer to show how they could carve out the details they desired.

Whenua surveyed it all, feeling satisfied with his day. He had traversed a good part of the island, and more importantly, accomplished something with the other Turaga. Other than the matters of the ghost ship, he felt as if they finally were competent overseers of their Matoran. Setting his staff down, Whenua smiled.

A reverberation alerted Whenua. Looking around, he could feel something in the earth, something moving through the ground around the carvers. It was faint, it was small, but still, it was something. The Turaga of Earth looked over at his guide, whom was still occupied in teaching a Matoran.

Another Matoran caught his eye. The carver was standing back from his creation, tools held up in a menacing manner. His carving however, looked far from finished. Whenua, curious at the observation, made his way to the carver.

“What goes wrong with your creation?” he asked.

“There is something— something coming out of the stone!” the Matoran said. “I was chiseling a detail on the lower part of the Kanohi, and my chisel went through the rock. Then dust came out— a lot of it— and something popped out! But it ducked back into the stone, and another hole formed!”

Upon closer inspection, the Matoran’s confusion was clear. The carving, a larger rock, was slowly falling apart. The Turaga looked over the carving, concerned. There was something inside, slowly eating away at the rock. He placed his staff on the stone. The drill of Onua was not best when inspecting a stone removed from the ground, but it was still able to pick up some things.

By this point, Onewa had come to the Matoran’s side, equally concerned as Whenua about the rock. Putting his hand to the rock, he nodded.

“There is definitely something in there,” he said. “I am sorry carver, you have done wonderfully on this piece. But whatever it is, I need to do this.”

“By all means, Turaga,” the Matoran said, stepping back.

Onewa nodded, appreciating the Matoran’s understanding, and kicked the mask. With a solid blow, it crashed to the floor of the canyon. The stone rolled over to its side, where several holes bore into the back of the statue. Whenua’s eyes lit up as he saw the tail of… some sort of creature… slither into the back of the statue. He frowned, not liking the look of what he saw.

“Get your brothers away from their carvings,” Onewa ordered the Matoran. “Who knows what this is, and what others may be in the stone. Turaga Whenua and I will deal with it.”

The Matoran nodded, running off to his nearby cohorts.

“It’s one of them,” said Whenua. “A Kraata.”

“You act scared of them, brother,” Onewa said, brandishing his hammer. “I can take care of them with this.”

Onewa concentrated hard on the stone, feeling the structure of the carving. With his hands on the structure, he could feel the space inside, the stone being eaten away from the inside out. He listened to the holes, listening for slithering noises coming from out of it.

And before he knew it, two of them popped out of the structure. Two slimy, screeching Kraata, baring their mandibles at the one who disturbed their new home. Onewa pursed his lips, bringing his hammer down on the yellow and metallic colored one. The second, sand blue one sunk back into its hole as it listened to the hammer come down on its brother.

But the rock rang as he missed his target. “What?” Onewa asked no one in particular as he raised the hammer. No concussed Kraata was underneath as Onewa lifted the face off the carving. “My aim never misses!” he cried out angrily.

“Try again, brother,” Whenua urged. The Turaga of Stone did not look his way, simply focusing on the holes in front of him. Hand on the rock, he felt the Kraata slithering, coming up to check if it was safe…

This time a light grey one poked its head out, before sneaking back into the stone. Onewa slammed the hammer down on the spot where it had been, completely missing the window in which the snake poked its head out. A second too slow to capture this one.

“Your drill,” Onewa barked at the Turaga. “It can sense the changes in the stone?”

Whenua nodded, noticing Onewa’s curt manner.

“Place it on the side,” Onewa told him. “And tell me when they are coming up. There are three of them.”

“Three?” Whenua asked, barely hiding the joy in his voice.

Onewa frowned. “Yes, you lucky archivist you. You’re getting your Naming Day presents early. Just let me know where they are coming out. I will take care of the hitting.”

Whenua nodded, standing to the side of Onewa with his own badge of office. He could feel the Kraata within as they forced away the stone, trying to find a new way out of the rock to avoid the hitting menace.

“Ready?” Whenua asked. “Left!”

“Down!”

“To your right side!”

“Up!”

Whenua barked each time, and Onewa swung, but each time the Kraata dodged his attacks. The Turaga of Stone grew more frustrated with each miss, becoming more curt and erratic with his strikes. Soon he was not even hitting a hole, just wacking the stone at any point he could. Whenua noticed the carvers had gathered in a group not far off from them, watching the show.

“You know what?” Onewa said, throwing his hammer to the ground after several dozen attempts. “Forget this. We are going a different route.”

“I’m not sure if that’s—“ Whenua tried to caution. Onewa ignored him, his Komau beginning to glow. He stared at the rock hard, until almost as if on a string, each of the three Kraata slid out of the structure. Staring at them with an intense hatred, he smashed his hammer on each of them, knocking the first two unconscious. Whenua watched wordlessly, wincing as his fellow Turaga hit each of the specimens.

The last one however, Onewa’s hammer froze just inches above. Whenua looked at his brother, then at the Kraata.

“Why are you hesitating?” asked Whenua. Onewa gave no answer. Instead he just stood there, in a trance, hammer hovering over the creature.

A moment passed, and Onewa brought the hammer down on the creature. The final Kraata went limp, and Onewa lowered his tool, using its staff for support. He breathed heavily.

“Are you alright?” asked Whenua.

“The Makuta,” Onewa panted. “He has a telepathic link with these creatures. One is stronger than the others. But he can feel their thoughts.”

Whenua’s fingertips suddenly felt tingly. It was moments like these he wished he had archival tablets to write on. “What did you see?” he asked.

“A bunch of things, things I couldn’t describe even if I wanted to try,” Onewa said. “But then I heard his voice.”

All joy from the moment before flooded out of Whenua, leaving him with a sense of dread. “What did he say?”

“He knows we are hunting the Kraata.”

Whenua swore.

***

He didn’t know how long he was out, but Matau jerked awake with a shock. Sitting up he gasped, and then immediately groaned. He was limber for a Turaga, yes, but sometimes he forgot that he was not a Toa anymore—despite how briefly he had been one— and that his current body did not take to impacts as well as a Toa did. Still getting used to this frame, even after a century or two, he thought to himself.

As the pain subsided the Turaga of Air looked around, momentarily forgetting why he had fallen to the forest floor. He fell from vine swinging! Oh, how the Le-Matoran would laugh at him if they ever heard of this…

He had been swinging, and grabbed onto a vine. Except it wasn’t just a vine, he remembered, the incident coming back to him. There had been… a Kraata on the vine. And if he remembered correctly, the Kraata had fallen off of the vine to the jungle floor with him.

But his mask… with a cursory inspection, Matau took off his Noble Mahiki to see that it was fine. A few dents and scrapes over the years, but it was otherwise perfectly uninfected. No Kraata had touched it.

If the Kraata hadn’t touched it, was the creature still around?

Putting his mask back on, Matau looked at his surroundings. The snake like creature he had grabbed on the vine was a handful of hues of yellow, yet he only saw green around him.

Picking up his Kau Kau staff, the Turaga looked around. But more importantly, he listened. The area around him was quiet.

He could hear his breath and the sounds of the Rahi in the distance. But the sounds in between the two… There was faint breeze that blew through the jungle, and Matau stood attentive as it rolled over the plants. Yes, there it was, rustling much of the plant life, lightly but slightly… and the sound of shuffling on the underbrush made by a creature trying to stay hidden. Oh yes, it is still around. Matau smiled as the sound reached his audio receptors, his eyesight sliding towards where the sound came from. He raised his staff noiselessly to the brush, and gave a quick whirl of the buzzsaw to scare the creature.

The Kraata shot out of the brush, frightened. In a blur, it snaked toward a tree. Matau lunged after it, swinging his badge of office at the creature. Hold on, he thought as it slid under another bush. The creature spawn I grabbed on the vine was yellow. This one… this is green?

The Kraata had slipped through the bush, and was making a beeline for a tree a few bio away. Matau darted after it, swatting at the creature with his staff. He watched it as he chased, amazed that now the Kraata was taking on the color of the tree stump.

Never mind what color it is, just grab the forsaken thing.

Reaching the tree a few seconds ahead of Matau, the thing began to climb up the tree to allude capture. Matau was faster though, grabbing the thing by the tail. It hissed as it was pulled back towards the ground, the Turaga yanking hard at the creature. It hissed and looked back at Matau.

“Get— back— here— you—slimy— piece— of—“ he grunted.

The Turaga was unable to finish his sentence. The Kraata, not taking too kindly to the tug on the tail, forgot about its ascent on the tree and lunged at the Kanohi of the green one.

Matau fell on his back for the second time that afternoon. The Kraata was in his grasp fully now, albeit an arms length away. It writhed and screamed whilst trying to wriggle free. The Turaga grabbed the creature with as much of a vice grip as he could, trying to keep the thing away from his mask. The Kraata refused to submit, resisting any attempts to be subdued by Matau’s hand. What was he going to do with the thing?

“Don’t you ever tire?” He yelled at it. Getting to his feet, the Kraata still thrashing around in his grip, Matau went over to the tree it tried to climb and did the only thing he could do. Giving a solid swing, he swung the thing’s head at the tree it so desperately clung to moments before.

That did the trick. The snake went limp, suddenly stopping its struggle. The brown hue of the creature’s skin changed, until it was back to the yellowish color Matau had originally seen it bearing.

“So, you can camouflage-change,” the Turaga of Air said. He thought back to what Whenua said about the Kraata possibly having powers. “Well, earth brother,” Matau said aloud, “looks like you were right about that.”

Kongu wandered through the village square of Le-Koro, helping transport goods from one end of the village to the other. He looked very surprised when Turaga Matau came bursting from the trees, swinging in to land on the platform. For his advanced age, it was always impressive to see the Turaga performing acrobats as if he were one of the Matoran.

“Turaga Matau!” Kongu cried, excusing himself from the transport for a moment to greet the Turaga. “You have returned! Did the council-meeting with the other elders go well-fine?”

The Turaga nodded, but there was clearly a sense of stress on the noble Mahiki the elder of Le-Koro wore. “As well fine as it could have gone, vineswinger,” Matau said. “Can you get a Gukko and a carry messenger ready? I have something to ship-send to Turaga Whenua.”

***

Far beneath the Po-Koro Quarry, Makuta brooded.

In the brief moment Onewa had tried to control the Kraata, he had glimpsed Makuta’s mind. In reciprocation, Makuta had sensed the Turaga’s simple thoughts, and seen what he and the others were trying to do. Now he contemplated the information he had gained.

“The Turaga wish to eradicate my Kraata from their paradise,” rumbled Makuta. “They seek to capture the seeds of my sons.”

“But Onewa,” Makuta said as he looked upwards to the ceiling of his lair. “Turaga of Stone… for being such a solid leader, your understanding of the situation is like the rocks you strike. Very hollow.”

Makuta approached a control panel deep within the recesses of the Mangaia. The lair was his, yes, but the cavern predated him by many millennia. This panel, an ancient piece of technology, was one of the mechanisms original to the cavern. It allowed him to manipulate the island above, in ways that his powers could not yet achieve. Makuta now tapped into it, preparing to counter the elder’s plans.

“I wish for the same things you do, Turaga,” Makuta rumbled as he activated the systems of the panel. He had great powers on his own, yes, but devices like these had power on another level. “The Kraata… they allow me to control the Rahi, and I do so in our best interest. They guard the tunnels, the ways back to Metru Nui. I keep the Matoran far away, in their villages, until the time is right— a time that I have chosen— for you to return to the City of Legends.”

The panel whirled to life, and Makuta manipulated the controls with glee.

“So, Turaga, you wish to hunt,” Makuta said. “But how can you capture what you cannot see?”

#Mata Nui Hauntings #mata nui #bionicle #bonkles #turaga #kraata #wack a mole #turaga adventure #hauntings #very long #im sorry #Po-Koro #Makuta

[northmarch]

Ranama

Lurking just below the lava flows of Ta Wahi, it waits for its prey. Though it may seek to taste of Rama, once you are caught on its toung the only thing you’ll have to look forward to is the searing heat of the river and the merciful end braught by the Rahi’s jaws. This is the Ranama.

The instructions for this Rahi were released online in 2002 alongside those for the Kikori Nui, though both models use pieces only found in discontinued slizer of roborider sets. I suspect that they may have been designed alongside the Fikou Nui from the cancelled LoMN game in 01 as they have a lot in common. All three being ‘almost’ combiners, using slizer/roborider parts (but nothing from 02), featuring a mask exclusive to the mask packs. And apparently the were supposed to be instructions for something included in the LoMN. Perhaps the Ranama and Kikori Nui were designed initially for the game? Although neither appear in the leaked alpha or beta builds we have seen.

#bionicle #lego #toy photography #action figures #action figure photography #rahi #bonkles #frog

[malwarewolf-mocs]

BIONICLE: Secrets of the Earth

Here it is, my entry to @ghost-mantis‘s writing contest! The prompt for this fic was so good I was not only able to crank out a 6,800 word fic in record time, but I was also able to lay the groundwork for a much larger, overarching storyline to continue Bionicle G1 with! Please enjoy, Secrets of the Earth! 

      After Toa Orde’s mission to find the Great Beings living on Bota-Magna was interrupted, a pair of brave (or foolhardy) Matoran aim to pick up where the Toa left off, and on their way discover the mystery the Jungle Moon has to offer. Will they perish at the hand of the dreaded Jungle Vorox, or will they discover glory everlasting in the form of their makers, the Great Beings?

Read on Google Docs | Next

“Are you sure we should even be out here?”

Onepu trudged further into the brush, knocking aside a shrub laced in spider webs as he did. “Of course I’m sure, my friend. This area of Bota-Magna was left relatively untouched after the shattering. We can discover much about the history and technology of this planet if we can find some sort of records, and we might be able to find more materials for Nuparu to build… whatever it was he was building.” 

Taipu huffed with worry, following narrowly behind his only friend and companion Onepu. “But didn’t you say the Toa haven’t finished clearing this area of the Jungle Vorox yet? Aren’t you worried Kabrua will jump out from behind these trees and hang us by our toes? Grind our masks into dust?” 

Onepu rolled his eyes. “After Chiara zapped half of his army, that brute was chased off into the forest, never to be seen again. We have absolutely nothing to worry about, Taipu.” Onepu jumped and posed triumphantly on a rock. “Just follow my lead, and we’ll be strutting through New Aetero, victoriously hefting parts and the history of this once great civilization!”

“You never could turn down an opportunity to go exploring.” Taipu grumbled.

Without another word, Onepu hopped down from the rock and continued through the jungle. Taipu sighed and followed after him.

Deep down, Taipu knew this expedition wasn’t going to end in anything good. Onepu may have been smarter than himself, but he still had a quirk about getting into situations bigger than he was ready to handle. And while back on Mata-Nui, that usually meant finding a new vein of protodermis, or new gems and riches to uncover, Taipu worried what wandering into this ancient jungle might bring.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Taipu muttered under his breath.

*

Sadruo the Vorox awoke with a start, her eyes twitching in the sunlight. Her senses stirred, reacting to something in the air, a smell to be exact. Sadruo was known among the other jungle Vorox for her keen sense of smell. It was for that reason that she was now the leader of the jungle Vorox, after Kabrua had died of his wounds. That, and she had killed all who opposed her in combat.

She sat up, her ears keenly surveying the jungle sounds around her. Insects chirped in the trees, birds flapped their wings as they dove to eat the insects. A Sand Stalker sauntered through the brush a few hundred meters to the right. In the distance, she could hear thunder rolling. There would be a storm later that day, and she’d need to mobilize the rest of the pack in order to not get stuck in their current location. She took a deep breath, inhaling all the scents she could pick up from where she sat. She smelled that same Sand Stalker in the brush. She smelled the wind carrying an odor of grimy, unwashed Vorox, doubtlessly from her many male pack members sleeping just a ways away from her. She let out this breath with a snarl.

“Boys, wake up.” She barked at the rest of her pack. “I’m on a funny scent, and we’re gonna follow it.”

She picked up her blaster and stood, following her nose out of the clearing where they had been sleeping and into the jungle. She agilely and quietly snuck through the bushes, lunging over mossy stones and ducking under Fikou spider webs. It amazed Sadruo at first, the huge host of biomechanical wildlife that took up residence in Bota-Magna, its diversity and its ability to survive, even in a harsh environment such as this. But then they learned where it came from. Gukko Liver quickly became a favorite dish among her pack.

Sadruo crept closer to the source of the scent. She peaked through the foliage and saw a pair of tracks in the mud; the wo oblong, triangular feet each, with two rounded toes sticking out the front. She crept over them, and inhaled deeply, getting a strong imprint of their scent. Almost immediately she knew what they were. Her lip rose in disgust, and she let out a snarl.

“Matoran.”

* 

Thunder cracked in the distance, and Onepu peered over the horizon, watching as dark clouds began to roll in. He wondered momentarily if Bota-Maga had wet and dry seasons the way Le-wahi did back on Mata-Nui, or if the jungle was in a constant state of flooding. The foliage and underbrush seemed to be prepared for that sort of weather; strong roots, convex leaves to let water pour off instead of collect, it seemed entirely plausible to Onepu that this place was a constant rainforest in the way Bara-Magna was a constant arid desert, and Aqua-Magna a constant ocean.

“Think we should find some shelter maybe?” Taipu said, following Onepu’s gaze to the storm on the horizon.

“Perhaps. I’m growing very curious about the wildlife of this place however.” Onepu began to pace. “Why have we yet to encounter any creatures? Do you think they’re beginning to settle down before it rains? Have they learned to avoid upright beings to avoid being hunted by the Vorox? Or have the Vorox been overhunting? Taipu what do you think?”

The grass rustled to their left. Something small and green slithered through the brush.

Taipu followed it with his eyes. “I think there’s a creature right there, Onepu.” Taipu sighed. “Look, we can make discoveries once we’ve found some shelter. I’m sure there will be a whole bunch of creatures in a nice cool cave, don’t you think?”

“I wonder what sort of creature…” Onepu walked over to the brush that had rustled a moment ago, ignoring Taipu, and pulled apart the branches.

“An Agori?!”

Onepu stumbled backwards in surprise, and a green Agori with a spiky head popped out of the brush. His hands and feet were claws, and his body was dotted with spikes, making him look like a small Agori-shaped cactus.

“Matoran?” He said. “Who are you supposed to be?”

Taipu helped Onepu to his feet. “We might say the same to you!”

The Agori stepped out of the underbrush. “My name is Tarduk. I’m here looking for rarities and relics from the Jungle moon. Now, who are you?”

Onepu stood. “I am Onepu, former Captain of the Onu-Koro Ussalry, and aide to Turaga Whenua.” He pointed at his compatriot. “And that’s Taipu.”

Taipu waved, and the Agori nodded. “You’re a long way from New Atero, Matoran. Aren’t you worried about the Vorox? They’re sure to do unspeakable things to you if they found you.”

Onepu puffed out his chest. “Discoveries are not born on the back of cowardice, but within breasts filled with courage!”

“I see.” Tarduk said, his shoulders drooping. “Well your friend is right, we really out to be finding shelter. That storm will be upon is before you’d expect. The rains come quickly on Bota-Magna.” Tarduk trudged past them, heading deeper into the jungle. “Follow me, I know a cave not far from here we can take shelter in for the rest of the day.”

*

The Earth tribe dozed in the darkness, their sleeping chamber held deep beneath the surface of the cavern they called home, the secret underground city of Korgot. Maugna the Agori was given the duty of watchman, wandering the empty streets of the city during the daytime, listening to the birds as the flew in from the enormous and bright sinkhole that connected the roof of the cavern to the jungle high above. The sunlight was the only thing he didn’t like about the daytime. Otherwise, the earth was quiet. The other Agori were still in the sleeping chambers. He could relax.

But today, something was different. Maugna was uneasy. He could feel the earth beneath him tense and uptight, as if it sensed something that did not belong; a presence not natural to Bota-Magna. An alien.

Seeing that the city was clear and all was well at midday, Maugna decided to meditate before the gates of the Vault of Knowledge. In ancient times the Earth Tribe saw history as a window into what was, and what was to be: by knowing what has happened, one can learn how things became the way they are, and how they may turn out to be. Though this art of foresight was lost, Maugna still appreciated it’s meaning: clarity was so much more than just seeing the future, it was seeing all of time as a whole, and knowing what was, what is, and what may be. As Maugna set his staff down, he could feel the earth holding its secrets deep in sequestered caverns, in the tiniest of vibrations felt long ago many miles away.

As he meditated, he remembered the robots, the two battling for dominance on the surface of Bara-Magna. He remembered the one dying, and the planet becoming engulfed with the new beings called “Matoran,” or so the scouts said. He remembered the impact of Bota-Magna against Bara-Magna, the unrivaled quake that rocked the entire city of Korgot and stirred almost all the Agori from their slumber.

So the “Matoran” creatures, or ones like them, had ventured into Bota-Magna a few weeks ago, but their trespasses were halted by the Vorox, who doubtlessly opposed them and their kind for the horrors inflicted upon their Bara-Magna brethren, or so Kabrua had told the scribes. For such a violent and bloodthirsty being, Kabrua seemed to have a certain respect for knowledge and history not found in many members of his species, and for this he and his tribe were welcome in the secret city of Korgot. His death was an unfortunate loss for the Vorox, and the tribe was left to fight for a dominant leader, until Sadruo, his mate, had risen to the top.

But now, Maugna could feel the unrest in the world above. The Vorox stirred, creeping through the brush, stalking their prey. And even now, two more of those “Matoran” beings fumbled through the jungle, aimless and–

Maugna’s eyes open with shock. No one, not even the Vorox, had ever been so stupid. But these idiotic and naive creatures approached a trap.

He sprang from the pedestal in front of the vault, and rushed towards the main guard tower. The others would need to be awakened to defend the city from the aliens.

*

Before they even set foot in the cavern, Tarduk felt something was off about it. Maybe it was the way a few Stalagmites were missing from the floor of the cavern, right in the middle, as if something had dug a track in the floor. Maybe it was the way the cavern seemed to remain the same depth and width all the way back as far as Tarduk could see. The way something about it felt artificial yet ancient.

Whatever it was, his matoran companions felt nothing of the sort. Maybe it was his centuries of wariness exploring caves and entering traps, or maybe it was nothing. These matoran were, after all, matoran of Earth, and if they didn’t detect anything wrong, perhaps there wasn’t?

“Onepu! Look at this!”

Then again, Tarduk hadn’t seen or met any Agori of earth in eons, far too long ago to remember. He had no idea what these creatures were like compared to Agori of Earth, and what kind of connection they had to their element. What he did know was that Matoran were a much younger race than Agori.

“Tarduk, are you coming?” Onepu asked, turning back to look at him.

Tarduk shook his head, banishing those absent thoughts. “Yes, I think I see something on the cavern wall up ahead.” He pointed.

Onepu followed with his eyes, and saw what he was pointing at. A strange white painting laid deeper in the cave. “Ah! Perhaps we’ll find some historical records from the Vorox? Or a painting of their brutish and vile deeds? Or perhaps some remnant from the Great Beings? Or-”

“It’s a beast.” Taipu said, walking closer to it.

“What?” Onepu said, following behind him to get a better look. “No daring Vorox slaying it or anything?”

“No, just a beast. I’m no archivist, but I’d wager it was big. A long body and neck too.” Taipu said, scanning the white chalk painting closely.

Tarduk followed them to get a better look. Despite not being able to see very well in the darker rear of the cavern, he could make out the outline of the creature clearly. “Well whoever painted this wasn’t a Vorox. I’ve seen the way they mark up trees and boulders out here. This is way too complex for those archaics. Whoever made this was an Agori.”

“Wait, there’s another one, deeper in the cave!” Onepu exclaimed, running further into the darkness.

“I see it too!” Taipu said, following behind.

Tarduk couldn’t see anything passed the first painting, and the two black matoran had vanished completely. “Hey guys?” 

“C’mon Tarduk, you’ve gotta see this one!” Onepu called, “It’s much more menacing. It’s standing on two legs, and it’s got a bunch of sharp teeth!”

“I can’t see much of anything, Matoran!” Tarduk said, nearly tripping as he followed his companions. “Where did you go?”

“Look Onepu, another one!”

“Oh my goodness, there’s a whole host of them, Tarduk!”

“Guys?”

“Oh wow, they’re all… falling down… a hole?”

“Guys!?”

Tarduk heard Taipu begin to say something, but it was lost under the sound of the earth rumbling and rocks crashing together. The floor of the cavern shifted, and Tarduk lost his footing. The Matoran yelped, and Onepu yelled something that sounded like “Cave in!” right before the floor disappeared beneath Tarduk.

*

Taipu woke up with a throbbing head. He sat up and saw his two companions lying around him. His mask was gone from his face, and had been thrown several feet to his right. The eyeholes of his Pakari stared back at him as he felt his strength slowly leaving. He scrambled to crawl over and retrieve it before being rendered comatose, and discovered what they had landed on.

“Are these…. bones?”

They seemed to be lying on a massive pile of ribs and femurs, skulls and spines. Moreover, they seemed to be stuck in a pit of some sort. The only light leaked in from above, a more open cavern. At its ceiling, Taipu could see the cracks through which they had fallen.

Taipu replaced his mask, and Onepu groaned.

“Get up old friend, I think we’ve found ourselves in a bit of a problem.” Taipu said, gently rocking his friend, who had landed flatly on his face.

Tarduk sat up with a pained hum. “Where are we? What happened?”

“In a pit.” Taipu said, once again scanning their surroundings for a way out. “We seem to have fallen in some sort of trap.”

“Yes.” Tarduk said, scratching his head. “Yes of course. Those markings in the cave weren’t history. They were to show that animals are meant to go in here and fall to their deaths, probably so the Vorox can eat them.”

Onepu rolled over. “Ugh. I’m lucky I’m tough skinned, or else one of these bones would have impaled me.”

Tarduk stood, and clambered over the bones to the side of the Pit. “We have to find a way out of this place.”

“Relax, my dear Agori explorer.” Onepu said, sitting up. “This is hardly our first cave-in. We’ll be out of here in no time at all.”

Horns blared in the cavern above the pit. Footsteps could be heard as well, and the bones in the pit began to rattle.

“What’s going on?” Taipu asked frantically.

“We’ll soon find out!” Onepu said. “Hold fast!”

From the top of the cavern, black and purple armored troops began to look down at the trio. They were armed with spears that look somewhat like drills, and carried large, circular shields. One of them was wearing a spiky-looking helmet and wielded a barbed broadsword.

“State your business here, intruders!” She shouted, pointing her sword at the trio.

“We’re explorers from the surface world,” Onepu shouted up to them. “We mean you no trouble, we wandered into this hole by accident!”

“By accident indeed,” the warrior shouted down, sheathing her sword. She turned to one of her troops. “Throw down the ropes and pull them up.”

The other warriors tossed three ropes into the pit, and the three explorers grabbed onto them as the warriors hauled them up.

Onepu brushed himself off as he stepped onto the ledge. “Whew, thanks, I thought we were done for.” He looked up, and one of the warriors shoved a blade an inch from his mask.

“On your knees, outsider.” The warrior spat. Onepu raised his hands and knelt down, and he could see all the warriors but the one wearing the spiked helmet, presumably the leader, were Agori. The leader paced before them, her cape billowing as she walked.

“So the outsiders have finally found our secluded city in the earth.” She said. “Having crossed treacherous Vorox controlled jungles. In a way, I’m almost impressed, outsider. I’m almost inclined to congratulate you. Almost.” She stopped pacing and leaned down to meet Onepu’s eyes. “I know that one is an Agori, but you are something else. The earth tells me, something artificial even. So what are you, trespasser?”

“My friend and I are Matoran.” Onepu said. “Denizens of another world entirely. The Matoran world. He is Taipu, and I am Onepu, former Captain of the Ussalry and right hand of Turaga Whenua.”

“Ah, a Matoran.” The warrior said, standing back up straight. “Daethius speaks of you and your kind. One of the Great Being’s many playthings they wound up in an attempt to try and fix this mess they made. Which I see you finally accomplished.” She crossed her arms. “Very well Matoran, my people strongly believe knowledge of equal value should always be shared for being’s mutual benefit, so I will tell you my name. I am Tera, Primary Glatorian of the Earth Tribe, Commander of the Korgot Guard, and Co-ruler of Korgot.”

“Earth tribe?” Tarduk said with surprise. “But everyone knows the Earth tribe vanished whe-”

One of the guards kicked him. “Silence, Bara-magnan! You will speak when the Commander asks it of you!”

“Restrain yourself sergeant.” Tera said, walking towards Tarduk. “If what Kabrua has told us about what these other Agori have done to the Vorox on their world, I’m sure Sadruo and her clan will be very curious about our visitors. Take the Agori to the prison and wait for her arrival.”

“Wait! you can’t do this!” Tarduk said as he was grabbed by the guards. “Please I’ll give you anything!”

Tera turned back to the Matoran. “And as for our other guests, I think it’s time someone found out what has really been going on while they were away. Spread the word! Open the Vault of Knowledge!”

*

Onepu and Taipu stood before an enormous vault, the likes of which put the doors within the Archives in Metru-Nui to shame. They watched as it turned, unlatching from its opening. Steam hissed as the pressure was released and balanced with the outside world, and slowly the door began to swing open to the right, revealing an enormous pitch-black tunnel lit only by a pair of distant torches on either side of its circular walls, several hundred meters in.

Taipu looked behind him. They had just been paraded through an enormous city, at least ten times the size of Onu-Koro. Earth tribe Agori from all over town had come to see the “strange outsiders,” and in exchange the two Matoran got to get a good glimpse of how these Agori lived. Lichen gardens dotted every building, and on the bottoms of most stones. Guard towers were every 500 meters or so, so Onepu could assume they had almost no crime. Even better, Taipu could see most buildings had ways into deeper tunnels below, and he immediately knew the city they were seeing was only a small portion of this place. Their visit was brief however, as it seemed the Agori wanted them to go inside this vault.

“Once inside, there is no escape, Matoran.” The guard behind them chuckled.

Tera stood behind them her arms crossed. “In this vault, one of two things will happen, Matoran.” She boomed. “You will cross the gates alive and find the knowledge you seek, or you will die. There is no other way.”

The guards pushed them with their lances, and they were ushered forward into the dark cavern. Once they were inside, the vault door began to close.

Onepu looked back at Tera. At the last second before she disappeared behind the door, she mouthed ‘good luck.’ The vault closed and latched behind them, leaving the pair in a darkened cavern. Luckily, being Onu-matoran, their eyes adjusted almost instantly.

“Well,” Taipu said. “This is pretty bad.”

“Don’t fret my dear companion.” Onepu said to him. “I have a feeling one way or another things will work out for us. Let’s continue through these ‘gates’ Tera spoke of.”

“Right.” Taipu said, following as Onepu began to walk towards the first torch down the hallway. After a moment, he asked his friend. “What do you think is in here?”

“I couldn’t fathom.” Onepu hummed. “Tera did say ‘he’ would want to see us, whatever that could mean. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

They neared the torch, and as they did Onepu could see the cavern opened up into a chamber, at the opposite end of which stood a large metal door. Depicted on it was a warrior of some sort, his arms flexed to show his incredible strength and musculature. From the ceiling, in the middle of the room, a rope hung down and brushed against the floor.

“Well this is strange.” Onepu said. He walked over to the door, and pushed on it. “How do you wager we’re supposed to get this open?”

Taipu inspected the rope. “Perhaps we pull down on this?”

Taipu tugged, and gears could be heard tugging in the walls.

“The Test of Strength begins.” An ominous, booming voice echoes throughout the room.

Suddenly, with a loud metallic crash, the floor dropped out from under Taipu and most of the room. Below it, there was a huge trench with spikes. Taipu had managed to cling to the rope just before falling, and Onepu stood safely on a ledge by the door.

“Taipu hang on!” Onepu called.

“Not to worry!” The Onu-matoran said. “I weigh a lot less than a boulder. I’m going to try and swing to you!”

“Alright, be careful!”

Taipu began to swing his feet to gain momentum, and it wasn’t long before he was flying across the room like a pendulum.

“Almost got it…” he said, swinging away from Onepu, and then back. At the peak of his swing, he released the rope and fell onto the ledge, and almost reeled back into the spike trench had Onepu not caught him.

“Whew, careful friend!” Onepu said, pulling him away from the spikes. “You looked like a real Le-Matoran out there, swinging around like that!”

“Mata-Nui, am I glad to be back on solid ground.” Taipu said with a huff.

“Test of Strength: passed.” The echoing voice called. The door began to rise from the ground, allowing them to pass into the next tunnel. As they travelled, Onepu noticed something.

“This architecture…” he mused. “It looks so much like that of Metru-nui… only bigger.”

“Probably built for bigger beings?” Taipu replied. “Like the Glatorians?”

“Or something else…” Onepu said.

After another while they reached the second chamber, this gate embellished with the scene of a brave figure proudly sticking out his chest to a much larger foe.

“The Test of Courage begins.” The ominous voice boomed yet again.

A strange sound echoed from the ceiling, and Onepu looked up, and immediately was stricken with horror. He patted Taipu to get his attention, who whimpered when he saw the abomination above them.

A mass of red smoke and writhing tentacles with four glowing eyes stared down at them with a hiss-like cackle. “I am Phomema.” It said, its voice like the sound of granite scraping glass. “I feed on fear of lesser, puny creatures. Now, show me what you fear.”

Onepu trembled, but he took a deep breath. “I am Onepu, Captain of the Ussalry. I fear nothing!”

Phomema howled with laughter. “Perhaps, but your companion is not of the same mind!”

Onepu looked at Taipu, who curled into a ball and held his hands to his ears.

 Phomema fell to the floor, and immediately began to change. His tentacles disappeared, his glowing yellow eyes became two red ones, and he grew in height. The Kanohi Kraahkan emerged from the smoke, and almost instantly, the image of Makuta Teridax stood before the two Matoran. He laughed his deep evil laugh, and leaned in towards the Matoran. “Fear me!” He boomed.

 “Taipu, it’s just a trick! He can’t hurt you!” Onepu yelled, trying to help his friend.

 Makuta lifted his staff of shadows, and knocked Onepu away. He collided loudly against the cavern wall.

 “Your friend cannot save you, Taipu. And now, he will die because of you!” Makuta howled with laughter. “You will die in this cavern.”

 Onepu struggled to stand up. “Don’t- unf, listen to him, Taipu! He’s not real!”

 Makuta looked at Onepu with rage. “Silence!” He boomed.

 “I know you Taipu! You’re brave enough to know this isn’t real!”

 Taipu took a deep breath and stood. He looked into the eyes of the Makuta, and he puffed out his chest. “I may be just a digger, but I am an Onu-matoran!” He shouted. “And you don’t scare me anymore!”

 The makuta dissolved and screamed, the red smoke retreating to the ceiling with a loud hissing sound.

 “Test of Courage: passed.” The voice called out again as the door rose.

 “Onepu, are you okay?” Taipu said, rushing to his friend.

 “I’m alright Taipu. I’ve taken worse beatings. You on the other hand stood up to your worst fear! I’m amazed!”

 Taipu chuckled. “It was just an image. You yourself didn’t have any fears from the beginning!”

 Onepu shook his head. “I was bluffing.”

 They continued through the tunnels, and eventually reached a third, larger cavern. The only thing they could see was a small totem on the far side of the room, near the door. On the door was depicted a large crab-like creature; one of its claws was much larger than the other, and it had a rectangular body with ten long legs.

 “The Test of Power begins.” The voice echoed once more, signalling the beginning of their test.

 “I wonder what that totem says.” Onepu said, beginning to walk towards it. As he did, low, deep clicking sounds erupted from either side of the cavern.

 “Oh, what now…” Taipu pouted.

 A pair of red eyes glowed in the shadows. From them emerged two enormous crabs, just like those on the door. They blocked their path.

 “Manas!” Taipu said, running away in fear. One of the enormous creatures chased after him. Taipu was by no standards a fast runner, and the creature only barely kept up with him.

 Onepu observed the creature before him. It was huge and menacing looking, but it was mostly biological, like most beings and creatures from Spherus-magna. They weren’t Manas, but judging by their huge claws and dripping, hungry mouths, they were just as dangerous.

 The crab snapped at him, and he only just managed to get out the way in time. Alright think Onepu, he said to himself. The Test of Power. What is Power? Power is… knowledge!

 “Taipu!” Onepu yelled, dodging the creature’s claw yet again.

 “Help me!” Taipu yelled back, still being pursued by the other crab.

 “Taipu, I need you to read the totem!”

 Onepu watched as Taipu led his crab into a corner, and dove under its body to read the totem before it could turn around. “I can’t read it, it’s just a picture of a being under a crab!”

 Onepu’s head lit up. “Of course! Under their bodies, that’s their blindspot!”

 Onepu quickly dove under his crab, and instantly he felt the beast become confused. It turned around to wait for Onepu to come out its other end, to no avail. Taipu quickly caught on and hid under his crab.

 “Test of Power: passed.” The voice called for the last time. Hissing and clicking, the crabs retreated into the shadows, leaving the matoran unharmed.

 The door opened, but as it did, bright light beamed into the room, blinding Onepu and Taipu before their eyes could adjust. When they did, Onepu could see a singular being standing before them.

 *

 Tarduk fidgeted nervously in the cell. The Earth Agori had been hospitable enough to give him some food, which consisted of moist lichen bread and a white meat he could only speculate was crab. He dared not touch any of it.

 Footsteps approached his cell, and he rushed to meet his captor. Tera stood outside, her towering height darkening the entryway. “Our guests will be here shortly.” She said.

 “Please, Glatorian, don’t hand me over to those monsters!” Tarduk said, grasping at her cape through the bars.

 “Perhaps you should’ve thought of that before you let the others of your tribes commit genocide on the Vorox?” Tera said, crossing her arms. “To the Vorox, you’re the monster, Agori.”

 Tarduk’s head sank. His heart pounded with anxiety.

 Scraping sounds echoed through the chamber, and on the far wall, a group of green and tan Vorox emerged from a slide-like tunnel. They were led by a slender female.

 “They are here.” Tera said to Tarduk as they approached. “Sadruo, my ally, how has Bota-Magna been treating you after you killed your political competition? You look thin, can we get you some lichen?”

 “Enough talk, spike head!” Sadruo, the Vorox leader hissed. “Where are the Matoran filth?”

 “Matoran?” Tera blinked. “There are no Matoran here, I promise.”

 “Then why does their foul stench pervade the air?” Sadruo said, standing right in front of Tera, threateningly.

 Tera was not fazed. “You must be tracking this Agori, who’s been living with a Matoran companion.” Tera gestured to Tarduk, who shuddered in his cave. “We found him in one of our traps and thought he might be a thief.”

 Sadruo huffed. “I don’t want an Agori. I want to kill those aliens who invaded our home!”

 Tera shook her head. “I know, my friend. But you won’t find any here today, I’m sorry.”

 Sadruo’s eyes narrowed. “If I find out you’re lying, a cave-in in the sleeping chambers will be the least of your worries.”

 The Vorox left, and Tera unlocked Tarduk’s cell. “You can come out.”

 “Was that your plan? Bluff?” Tarduk asked.

 Tera nodded.

 “So… are you trying to protect the Matoran?”

 Again, Tera nodded. “The story of the Agori and Glatorian, especially we Glatorian of Earth, is coming to a close. We have lived for eons, and we don’t have much to say for it. These younger creatures though, these Matoran, they have a chance to become something greater. And there is great power within them, though they might never truly realize it.”

 Tarduk blinked. “So you’re saying these Matoran will become better than us?”

 Tera looked at him. “Become? Silly Bara-Magnan can’t even see his own travelling companions for what they really are. They’re not destined to become better than us. They already are.”

 Tarduk looked towards the vault where his friends had gone hours ago. But for how much longer? He mused.

 *

 “Hmm, this piece goes like this hmm, yes, very good. And then this- no no no, start over. Alright, and then here we have- and then this one, hmm yes…”

 Onepu cleared his throat. “Umm… Hello?”

 “And then right here, no there- or was it there? Not sure, I’ll come back to it, hmm hmhmmm, very good here… yes yes, perfect….”

 “Hello!” Onepu said again, his tone sharper.

 The being continued to dance around as lights emanated from a central cone-like structure in the middle of the room like a strobe, displaying holographic images too quickly to follow. Still, the being manipulated them and moved about in an organized fashion, humming and speaking to himself.

 “Hello!!” Onepu finally shouted.

 The being stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the two matoran, his eyes wide with shock. He blinked, momentarily. “Matoran? In my workshop? How odd.”

 “Can we ask who you are?” Taipu asked.

 For a moment the being went back to his tasks. “You can ask your Great-Being master all the questions you like but you can’t thi- wait.” He stopped again and stared narrow eyed at the Matoran. “You can think?”

 Onepu and Taipu looked at one another. “Yes?”

 The Great Being paused. “Well who’s idea of a practical joke was that?”

 The Matoran said nothing, too baffled to respond.

 “Well it doesn’t matter. If you must know who I am, I’m Daethius. The important question is who you are, and why you’ve been assigned to my service.” The Great Being picked up a tablet-like device, which scanned the two matoran with a red laser. “Onu-Matoran 61174 deisgnation ‘Onepu’ and Onu-Matoran 73260 designation ‘Taipu,’ Matoran assigned to Metru-Nui archives and drilling team respectively, last known assignment, restoring Spherus-Magna under the service of Mata-Nui. Status: completed, 4,711 years behind schedule, but we all make mistakes, especially considering you’re sentient- Hmm how odd. No record of you being assigned to me.”

 “We came here to find you, Great Being!” Taipu said with some enthusiasm. “To discover your secrets!”

 Daethius laughed. “Sentient Matoran, how ridiculous! I only wish I knew who did this to you so I could give him a right slap on the head!”

 Onepu huffed. He wasn’t catching the same enthusiasm Taipu had about meeting a great being. He was mainly flooded with more questions. “Did what to us?”

 Daethius scratched his head. “Hmm, perhaps I should dissect you, see what they did to make you think like this. Of course, I’m not authorized to tamper with Matoran, but what can they do, kill me?” Daethius chuckled.

 “Hey!” Onepu yelled loudly. “Now I understand you’re not used to us matoran having our own free thoughts, but listen! I came here to find you and see why you left!”

 Daethius blinked. “Left? Who left?”

 “Why the Great Beings left Bara-Magna!”

 After a brief pause, Daethius pulled up a hologram. It was Spherus-Magna, a globe of it. On the side facing them, Onepu could clearly see the many villages or the Agori, and the two ocean and jungle moons in their rightful spots. “We never left, Matoran.” Daethius spun the globe, and on the opposite side of the planet, a huge sprawling city sat on the equator.

 Onepu blinked. He had no response.

 “I’ll put it plainly Matoran, I don’t appreciate being screamed at by some obsolete worker droid who’s gotten his brain scrambled.” Daethius said, tapping his tablet and making the Spherus-Magna hologram disappear. Walls of text began to shine through the central projector. “I’m giving the order. You, as well as all the other beings assigned to Mata-Nui are to report to Nilkuu City at these coordinates. Someone else will figure out what to do with you.”

 Daethius tossed a small device that displayed the hologram of Spherus-Magna at Onepu’s feet. Onepu’s fist clenched. “So that’s it then?” Onepu looked up at the Great Being, who stood occupied with his tasks. The display cone again flashed like a strobe, only irritating Onepu more. “You make us, you get us to do the job you didn’t want to, and then you dismiss us like this?”

 “Be gone, Matoran!” Daethius said firmly. The Great Being didn’t even look up from his task. “I will not tell you again.”

 “Onepu, we should go,” Taipu grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “We found what we were looking for, let’s get out of here.”

 Onepu unclenched his fist. He picked up the hologram device and stormed out of the room. “Some Great Being.”

 Taipu followed him out, and the pair continued through the room and out the door.

 “I don’t suppose you have any ideas of how to get out of here do you?” Taipu asked.

 Onepu didn’t respond.

 “I guess we could try tapping on the Vault door, see if Tera will let us go?” Taipu offered. “Got anything else?”

 Still Onepu said nothing and continued walking.

 “Onepu?”

 The purple Onu-Matoran stopped. He looked at the device in his hand. “I can’t believe this.” He said softly.

 Taipu blinked, unsure of what to say. “The Great Beings?”

 Onepu turned to look at his friend. “All of it, Taipu. We’re nothing but slaves to them. He didn’t even treat us like real beings. He looked at us like… things, Taipu. Like toys….”

 The moment was broken when the earth above them trembled and rumbled loudly. The Matoran were rocked violently, and lost their balance.

 “Another Cave-in?” Taipu shouted over the roar of earth moving.

 “No, this is something else!” Onepu shouted back. “I think… I think the cavalry’s coming!”

 Sure enough, from the roof of the cavern, Toa Onua burst through the rocks, sending a spray of earth throughout the room. He landed on the floor with a booming crash. As he regained his balance, Onepu could see Onua’s adaptive armor had reshaped itself to fit the Bota-Magna environment.

 “Haha, there you two are!” He bellowed loudly. “You guys alright?”

 “Onua!” Onepu exclaimed. “Mata-Nui, am I glad to see you!”

 “You two are an awful long way from Bara-Magna. I hope you found what you’re looking for, because we can’t stay here much longer!”

 With one arm, Onua lifted the two Matoran up and jumped up into the roof of the cavern, tunneling back upwards through the earth.

 “Onua, there’s something we should tell you, it’s very important!” Onepu shouted over the roar of earth.

 “And what’s that, little one?” Onua shouted back.

 Onepu held out the hologram so Onua could see it. “We’ve completed Toa Orde’s mission! We found the Great Beings!”

 Epilogue

“That is one incredible story, Onepu.” Tahu said, his fingers laced as he listened to the end of the Matoran’s tale. He and the rest of the Toa Nuva had been alerted of the Matoran’s disappearance when they left New Atero, and with the help of Kopaka’s Akaku Nuva, they were able to locate the pair. After Onua brought them back, Tahu sat them down on some fallen logs, and had them reveal their incredible story. “And you’re sure of what you heard from this Daethius?”

 “Yes, Toa. I’m sure of it.” Onepu said. “And Taipu can vouch for me.”

 His black and tan companion nodded.

 “This news, brother.” Gali said, leaning against a nearby tree. “It troubles me.”

 “As I am sure it will trouble all who hear it sister.” Kopaka, standing next to her, replied.

 “Perhaps it would be wisest to keep this information a secret until we can commune with the Turaga.” Onua offered. “After all, they control what is left of our society. They need to hear this first, decide what to do about this.”

 Tahu nodded. “Pohatu has already travelled back to New Atero to summon the Turaga and the Agori leaders.” The Toa of Fire stood and gazed off at the setting sun, watching as it fell towards where their destination lie. “They will be there to hear of this news when we return. Lewa scouts ahead for Vorox. Toa, let us be underway.”

-Fin-

Ending remarks: 

I would like to give a special shoutout to Tumblr user Ghost-mantis for inspiring me to write this fic! Their contributions to the Bionicle Fandom are innumerable, and I always love to see their headcanons and passing thoughts about G1 and life for the beings we all know and love after it. In fact, their prompt for a writing contest is what inspired me to write this, as well as several more fics I have planned to continue this story! So if you haven’t already, give them a follow!

I’d also like to thank tumblr users Binkybonkles and Justanothertoaofair for letting me run ideas and concepts by them and get their opinions on how I should spin this, as well as the overarching storyline I’m cooking. Show them some love too!

So, the residents of the GSR have finally found where the Great Beings have been all these years huh? But what happens next? Wait and see in the next entry of our thrilling continuation of BIONICLE, Whispers in the Sand! Coming this July! 

#Bionicle #Bionicle story #Bionicle Fic #Bionicle G1 #Onepu #Taipu #Tarduk #Ghost-mantis