BZPRPG: Kini-Nui

OOC: I am not back yet, just found the time to write a few posts the past two nights, had some trouble getting them online, actually. Remote Island wi-fi isn’t the best.

IC:

It was done. With a pained screech, the last Manas found itself impaled upon Stannis’ halbeard, the tip of the weapon protruding slightly from the chitinous shell on the crabs back as well, a testament to the force with which it had flung itself at the Toa of stone. He removed his weapon from the dead Rahi, which fell on its back.

The vast, cavernous chamber slowly returned to its previous state around them as the last of Manas was slain. Silence fell once more over the room and a creeping darkness, the fog that the Toa of water had dispelled a few minutes earlier was closing in on them again as they looked over the fallen Rahi.

Leah let out a deep breath, calming herself down. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down as the rush of adrenaline began to drop again after immediate action was over. She looked around at the outcome of the encounter. The Manas were all down, dead or dying, broken bodies at the feet of the Maru. Two had been beaten to a pulp; the ones she and Reordin had taken out were lying in a pool of acid, their innards dissolving with soft, hissing noises; one had been frozen to its very core and the last one impaled.

The realisation of what the Maru had just done sunk in, along other things she had not taken the time to think about. And Leah crossed out another item from her mind’s list of things that she would have never dreamed about doing just a week ago. Taking on a group of Manas, infected ones at that, definitely was on said list.

The Toa of water’s eyes showed great relief, but also a slight feeling of pity. She had not felt it when they had brought down the six Rahkshi earlier. But unlike them, the Manas, despite being aggressive and dangerous enough on their own, had been forcefully slaved to the Makuta’s will, reduced to killing-machines. Beast or not, it was not a fate she wished upon anybody. The thought of Matoran and Toa wearing infected masks sickened her.

But she also noticed something else: The almost indifferent calm with which she had let the days past events wash over her thus far was largely gone by this point. So much had happened in the past two days that her mind had seemingly decided to just accept whatever was happening to her and the others. One moment she was hunting stones of power with them, the next they were the successors to the Mata, fighting Rahkshi, then racing to Kini-Nui. If she had stopped earlier to question all of these things she would have been overwhelmed. The question ‘Is this really happening?’ had not come up. Her training had prevented it, allowing her to accept the changes as they came and deal with what she could in the moment. But the fight with the Manas had shaken her out of that state. It had taken until now, but the Toa of water finally fully embraced what she had become. It was only a subtle change, but one she was very aware of.

Instead of the slightly distant feeling from before, she was experiencing something different now, which was hard to describe exactly. She felt much more ‘in the moment’ than she had previously. She had experienced the fight with the Manas much more vividly than that with the Rahkshi. But at the same time, she felt like could still step back mentally, and assess the situation. Put in simplest terms: Her former soldier-mindset started to mix with that of the Toa Mata whose essence was now within her.

And the was one other thing: The former Le-Matoran felt as if the element she now wielded also influenced her emotions, probably a side-effect of the transformation. And like the seas she could now control, the calm waters could bring terrible destruction if given a reason. And Leah had more than enough reasons to do just that.

The fact that the Manas had only been the first obstacle was one. More were to come and they were only going to become more difficult.

The righteous anger that had started to rise within her after this fight was another. Leah walked over to Korero, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, pulling him up. She knew what he felt.

Makuta had a lot to answer for. And he would answer, the Maru were going to make sure of that.

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

In his time as a member of the guard, Agni had seen his fare share of battle against the Makuta’s Rahi forces. Even before the original Mata had arrived, when he was still a Matoran, his fellow guardsmen and him had stood up to the creatures the dark one had brought under his rule and kept the village of Ta-Koro safe. But the way they had gone about it then had been nothing like the fight now.

As a Matoran, without special powers, the only option that included victory was to use superior tactics to those of the Rahi the Makuta sent. While the master of shadow’s mind might have been infinitely greater, his Rahi were still animals. More vicious and deadly in one way, they were relying on their master to give them orders on the other as well and that fact had allowed them more than once to outsmart the beasts.

A typical tactic they’d used had been a bait and trap. Small groups of scouts lured the dangerous Rahi into a ravine or other difficult terrain an the other guards would block the Rahi’s escape-route with obstacles. Then it was just a question of skilled disk-throwing to get rid of the infected masks. It was a tried and true method.

But the obstacles they had used then had always been inanimate. Rocks, large boulders, massive tree-trunks, fire-pits…

Agni never would have thought that the obstacle might have been one living being, one Toa. But today, that was just what was happening. Like waves colliding with breakers, the Makuta’s servants broke against Joske.

This was not how Agni had thought the fight would go. He had assumed he and the other Toa that had found their way to the temple were the first and last line of defense for the Maru below. Joske had been the wildcard in the plan. Agni didn’t know how far his new powers extended, he imagined even Joske didn’t fully know either.

But instead of letting him do his thing while they took the brunt of the attack, the damage Joske was dealing alone was enough to draw most of the attention away from them and on him. And if the radiant waves of light had been the most awesome display thus far, the scream of Vidar with which his Parakuka was vaporized and the taint purged from his body, topped it by far. Despite all that, Joske didn’t look too good. In fact, he looked like he was going to collapse if it weren’t for his element. Still, he was not out of the fight and that meant he was dangerous, like he had just proven.

Their opponents seemed to have the same opinion. They attempted less and less to overwhelm the defenders with numbers and instead became more methodical in their attacks, it seemed to Agni. The Toa of electricity that had approached together with the latest wave of Rahi kept his distance as well. Not surprising, considering Joske was the purging fire to burn away the wickedness in the dark ones at this point.

If they wanted to get to the Suva they were going to try something different and they would do it quickly. Agni tried to put himself in their position mentally, to think of the best way they might try to get at them. The defenders had the higher ground with the temple right now and the advantage of the open field surrounding them. Sneaking up would be harder too, since there was the ravine behind them that separated the temple from the Amaja Nui.

He looked to his right. Dalia was still holding her side of the temple, where there had mostly been Rahi to deal with. On his left, Verak was apparently having a good time. His glee was odd, to say at least, but he was there and he was fighting, so the veteran wasn’t going to complain. There was a newcomer though. And with Verak all over the place, Agni could use him.

“Verak! Which side is the weaker one?” the newcomer shouted.

“Well, I’d be guessin’ that it’s my side- there sure are a lot of Rahi out there,” came Verak’s reply.

Agni called out to him. “We need somebody to cover the left and rear, you up for it?”

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

Kohra crouched atop the branch of a tree on the southern side of the great temple, concealed in the canopy of the jungle growing there. Perched like a bird of prey she watched the battle unfold, trying to see what strengths and weaknesses were present on both sides before making a move of her own.

Her eyes were narrow, though, because the way the fight went, it didn’t look good for them, not like it had at first. The ragtag group of defenders that had answered the call of the blast of light and had assembled to defend the Suva-Nui was a hastily assembled one. But instead of being overrun like the initial plan had dictated, the Rahi and other servants of Makuta were being held at bay by the Toa. Maybe if the Toa of light hadn’t been there it would all be over by now. Maybe if Echelon and Utu were still in the fight or on their side. But no, they had both failed. And now Vidar had, as well. The Parakuka-enhanced Toa had earned his deadly reputation, but the Toa of light had beaten him brutally.

A soft, hissing growl escaped her throat. These so-called ‘heroes’ were no less evil than her or the others they labelled as villains; and fighting to claim that for themselves which rightfully belonged to the Makuta and nobody else. His presence was fading in and out of her mind, being everywhere at once.

She needed to do something. But she was not a frontline fighter. She was an agent of the darkness; an assassin, saboteur, spy. She did her best work away from the light, which could hurt her. Joining a direct assault was not an option. The defenders worked well together, were coordinated and covered each other. But if she could take one of them down, perhaps their line would crumble and they would have a shot to get rid of the Toa of light.

She felt another impulse then, relayed through her mental connection with the darkness. Ronkshou was preparing a diversion and sending a Tarakava and Muaka around to try and get behind the temple. It was a risky proposal. They had the numbers, but there was still open ground to cover. If the frontal-attack did not draw their attention, then the ambush was out the window. But perhaps, she could get into position to make her own move during it. She sent a thought out to the darkness, hoping it would find its way to Ronkshou.

A few moments later, she heard the rustling of leaves in the brush below and looking down, saw the top of the Muaka that was stalking through the undergrowth to get closer to the temple.

With the same agility as thee feline, Kohra slipped down from her vantage point, dropped down a few feet, caught herself on another branch before carefully dropping onto the Muaka’s back. The Rahi shifted its shoulders momentarily, slightly irritated, but with its task assigned, it continued to move, taking the Vortixx with it. When it charged, she would spring into action as well…

OOC: Anyone mind if I drop into this story?

OOC: You might want to post this question in the discussion topic...

IC: RyzenRyzen listened to his footsteps as he walked in the Le-Wahi swamp. He had been here for days, after leaving Ko-Wahi for Kini-Nui. Unfortunately, he was lost. He decided to just keep going towards a light ahead. He kept walking, and looked around for any Rahi that could be trying to ambush him. Ryzen finally reached the light. He saw a great opening, where the forest ends. Ahead was a large stone sculpture, that seemed to be it. He had finally reached Kini-Nui.OOC: I hope that was an ok start to Rp-ing on BZP.

OOC: @Takua Dragonstar7 You can always randomly get into other stories unless otherwise specified by the 'story maker', and this one is an open story, but you're probably missing the fact that this is the culmination of 2012's entire game main plot, and it's practically a 'closed off' area to those who either weren't here already, aren't members of the main plot, or didn't have a logical way of arriving. For me , I had a lazy Makuta servant who just didn't move. You're perfectly fine to join.....but make one word wrong, one wrong person you're attacking, and you're gonna get hit in the face so hard your face will hate your brain and run away.

For my character, I'm waking him up now, and depending on what side Ryzen is on, I'll happily join him as he pounds others or pound him as hard as I can.

IC: Aurum

*Cough* *Cough*

The bright light that came again and again woke him up. He had no permanent injuries; he could tell Agni was too stuck to the code and too focused on the situation to actually even bother to fully keep the Toa of Iron to stay down.

The main issue was HOW Agni had taken Aurum down; while the amount of craziness around him was causing enough heat, and he'd had enough time for the lack of body heat to actually return, the main issue was that he felt like an old, fat man who'd been staring at nothing for days apart from food. He felt like he hadn't even used his body for a long, long time, and each of his organic muscle's micro-tears, right now, felt a bit like no matter how stretched or un-stretched the muscles were, they were practically on fire.

It didn't stop him, though, and quickly he pushed himself back up, and started to modify his own armor again; sleeker, more mobile, faster. Another shield was in his left hand but this didn't have the same use as the one he'd blocked most of Agni's fires with - this was a last resort.

Both of his Protosteel weapons were still attached to his armor. But his right arm turned into another weapon; from the middle of the forearm all the way to the end of the fingertips was the handle with a brace to hopefully not snap his hand as he poked hard. The brace and handle were for a big, shiny lance.

And it was, hopefully, a good enough counter to Joske and his annoying hardlight.

IC: Ryzen He looked around the area, but only focused on the Suva. There was a fight. He shuddered. He heard of the legends, and they have not been very pleasant. Ryzen turned away and headed towards the Le-Wahi jungle, where he came from. Then he could go back to Ko-Wahi.

IC (Echelon)

Battle clashed and surged through the clearing of the Kini-Nui, with the Toa of Light at the heart of it. Echelon stood, still leaning on his staff, at a safe distance from the carnage at the temple itself, but he was more than conscious of the danger he faced. He was injured, he was maskless, and already this 'Joske Nimil' had crippled Vidar - with the beast-like Toa at full strength, no less.

Echelon caught a glimpse of something dark nearby - a crumpled, charred shape; the Necromancer's experienced eyes immediately identified it as a Toa's corpse. Without his Tryna, the body itself was of no use to him - but its Kanohi was.

Holding out a hand, Echelon summoned a magnetic pull and the mask detached from the corpse's face and floated to him. He caught it by the eyeholes with two fingers, placing it on his face with a soft click. Feeling some of his power return, he smiled wryly. How ironic; it was a Calix.

The Dark Toa strode over to where Utu lay prone. The massive Toa lay slumped on the ground, drying blood lying in crimson lines from his nose and ears, staining the dirt beneath him. Once again, Echelon raised the Control Stone to his lips.

"Get up."

Echelon didn't know whether Utu was conscious or not; but either way, the body was in charge, and it heaved itself up. Echelon glared into its empty eyes. Now was not the time for revenge...but that time would come. Once Ronkshou dispatched this glorified glowbug, and Makuta dealt with the foolish new Toa Team, the time would come.

IC:

The apprehension of the Shadow Toa was great. The great deed awaited them, and they were ready; they would dig their teeth into the chests of their foes and bite back their own essences, if that was what it'd take. Each, for his or her own reasons, felt a thudding between the ears and the a hotness in the heart: rage. They had not been unified as a sextet since before the first betrayal, but now a sinister kinship of blood lust awakened in them. The shades of the First Toa understood that they could not lose this battle; the stakes were high, because to die today would be to die empty. Yet for all of their anticipation, the Shadow Toa were still proud. Their golden eyes gleamed with self awareness.

Only the resentful Heuani wore a boot of humiliation; only he was buckled still to earth by hefty chains. He could no longer fight for his master, he would, of course, never fight for his brothers. And she would not compel Heuani's bitter heart into loyalty. He would fight for himself alone; helping anyone else was not in his best interests, so he told himself. Yet Heuani knew, and he cursed his inner insubordination, that he could not leave her to die, not if it came to that. He only hated himself when she was on his mind... the last thing he needed. He needed his control; he understand progressively that he would never have it. Maybe he never truly had. She was back, and he hated himself. Why did the dimness so irresistibly accentuate her? Why did the meager light so deliciously define her trim waist, her elegant neck, her tantalizing lines, her soft, firm-

The unheard voice of his master snapped Heuani from his reverie; it gave him and his comrades the simultaneous command. Ghastly impulses, they dissolved into the darkness around them.

Midway through a dimly-lit hall of titanic pillars, the Maru were presented with their dark reflections. Serpentine and languorous, the Shadow Toa stepped out of the darkness into a loose line that faced their destined foes. Heuani looked to either side as the others' hands were surrounded by nebulae of dark energy that, when they faded, were replaced by various deadly-looking weapons. He spotted rib-digger claws, a serrated hatchet, a spider sword, a ball on a chain, twin sickles. His own blade, translucent and wavy, may not have been able to have been summoned by shadow, but it sang with a dangerous noise as Heuani tapped its tip against the ground.

"Feel free to walk around us," Heuani said, glad to hear his voice was able to maintain its usual musicality despite Heuani's removal from his own assurance. His words and the ping of his tapping blade echoed. "We won't take it personally. But I can assure you that your deaths, were you to take that path, would be quite personal." The other Toa of Shadow took Heuani's smiling pause to appraise their enemies; the Maru stood as proudly as they. Each of the Shadow Toa noticed a particular subconscious mannerism that had once belonged to them; the infernos of their souls were given new fuel. Heuani's eyes were immediately drawn to his own doppelganger; something about how he stood...

"Your other option is the only one that could lead to success, and it's a straight shot through my... friends and I." Heuani went on, trying his best to minimize the irony. "We want you dead. You want us dead. I've always valued directness. So let's get on with it."

Ic: The team walked with a mixture of apprehensive assuredness, strengthened by their previous display of teamwork and ability, as they worked their way through the vast area. But as another team of six toa materialized like wraiths in the night through the mists of the underworld the Maru could not help but feel both the tinge of excitement and the shiver of fear sliver down their spines. It was Stannis who understood who these toa were instantly as he took note of Heuani's presence: These were the Toa Mata, the First Toa. Heroes reduced to feral monsters of the night. Heuani's voice, though never heard before by Stannis, was instantly recognizable as belonging to the deadly minion due to the melodious nature it wafted , but still bittersweet like the scent of rotten flesh candied and preserved with herbs. It was a graceful touch of death. "Feel free to walk around us," Heuani said. "We won't take it personally. But I can assure you that your deaths, were you to take that path, would be quite personal. Your other option is the only one that could lead to success, and it's a straight shot through my... friends and I. We want you dead. You want us dead. I've always valued directness. So let's get on with it."

Stannis bored his grey eyes at Heuani and his digits tickled the shaft of his polearm as he remembered the vow he made not so long ago: He will fight Heuani. His attention was rapaciously directed at the shadow toa, eager to face off against the being he was warned about and told to fear, and Heuani sensed this. The opposite toa's evil eyes looked back at Stannis with a bemused expression on his face. Stannis was no toa of light and his element was mundane when compared to the advanced nature of Shadow; what kind of challenge could a mere man hope to mount against Heuani, the shadow toa seemed to ponder. But Heuani's expressed transformed from one of curiosity to a tinge of apprehension when he realized something was wrong.

Stannis' eyes were not diverted. There was nothing but holy essence boiling at Heuani. This man was an enigma to match Heuani as Destiny would have it. "Oh how far the mighty First Toa have fallen," Stannis droned. They were the only words he spoke before the Toa Maru matched their precursors' positions of war. Each of the Maru seemed to direct their visage at an opposite toa, six for six. They were going to have to fight through these people.

But Stannis disagreed with Heuani; They had no intention to kill these shadows no matter how much they wanted to kill the Maru. The Toa Code that the Maru felt as second nature told them not to kill. Stannis narrowed his eyes and charged for Heuani with the energy of righteous fury, determined to best the notorious lieutenant. His halberd was held aloft like a banner for the Great Spirit and prepared to cleave Heuani down in a mighty sweep across the breast -- and then, just as Heuani raised his flamberge, Stannis altered the course of the halberd; the sweep was a feint. Instead, he reversed the sweep and used the end of the shaft as the striking point to shove Heuani's sword away and strike his neck with the pommel of the halberd with all the force he could muster.

IC (Korero)

Korero raised his shield in a defensive position.

"Wait!" he shouted, and even the Shadow Toa paused momentarily. His golden eyes searched each of their yellow ones, pleading for some shred of compassion left in them. "We don't have to do this!"

"Oh yes we do," came a low voice from nearby. One of the dark sentinels approached slowly. Korero's eyes darted over his form - hunched slightly; powerfully built, particularly around the legs; his armour sleek but sharper and more jutting than Heuani's, like the shadows cast by blades. Even corrupted by Shadow, his physique was unmistakable.

"Pohatu?" Korero asked quietly, both fear and awe gripping him as the Shadow Toa hefted a wickedly spiked flail of black metal.

"Once," the Toa replied. Instantly, he raised the flail above his head, swung it once in a circle, and brought it smashing into Korero's shield with massive force. The Toa of Air staggered back, the bones in his shield-arm seeming to vibrate from the impact. The shield seemed to have protected him from some of the weapon's momentum, but the attack was still jarring to say the least.

The being that was once Pohatu didn't give him any time to recover. Another swing came, the spikes of the flail whistling through the still air, almost ramming into Korero's gut had the Toa of Air's reflexes not been so quick. Korero barely shrugged it off, moving back into his defensive stance. He locked eyes with his opponent.

"You took our souls, our essences," intoned the Shadow Toa. "Now we will take back what is ours."

"We took nothing from you," Korero replied defiantly. "Makuta did that. Please. Let us help you."

"You are going to help us." The words were delivered with precise disdain. "With your deaths."

IC:

Heuani ducked his head to the side of Stannis' intended blow, leaving the halberd to swoop butt-first through empty shadow. Stannis tried to catch Heuani with his blade again as the Toa of Shadow darted away, but Stannis' weapon was for its length slow to redirect and Heuani was already too close. Stannis blocked a quick nick of the Toa of Shadow's blade, visible only as gleaming refraction in the darkness, on the shaft of his weapon; he tried to then smash Heuani's jaw in with the haft, but the Toa of Shadow had dissolved. He reappeared a few feet away in front of Stannis. The Toa of Shadow caught another halberd swipe on his sword, disregarded a feint and parried the real one.

Heuani smiled. He was at play again; this time with a toy he could handle. Stannis was quick; Heuani recognized the speed of Stannis' predecessor, his sureness of movement... Subtle, but definite. The Toa of Stone had fast moves, but his weapon was long and, to Heuani's eye, unwieldy. Heuani's reach was shorter, but if he stayed close the size of his weapon would be an advantage rather than a detriment. A downward swipe from Stannis was met with a horizontal over-the-head block, which Heuani spun under like the raised hand of a dance partner, drawing him nearer to his foe.

For an instant, Heuani was close enough to the enemy that he could have licked Stannis' nose. The instant slowed, then was frozen, in his mind; Heuani, reveling in the return of his perfect reflexes, examined the Toa of Stone's mask with the thought-time he had before Stannis inevitably pushed him back away. He noted that, unlike the masks of the other Maru, Stannis' Kanohi did not match his elemental hues. It was a worn auburn-gold color, with high cheekbones that reminisced the pages of a book. Heuani remarked on the mask's many small chinks and scratches; it was old, clearly used, and there was a distinct calmness about it. Stannis' grey eyes shone too well from its eye holes. Heuani would do what he could to stop Stannis using that mask; whatever the mask did, the Toa of Shadow could feel it was dangerous.

The instant ended, and a well-placed kick from Stannis hit Heuani in the abdomen, sending him sprawling away from the Toa of Stone. The loss of balance, though, was short-lived, as Heuani recovered with time enough to avoid tripping over another strike of Stannis' at his shins. He leaped up above the low-swooping staff and timed his fall so that he landed on the polearm mid-swing. Heuani jumped down with his full weight near where the blade and the shaft met, hoping to break the weapon. To Heuani's surprise the halberd held; he launched off of the unexpectedly sturdy object it into a high back flip that carried him over Stannis' head. The Toa of Shadow landed smoothly behind Stannis and managed to cut shallowly into his enemy before Stannis had turned far enough around to block the sword.

Stannis nearly managed to repay the slight injury, but Heuani shadow-jumped out of range again, this time far out of range. The Toa of Shadow rematerialized on a rocky protrusion that came out of the floor; he had the high ground, and his voice attracted Stannis' attention as the other Maru and Shadow Toa dueled one another. Heuani let his sword droop lazily in one hand as he leaned against a nearby pillar; his smile was charming. He was at home on the battle field; he felt more himself than he had since losing to Joske hours earlier. "Come here," he crooned to Stannis. "Let's see how far that stick of yours can reach."

But as Stannis ran towards his enemy, Heuani summoned a patch of spiny, needling shadows to rise from the floor beneath the Toa of Stone. The shades would skewer Stannis like a bed of uneven nails.

Ic: "I don't need a stick to reach you," Stannis quipped, understanding the shadow toa's tactic all too well: The standard bait and trap routine. Run away from the enemy, leave snares in the way and wait for the enemy to come and get nabbed by the left traps. In his previous tenure as a Ta-Koro guard he had grown used to that strategy, not because it was used against him but because it was a typical Ta-Guard tactic to stop renegade rahi. It was very useful against lower minds or those that were too caught in the moment to pay attention to their surroundings, but Stannis was neither of those things.

It seemed as if he was going to run right into the needle-thin tendrils of sharp energy that invisibly blocked his path and threatened to turn him into a butcher's project, but right as Heuani's expression seemed lit up with anticipation Stannis tripped and rolled to the side with deft elegance. His halberd swept across the glossy and superflat stone floor like a painter's broadest stroke with a brush and released an arc of stone that radiated out like a tidal wave of granite and unstoppable like a dune. It eradicated the spiny shadow energy that Stannis expected to be there at the roots of the shadow hairs, and Stannis could barely discern a collapsing of inky material as the needles fell to the ground and became one with the darkness once again.

Stannis quickly stood upright again to finish his fall in one smooth motion, fluid like sand in an hourglass, hardly slow like his spiritual predecessor, Pohatu. Stannis was not clumsy and his swiftness in motion confirmed that to Heuani. There were some things Stannis could not risk reserving; Heuani was said to be fast and strong so Stannis had to be able to use all his physical worth to battle him or run the risk of losing limb and life. But that didn't mean he couldn't risk betting on other things. Plus, the prophet's insightful and tactical mind was always working, making it even harder to beat Stannis in a mental duel. Already he was analyzing Heuani for the first time in person and comparing him to the rumours. Joske said he was a Toa Mata and his presence here with the others confirmed it, but which one? It had to be one or martial prowess and worth with knowledge of strategy.

The Ta-Koro Guard tactic was the clue. There were only two armies that used similar tactics: The Ta-Guard and the Sanctum Guard, narrowing Heuani's identity to being someone who operated with those armies. But Kopaka was too alone and did not cooperate with his force regularly; Tahu, however, worked with Jaller on many operations. In Stannis' mind, Heuani was almost certainly Toa Tahu. Already he had insight on the person he fought. Now to see if he could put that knowledge to the test. Maybe Heuani still possessed the fiery mannerisms of his former self? Time to see.

Stannis plunged his halberd into the floor and sparked a flash of white energy as his powers were channeled into the stone floor. Beneath Heuani rose a column of stone, elevating him into the air to crush him into the ceiling that existed somewhere above. With his other hand, Stannis fingered the Rahkshi staff Sulov gave him, still on his back, ready to meet Heuani in melee combat again should the toa teleport out of harm's way. It was a gift of another chance for Heuani to act. Stannis could evade and understand his enemy should the shadow toa turn the other cheek and hammer back with equal force once assured of a victory. For now he would return the favor and play a game with Heuani. Your move.

IC

[Kini-Nui Temple; early morning]

This... this was insane.

I wasn't even consciously fighting anymore. My body and my senses were simply on automatic as every so many seconds my light powers were activated subconsciously. I was vaguely aware of the battle around me as I hobbled down the stairs, muffled shouts, the occasional roar of a Rahi, the sound of metal weapons on armor... all so distant. I was retreating into myself. For protection.

I couldn't stomach it anymore.

I was vaguely aware of three Tarakava lizards blow backwards in front of me as a wall of light shot out before me, masks purged. I was no warrior. I never was. Boxer maybe. But not a soldier. Yes, I was trained by the Guard. Yes, I was a student under one of the most respectable and capable warriors Ta-Koro ever produced. But that wasn't me. I couldn't handle it... handle this.

All this sickened me.

I chanced a look back as I saw his figure standing prominently on the temple plateau, swords raised as he continued to issue orders followed by another blast of light that took out a fourth Tarakava that had been sneaking up behind me. He stood there and held the line, unfazed and undaunted by everything around him. A true warrior in ever sense of the word, able to swallow all this and keep going. Just because you know how to fight doesn't make you a soldier, just because you are willing able able to defend a cause doesn't make you capable. I was a Kohlii player. Sportsman. Lover. Adventurer. This was one thing Angi had up on me, something I would never be able to best him in. And I was fine with that.

I stumbled to the left as I felt more light erupted from my side, only a moment later a Kuma-Nui bounding away from the valley. Yes, fighting. I realized that I had a very sudden distaste for it, or at least right now. It was ugly, it was frantic, and in many ways horrid. I could feel my mind building a wall, a shell around my conscious thoughts in order to shield it from the world around it, if only to cope with overload of senses and emotions I could feel flooding this plain. This was not me. A brilliant, blazing, courageous combatant I was not. I was doing this because I had to. Needed to. Not because I wanted to. I did this because there were others depending on me... both living and dead.

Emphasis on the and dead.

I saw the sun once again, and this time a Nui-Rama fell from the sky unconscious, followed by a maddened and confused bull go charging out into the crowd, further adding to the chaos. I would finish this fight, even if it killed me. I had committed myself to this engagement, and I'll be dammed if I don't see it to the end. There were too many people, lives, and futures at stake for me to give up despite the churning in my gut. I was a Toa of Light, if even for a moment, and I would uphold that honor to the very end, everything it meant and promised to the letter. But if I survived this, that would be it. I will be done. No more of this craziness and destiny and super-powered entities. I was going to retire.

I faltered as witnessed a wall of light erupt around me, the light purging a squad of scorpions that attempted to surround me. As the ball of light retracted I blinked a few times, now blinded by my own abilities, yet I trudged on, hobbling across that now muddy-field with gritty determination. Yes, retirement. I had never officially retired from Kohlii, but seeing as I was a Toa I could no longer participate in the sport. After this was done I would make an announcement to that effect, hang up my staff, and enjoy a quiet life for once. Retire from playing, retire from being a Ta-Koro Guardsman, retire from just running around the island on insane quests-

A gasp escaped my lips as I was tackled from left-behind, claws digging into my armor as a jaw attempted to take a bite out of my shoulder. The Muaka and myself made a full roll on the ground before my powers kicked in, a blast of light and we were separated, the cat wavering as he looked much like Echelon earlier, stunned from a flashbang and freed from Makuta's influence. I forced myself to my feet, practically dragging myself across this field. I knew I was barely into manhood but I felt old and worn. I had had enough. All I needed to do was take out this Toa of Lightning. He was the lynchpin. And he was just a few bios away.

So close.

I could not imagine what I looked like to him, nor did I care to think deeply on it. All that was between me and him were two more cats, cats that were backing away in appropriate fear. And not from their own fear... fear of their controller. The red Toa cowered behind them, knowing fully well what was coming and seeing how his hoard of wild Rahi were unable to not only stop me but breach the defense Agni had masterfully constructed. He was cornered, trapped, and out of options. Spare one.

Closing my eyes I took in a breath and concentrated.

Both attacks happened simultaneously. From my body a wave of pure light emanated forward, rushing at the trio before me. At the same time, the red Toa of Electricity not only ordered a mad charge of the Muaka, but gave it his all in a single, electrifying bolt. This was a final push for the both of us, and when everything met in the middle it was nothing short of a spectacular outcome.

The sources of light hit, causing amplification on a massive scale as for a split second the valley lit up once again, only this time with a tremendous thunderclap. The unstoppable force met the immoveable object... and neither stopped the other. The wall of light kept moving, passing over the cats and a moment later, the red Toa, even some straggling Rahi as it's power removed the essence of shadow and slime. The bolt kept going too, though weaker than before, and just as my wall hit him, his bolt hit me. For the second time that day.

I felt the familiar sensation of unconsciousness creeping up from behind my skull.

* * *

It's amazing how a little blade of grass can tell a story.

I was hunched down on all fours, my breathing deep and hearty, staring at the ground beneath my palms. Before me was a wad of matted grass, bent and twisted, partially buried under mud and dirt. It used to be part of a luscious green field, one that expanded in a small circle around the temple until it met the jungle, happy and undisturbed. That is, until today. Now it had been trampled underfoot, crushed and beaten, mowed over by a rampaging herd of Rahi. It had never done anything to deserve it, deserve this, yet it had happened. Not due to it's own failures or mistakes, but just because of the circumstances of the world surrounding it.

I cocked my head slightly. Was I going somewhere with this? Not really. Maybe only in the sense that I gave my all for something that in the end I didn't understand and simply got swept into like a leaf in a current. Destiny has a funny way of leading you around like that. But it wasn't the grass that had my attention anymore. It was the gold dust snowing on it.

Gold dust from my mask.

There were still Rahi running around, but their numbers had been cut in over half by now and any organization they once had was now devoid and gone. Not that I noticed. I was in my own little world, insulated from the chaos around me, surprisingly quiet for a world filled with the sounds of battle. Serene almost. Before me the remaining green blades of grass turned to gold as my mask began to slowly disintegrate, turning to dust that lightly coated the ground beneath me. I could see my hands, scratched a bloodied, no longer gold, but red... my original color. My body was changing back, my mask dissolving, my powers dissipating... all slowly, regally, in stride, like a monarch taking her graceful exit. I could still feel rays of light within me, my abilities not completely gone, but I was done. I could feel it.

I was done.

I lowered my head between my shoulders, breathing out a long and heavy sigh. I didn't even have the strength to stand anymore. All I could do was kneel here, palms on the ground, and wait for what remained of this battle to end. I had fought the good fight, but that was it for me. I could continue no longer. I did what I could, but I could offer no more. I closed my eyes in exhaustion, the image of Cael in the forefront of my mind. I had done so many impossible things over the course of my quest let alone today... and she was not here to witness it. A single, dry tear formed as I smiled weakly, wondering what would happen now, now that this battle was winding down. It was very possible I would not make it by simple virtue of my inability to defend myself... and a single, scared Rahi running in the wrong direction. Life is full of uncertainties. I suddenly found myself desperately missing Cael very, very much.

If only I could bring her back. If only I could bring her back.

OOC: alright gang, the battle is officially winding down. There are still Rahi to repel, but the majority have been either fought off or purged, and the main Makuta servants have either fled or been neutralized. Please post accordingly and start winding down this battle. Emzee, per our conversation, would you please?

IC (Oreius)

The mammoth pillars loomed over the Maru, their tops hidden in the darkness that stretched far above them. Any small noise echoed briefly in the huge space before being swallowed by the black fog.

And standing across from the Toa were six dark beings, their eyes the only colour in bodies otherwise composed of onyx and jet. Their armour did not shine; it absorbed all light that struck it, rendering them practically invisible against the darkness.

The six Toa of Shadow each paired with one of the Toa Maru, their eyes boring across the empty space and seemingly into the very souls of their opponents, hungry for the light and power that was invested in each of the Chosen. Despite the dim light and the nature of their armour, it was easy to see that each of Makuta's servants were perfect in shape and form. They were cruel and beautiful; their bodies looked as though they had been carved out of marble by a master artist. Every muscle, every curve was defined and lovely; they were strong and handsome and flawless.

The Toa who gazed into Oreius' eyes was easily the most beautiful of them all. She was obviously female (her graceful figure could mean nothing else), and as flawless as the new moon. Her eyes were golden as the sun; her face was perfectly formed, symmetrical and elegant. Her mask was faultlessly proportioned, dignified and seductive, seeming almost to flow into her armour, which was as smooth as water and as sharp as glass, and as black as a starless night.

She was the epitome of sensuous pleasure and innocent love; her every movement stirred a fire in Oreius' belly that rose up to warm his cheeks. Her eyes seemed to embrace and pierce him; her mouth was shapely and achingly lovely.

In her hands she loosely gasped two sickles; the crescents curved smoothly through the air, graceful and deadly, their curves mirroring her own. She was liquid water and unyielding marble; she was passionate flame and cold steel.

Then the tension erupted into battle, and she was all this and more.

She was the languid swaying of a serpent that transforms in an instant into the fatal strike; she was the gathering of clouds that unleashes a bolt of pure, searing lightning; she was the calm surface of the glassy sea that turns into the rage of a tsunami.

It was Inu alone who saved Oreius from being torn apart by the flashing blades the Toa wielded; the Toa of Fire was so lost in his opponent's sensuality that he had almost forgotten to breathe. The Parakuka seized control of his host's body, throwing them aside as their limbs swelled with muscle and their fingers lengthened into talons. Their eyes blazed with energy as they dodged the sweep of the shining sickle by mere millimetres; the Toa of Fire rolled to their feet, their swords at the ready, and not a moment too soon, for the Toa of Shadow was upon them in an instant.

She was faster than the Manas; she was faster than the Rahkshi. The attack she pressed could hardly be called an attack: it was more like a dance. She twirled around the Toa, lashing out with her elegant weapons, every slash and thrust carrying the potential to end the fight as quickly as it had started. Each attack flowed into the next, creating a continuous onslaught; her form was liquid and unpredictable as a riptide.

Oreius and Inu had nearly the speed of a Kakama, the agility of a Calix, and the strength of a Pakari, but for all their power, they were hardly able to hold their own against the beautiful warrior. Every second strike came within a hairsbreadth of slicing open their skin; every parried blow flowed into another assault before the Toa of Fire could find a chance to counterattack. Like a river, she was always moving; like the ocean, she seemed to surround her opponent on all sides, pressing in for the inevitable kill.

The Toa of Fire were nearly drowning in the onslaught, their blades flashing as they parried and deflected with inhuman speed that was still not fast enough. Sparks flew every time their blades met, as silver protosteel scraped against the strange black metal that her sickles were comprised of.

Then they clashed, and did not draw back. One of the Toa of Shadow's sickles pressed Oreius and Inu's right sword to their chest; the other sickle was held at bay by the weapon in their left hand. They stood there for a long moment, each struggling to gain the advantage, their faces close enough that all they could see were each other's eyes.

The Toa of Shadow slowly licked her lips; she smiled deviously. “Would you know the name of your killer, O Toa of hot air?”

A growl escaped the Ta-Toa's clenched teeth.

Her voice was smooth and rich as the finest red wine, melting into their ears and satisfying a parched thirst that they had not known existed until it was quenched. It sang a dark, compelling song, quivering with lust and love and forbidden invitation.

“I am Reka,” she whispered. “And I will devour you.”

Then they parted, each spinning out of the other's grasp before drawing back in to clash again. Faster, faster, they danced, each moving with greater speed and agility than any other Toa could hope to match. They leapt and spun and dipped and twirled, sparks flying like fireflies, their blades weaving a complex pattern in the dark fog.

IC ZahkonHe trip had finally taken him to Kini Nui, the heart or the island, after having visited all the possible places, looking for his friend, he still couldn't find him. And even Kini Nui couldn't provide any further clues. He decided to sit down and rest.

IC: Trizvan

The Toa of Plantlife paused as a wave of light cleansed the Kuma-Nui he was facing. He grudgingly acknowledged the Toa of Light with a mere glance before facing the hole that all the remaining Rahi seemed to be heading for. Experimentally calling upon the power of a Catapult Scorpion for the first time, he materialized a ball of lava which quickly cooled into rock in his hands, before flinging them at a Nui-Kopen with the borrowed strength of a Muaka. The attack struck true, knocking off one of the masks. Content with his successful experiment, the Toa created a new wooden warhammer for himself before dashing forward. It was time to end this.

OOC: Oh well.

IC: Aurum

Oh well, Aurum thought as he saw and heard the thunderclap between the light wall and the intense bolt. The kinetic energy from the combination of the two explosive elements blasted Aurum backwards, and he hit the ground, hard. Instantly, all the metal he created dissolved again, and he quickly absorbed their elemental properties for power.

Even still, he knew the battle was over. Was it worth it? He didn't know.

Now it was all down to faith.

IC:Before the pillar could flatten Heuani against the ceiling, the Toa of Shadow dissolved routinely into insubstantial blackness. He would waste no energy with a dramatic gesture - he had sworn to himself after his fight with Joske, after all, to never again show the mercy of hesitation or extravagance - and to shadow-jump elsewhere was the safest conservation of his energy. Heuani reemerged out of Stannis' range and tossed whirling orbs of darkness like cannonballs at his enemy. These were blocked sequentially by quickly erected stone walls; the shadows pounded into the stone, cracking its surface. There was an instant where Stannis' blockade prevented him from seeing his foe, which Heuani anticipated and used.

The Toa of Shadow dissipated into the ground and materialized out of the shadowed side of the stone wall that faced Stannis. Heuani was suddenly very close to the other Toa, too close once more, for the Toa of Stone had erected his elemental shields near to his body, unintentionally limiting the swing of his two polearms. This didn't stop Heuani from sustaining a Rahkshi-staff wound in the shoulder shortly after he emerged; he'd expected it. But Stannis' wounding swing had been delayed as he had needed to choke up on the haft, and in the time he was struck in one arm, Heuani had also grabbed the middle of the weapon with the other. Once it stung into his shoulder, Heuani spun the Rahkshi staff ferociously, forcing Stannis' wrist into a painful angle that made him lose his grip on the weapon.

Heuani took the staff and swung it in a wide decapitation arc that Stannis ducked under; the staff wrapped behind its wielder instead, smashed into the stone wall behind Heuani and shattered it. Stannis' eyes widened of their own accord at Heuani's raw strength, but Stannis would not be awed into submission. His halberd made to skewer Heuani's exposed side, but a quick flick from Heuani's sword - still held in his injured arm - led the blade to pass under Heuani's raised arm instead so that it struck only air. Stannis, overbalanced from his forward stab, was within reach of Heuani's knee, which caught him under the chin and sent the Toa of Stone stumbling back. Heuani pounced, eager to take advantage of his enemy's imbalance, only to be hit midair by a stone fist that, after it made impact, skidded with Heuani to the earth.

Both Toa scrambled back to their feet. Stannis let Heuani come to him; Heuani dodged a stone trap en route to his foe. He slashed with both sword and staff, driving Stannis slowly backwards as the Toa of Stone parried the duality of blows. Stannis caught the tip of the Rahkshi staff in one of the prongs of his halberd and pulled it from Heuani's grip with a flick. The Rahkshi staff went sailing through the air and landed... back in Heuani's hand. The Toa of Shadow had reappeared where the weapon would have hit the ground, distancing him again from Stannis as he caught the thing. Heuani waited for the next attack, but the Toa of Stone would not rush to him.

"Playing defensive," Heuani noted, hardly breathing heavier than he normally did. How satisfying it was to be reminded of his deep endurance... yet it disturbed him to remark that Stannis didn't look as tired as he should've been, either. Heuani took this into account: he would not win this battle by outlasting his enemy. He went on speaking, trying to draw Stannis' focus even marginally. "The strategy of a 'true hero.' You're a natural at this; well-built, talented, handsome, defensive by nature, and of course, a blind bird following the prophetic tunes." Meanwhile, Stannis' shadow became his own enemy, slashing at the Toa of Stone with razor-thin edges; Heuani's brow was slightly furrowed on an otherwise blank face. "Liberation comes with the epiphany of defiance. You are still enslaved, tied up, lashed by the expectations of others. I pity you; you will die without having ever tasted the sweetness of self-determination."

Ic: Heuani fought swiftly and without hesitation, marks of an angry sprite, fiery of vigor and tempered like steel. But where steel was strong and sharp stone was everlasting. Still could be melted and done away with, incinerated, but stone persisted, enduring eons of weathering. Where nature could not win how could the artificial hope to succeed? Shadows loomed over every eastern horizon but they were a byproduct of the light, only as real and dangerous as one allowed them to be. Heuani was only a tool, a steel blade; dangerous, yes, but still a lesser thing.

"The Great Spirit is my Lord," Stannis said as he looked right back at Heuani, "and He is my strength." He twirled his polearm in a full 360º circle; an giant arm of stone reached up, mirroring the movement of the halberd, and like a killer whale snatching an unsuspecting otter on the surface of the waves it swallowed the construct of darkness and the floor consumed both stone and shade once more. "The Makuta, however, only grants you your power on a chain. You are a slave of him by his will, but I serve Mata Nui of my own volition. I don't think you would dare defy your heathen master for fear of your pitiful life."

The prophet had spoken true, of course. Heuani had been through much humiliation over the last day alone, first being defeated by the rookie hero Joske and then admonished by his dark master in these very chambers before being rejected and chastised by those he once called brothers and sister. Nothing was assured anymore and the very fact that Stannis stood as firm as the Masiff was proof that the sides of Light and Dark were, at the very least, on equal footing. Stannis' words dug into Heuani's mind -- mind, as he had no soul, no conscience, no psyche -- and they stung where death never could. Words -- mere words -- but words of truth.

"I don't need to lean on prophesy to defeat you, Heuani," Stannis continued, weapon angled forward in a center defensive position. "I am my own hero now. Prophesy has shown me the way but it's still my own two feet that carry me. I have faith in my god and faith in myself. Prophesy is wisdom and strength is valor, but a good man once said that 'where wisdom and valor fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all.'" He quoted Tahu's own words to Heuani; maybe nothing would happen as a result of it, but if Heuani's body stirred at that incantation he could fight with greater rage. And rage, Stannis knew, could be withstood as he had done so before, and the chains that bound Heuani to cool, insidious calm would prove his own downfall.

But first: Action. The first blow always carried an advantage, he knew. He bolted forward several bounds, quickly closing the open distance between the two fighters, and then, two-thirds of the way there, he jumped up and vaulted on his halberd. He flipped in the air and brought the blade of his weapon down like a whip and it struck the ground before him just as he landed and ripples of energy flooded from the tip of his blade out, spreading out and forward to where Heuani stood and breaking the smooth stone floor to rubble. Stannis was a Toa of Stone but possessed none of the reverence in Creation Po-Matoran held; he was a pragmatist and he knew it took much less energy to destroy than to create. This display of might was an example of his knowledge in action. The abrupt and unexpected form of attack caught Heuani off guard and threw him to the floor, nearly crushing him with the churning mass of jagged stone that ground like teeth in a great maw. Stannis recollected his stance and prepared for an inevitable counterattack.

IC: Ronkshou – Kini Nui Temple

All Ronkshou could see what a world of light that he had somehow been transported into. With great prejudice, the Makuta's high-ranking servant was terminated.

IC: ??? – Within the Confines of His Mind

A bearded, bloodied, and famished man lay against the dark, stone boundaries of his prison. His former position of being face down on the floor had switched to sitting upright, though it did not come without its mind-splitting strains. The skeletal man was now weaker than he had been in a long time. The walls and floor were the grimy gray, sometimes making it difficult to discern where the floor ends and the walls begin. The air remained stale, and the light remained nonexistent.

Then, suddenly, a soft rumbling noise got the man’s attention. Using his burning curiosity to fuel his strength, the man raised his head. It took all the strength and focus of his mind to perform this simple act, as the Jailer had drained all but a mite of his strength.

The man, shrouded in darkness, let out an exasperated but victorious sigh as his eyes peered to the ceiling of the stone chamber. He noted that the rumbling was getting louder, and that the prison itself seemed to be shaking. The rumbling continued, slowly but surely getting more violent and sending dust particles down from their places.

A minute later, these dust particles became pebbles, and another minute after that, these pebbles became stones. For a moment, the scrawny man feared for his life, despite knowing that he could not die in this realm. Despite this fact, the primal fear of being crushed by the failing structures above made the man’s breaths quicken.

And then, just like that, the man remembered his ad hoc ability to form words. He heard booming footsteps of the Jailer as he dashed down the stairs, skidding to a stop in front of the scrawny man’s cell. The Jailer thought that he had removed his ability to form words, but with the right conviction, and all of his strength, the weak Toa could do anything. And, in fact, with each passing minute, the prisoner felt like he could do more and more.

“Destiny,” rasped the man. The Jailer’s eyes widened in fear as they had before -- when Ronkshou was defeated by Toa Antrim. This time though, there was no recovery period, no going back to the drawing board.

“I’m free”

The sordid, gray stone walls came tumbling down, and like a flood, light broke through and washed everything away.

* * *

The Toa grimaced as the light bypassed his eyelids, painting them a medium gray instead of the pitch black that he had become used too. It was dizzying and somewhat painful, but the Toa could not shield his eyes. In fact, he could not move at all.

This wasn’t particularly shocking. He hadn’t been able to do significant physical movement in one-hundred years. Instead, the Toa simply sighed, eyes still shut, and let the grass cushion his face.

Grass… warm grass!

The Toa’s ruby eyes flashed open to garner the sight, but all he was greeted with was pure white. He pushed his upper body up with his arms and felt the soft ground give way for his heavy Proto-Knuckles. Then, slowly, images of the pointy flora filled his vision. He blinked twice to sharpen his vision. It was at that moment that he realized something else: he could move!

The Toa raised his head and looked forward through his shiny red Hau. Carnage was everywhere, fallen Rahi, burned and bloodied grass, and a single Toa on all fours, who looked like he had been thrown under a stampede of Kikanalo.

Or like he had entered a fist fight with… him.

With renewed vigor, the Toa of Electricity rose to his feet. While his shoulders were still broad and his body was still muscled, the Toa looked (and indeed, was) physically weaker and slower now. He would never reach the level of skill or the power that he had had before.

But, to be technically, this Toa never did reach that level of skill. That was Ronkshou, as if the crusts in the grass before his feet were any indication, Ronkshou was dead – cast away into the wind.

The Toa of Electricity removed his Proto-Knuckles and set them on the hooks on his hips. It took only a few strides for the Toa to come to the Toa of Fire, who remained on all fours, looking very contemplative.

“It’s not safe here,” the Toa of Electricity said. His voice had reverted to its original state as well. The booming yet classy and calculated voice that made Ronkshou walk the line between sophisticated and brutal was gone, replaced with a voice that walked the line between youthfulness and sage wisdom. The pitched had raised at least an octave, and it dripped with sincerity and professionalism.

The Vo-Toa was smart enough to see that Joske could not rise on his own. Indeed, Joske likely needed serious medical attention, partly thanks to him. He knew there were some things – no – many things that the citizens of Mata Nui would probably never forgive him for. But that didn’t matter now. What the future held was irrelevant. The Toa of Electricity had to get this Toa off the battlefield.

Without saying a word, the Toa of Electricity knelt down and lifted Joske to his feet. He then stood up and pulled Joske across his body, so that he was bent over the Vo-Toa’s shoulders – the classic firemen’s carry taught to all cadets in the military. Wasting no time, the Toa of Electricity moved to the Suva-Nui, the high ground that could likely be the other dominating factor in the eminent victory Mata Nui’s followers (Joske’s temporary light powers being the obvious other factor). Once the Toa arrived to the Suva, he gently set the barely-conscious Joske down, so that he was leaning against one of the massive stone spires. He then looked out over the field as the Toa proceeded to free the last of the infected Rahi sent to this region.

Throughout all this, he said nothing to the other defenders of the temple. Like a hardened war general, his eyes remained forward. Finally, the Toa of Electricity glanced back at Joske.

“Did you folks feel that Mata Nui’s grace delivered you from the need of MASHes?” the Toa said with a playful grin to Joske. Of course, how the Toa was portraying himself was not at all reflective of how he was feeling, but Joske needed to be uplifted, he needed to be encouraged, and he needed to rest. He had almost killed this ex-Toa of Light. The least he could do was keep anyone else from finishing the job.

“Get some rest, sir,” the Toa of Electricity said. He then faced forward once again and looked over the clearing battle grounds. He dug his hands into his Proto-Knuckles and unhooked them from his sides.

Toa Ra’lhen dared someone to try and breach the line of defense now.

"Take me, take me back to your bed.

One such poltergeist, a tall, lithe looking Toa who had a similar build to Reordin's own, stepped forward with deep golden eyes and a serrated, dark looking hatchet; there were no words spoken between the two as both appraised each other, looked for any possible similarities in each other for use in a duel, examined each other's opposite tendencies. The hatchet was spun around the former hero's hand once; his spiritual successor didn't bother with a flashy retort, for once. That would come soon enough, as soon as--

First attack thrown: to test him, the Toa of Shadow had moved in with a swift charge, more speed behind it than strength, and attempted a hook to the left, where Reordin would have less time to defend. The Toa of Ice dropped to one knee and replied with a swift jab to the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of his assailant quickly and cleanly, if only for a second so the advance would halt. The Toa moved back, eyebrows raised, as an erratic grin curled up on one side of his face.

"I should've expect-guessed more out of you than that," the Toa replied, and with a sudden sinking feeling the deputy of the Toa Maru realized he knew exactly who this was. "Won't make that mistake-slip again."

"Lewa?"

"No. Uriuri," the Toa of Shadow replied with a chill that would have even made Reordin take pause; as a matter of fact, take pause he did, and Uriuri took advantage of that to slam Reordin hard in the solar plexus with one toned, athletic foot. The Toa of Ice stumbled back a step or two and regained his footing quick enough to dodge the next three strikes, all quickly placed and meant to combine for maximum incapacitation. The Toa's hands were fast, though; even as Reordin weaved to the right, prowling like a feline and attempting to encircle Uriuri, the Toa of Shadow had spun elegantly on one heel and met Reordin's eyes again.

What Reordin saw before him was revolting. Molten gold pools for eyes that reminded him more of stale urine than they did precious metals, a beautiful face that looked to him like the makeup caked on the dead for a funeral, a body of a god for a man who had been trashed like a newborn child before Makuta. The hatchet was drawn again, a mockery of a symbol that, once upon a time, had stood for something. Now it was just a weapon, along with its owner: a slave to the whims of something that would have disgusted Lewa, but something that entranced Uriuri all the same.

The weapon was hurtling towards his face, then, held as though inside a steel vice in Uriuri's hand. But Reordin was quick, too, and one ice axe went and caught the hatchet between the head of the axe and the handle skillfully; with a pirouette like that of a dancer, the nimble Toa of Ice knocked the hatchet onto the ground a couple feet away. Uriuri, now weaponless, focused on his element and brought a tendril of shadow out at Reordin, yanking him forward until they were inches apart and then hurling him onto the ground feet away. He was up again in about a second, but Uriuri was at it again with another shadow tendril.

Reordin had always prided himself on not falling for the same tricks twice.

From the ground rose a pillar of purest ice that Reordin hopped onto like it was nothing: Uriuri knew his game the instance Reordin had broken out the board, and the shadows from around the base of the crystalline structure reached out and cracked it. Before the gleaming, hungry eyes of the once-hero, the ice crackled away with a death moan that shook the area around the duelists before turning into a finite dust that burned at the lungs once it weaseled its way inside. It was only when the dust had mostly cleared that the Toa realized his mistake.

Reordin hadn't fallen, and the pillar hadn't moved anywhere.

At least, that was how it appeared. Reordin had raised a second pillar to stand on, and even as Uriuri attempted to compensate for the second of time he had given the opposing duelist by eating away the second pillar, a third, even larger and thicker, had grown in its place. Then a fourth, then a fifth. It was as though the Toa of Ice was taking leaps and bounds on great, translucent blue chess pieces; even as Uriuri downed a rook, a knight had taken its place, then a bishop, then a queen, then--

The final pillar began to crumble beneath Reordin's feet and gave way all at once: with all his might, the Toa Maru pushed forward. His lean, attractive body cut a path through the air that whistled behind him gently like an old Le-Matoran on a stroll home; Uriuri was caught off guard by the bombastic display of the pillar falling, and his dark, erratic energy was slowly starting to tire, even as more shadows seeped into his body to rejuvenate him. Reordin took advantage of the moment and let loose with a sweeping downwards slash with his foot as he came down near Uriuri.

A loud cry of pain and rage, musical despite its booming hatred, cut through the air as the spike in Reordin's foot, usually meant for ascending surfaces, took advantage of the opportunity its enemy had given it by slicing down from the edge of Uriuri's eye all the way down to the edge of his mouth, over his zygomatic bone and just pecking his jawline. Reordin himself landed and twirled gracefully, his quick, athletic hands already preparing for a spar even as Uriuri advanced frenetically towards him, caught in his own quiet irritation as though he were trying to kill a mosquito that wouldn't stop biting him.

"I've always wanted the chance to knock out someone who hopped on the treespeak bandwagon," Reordin drawled with a coy smirk. "Cheers for stepping up to the plate."

Uriuri smirked.

"And much thanks-gratitude to you, fake-fraud Toa of Slush-Frost," the Toa of Shadow replied offhandedly. "Without you wandering-stumbling into our home and offering-giving yourselves up, who knows? We might have never gotten our heart-souls back."

"Well, I'd like to say I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm not."

Uriuri tsked and plucked the hatchet from the ground: the two charged as one and began to spar, arms and blades twirling in double time; at times they seemed to combine together as one amorphous, unstable entity, fighting against itself, before splitting into two equal halves, yin and yang, fighting to the end in the name of circumstances both sides detested.

-Tyler

IC

[Kini-Nui temple; early morning]

“It’s not safe here.”

A voice cut through the fog, a beam of light breaking through my exhaustion and the hazy thoughts. I was vaguely aware of a presence, but I couldn't feel out who. With effort I looked up, my eyes focusing on the figure standing before me. The voice that I had heard was booming, classy, calculated voice, one that walked the line between youthfulness and sage wisdom. A part of me was unsure whether it was a friend or yet another foe coming to finish me off, but after a moment I could sense that it literally dripped with sincerity and professionalism.

This... this was the Toa of Lightning that I just got done fighting.

Wut.

Without saying another word he knelt down and like a hero out of a story lifted me to my feet before standing up fully, pulling me across his body so that I was bent over this Vo-Toa’s shoulders – the classic firemen’s carry. Clearly Agni was not the only one here with military training; no wonder those Rahi were so cursedly efficient. I tried to speak but found myself unable to... even if I had, I don't think he would have heard me, as weak as I was. He wasted no time, both of us moving to the Suva-Nui, once arriving gently setting my barely-conscious body down so that I was leaning against one of the massive stone spires. I watched him gaze out over the field as Agni's Toa proceeded to free the last of the infected Rahi sent to this region.

Despite the haze, throughout all this I noted that he said not a thing to the other defenders of the temple. Like a hardened war general, his eyes remained forward, committed to a singular goal. Finally, the Toa of Electricity glanced back at me, a playful grin on his face.

“Did you folks feel that Mata Nui’s grace delivered you from the need of MASHes?”

I highly doubted he felt as chipper as he sounded, but the tactic worked regardless. Despite the pain I smiled weakly, shaking my head at his antics and giving something that sounded like a short but almost came across as a wheeze.

“Get some rest, sir,” he said quietly. He was about to turn away when I reached up and grabbed his wrist... that is, with what little strength I could muster.

"For what it's worth... thank you."

He looked at me for a solid moment, gave me a firm and somber nod, then faced forward once again and looked over the clearing battle grounds. I watched him dig his hands into his Proto-Knuckles and unhooked them from his sides, readying himself to help finish the defense of the temple. Closing my eyes I leaned my head against the dome of the Suva-Nui, for the first time in two days actually relaxing, soaking in the sun. I could feel my mask continue to dust, the edges now crumbling, yet I still commanded a trickle of light energy, energy I used to bolster what little reserves I had left. I had done my part, fought the good fight.

With considerable effort I pulled up my knees if not to get into a more comfortable position, silently praying to Mata-Nui that the sacrifices made up here were not for naught. The Toa Maru must succeed.

They had to.

IC: Leah felt as if she had stepped into a pool of ice-cold, black water. Shivers chased each other while racing up her spine; a sudden invisible claw of dread took a hold of her ribcage, constricting it and making breathing laborious. It took a great deal of willpower and focus to not succumb to the shock of the moment, to not freeze on the spot. It was another challenge on their path, more of Makuta's darkness to fight through before they finally got to him himself. But as much as she reminded herself of the fact, another thought took precedence: They were standing in front of them. Them. The heroes of old, the heroes of the legends; protectors of Mata Nui, the first Toa, destined to defeat Makuta in battle. The fallen, dragged into the darkest abyss on the verge of victory. Toa Mata. In her mind, it was as if all the stories Turaga Matau had ever told about the heroes raced past her, images of great deeds, won battles and beacons of hope in dark times. But the Toa Leah saw before her now were more akin to a dark mirror of all those tales. It was all there: The grandeur, the confidence with which they held themselves, the perfect looks. As if the idealized and idolised images painted by the legends had been taken and made into flesh by a dark master of the craft. And as their leader stepped forward, speaking in a voice that was both as dangerous as one could possibly imagine and at the same time caused an eerie attraction in those who listened, Leah looked into the dark mirrors held before them...And the mirrors looked back: With golden eyes that held promises only kings and queens could make, to give in to desires that were unspeakable that would bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her eyes looked over them, each of them, taking in everything they could. She was unable to do anything else at the moment. She studied the lines of their armors, sharp edges joining together and forming flowing forms. She looked into their perfect faces, trying not to get lost in them and failing at it. And she saw who they had once been, despite or even because of their new appearances. She saw the hero of her own youth, a playful, evil grin on his lips, the mockery of his past self. He was standing behind Heuani, almost melding into the darkness of the room, but Leah recognized him instantly and saw that there was nothing good left of the old cahmpion of air. And then there was her own dark pendant. She was standing across from Oreius, also partially hidden in the darkness. But unlike her brother, the blackness did not just obscure her. It seemed to embrace her form, tenderly caressing it. And like Leah, she studied the opposite team. And as they did, their eyes met, only for a moment. But it was enough. As Reka held her gaze, Leah knew she couldn't compare. Not even in the slightest. Whatever beauty Reordin saw in her, it could not stand against the perfect being looking at her now, this queen of darkness. She suddenly felt ashamed. What was she even doing in the presence of such a being? And at the same time,she was jealous. Jealous of the perfection, jealous of the way she carried herself, jealous of the effect she had on others. And the golden pools embedded in the darkness of that face knew it as they looked into her eyes. A sinister smile played around her sensual lips and her look said everything: You want to be with me. You want to be me. Stop! something inside her suddenly cried out. And somehow...it was the same voice as the one she had thought whispered the dark desires into her mind before. It had to be the essence...and Leah finally broke the eye-contact. And then the moment passed, the strange feelings disappearing as quickly as they had overtaken her. It had only lasted a little over a second, perhaps less. Leah's own emotions took over again, the spell having lost its effect on her. And instead of longing, she just felt disgust, shame and pity . Stannis summed it up perfectly: "Oh how far the mighty First Toa have fallen." She couldn't agree more. But she also felt the anger that had built up within her since the encounter with the Manas. That righteous anger at the Makuta for what he did...to the Manas, to the Rahi on the island, to those he had enslaved with his infected masks. And now that anger extended to the dark Toa before them as well, as Heuani said: "We want you dead. You want us dead. I've always valued directness. So let's get on with it." As soon as Stannis and Heuani had finished their exchange, they began to square off, one on one. Leah readied her staff, twirling it in her hand slowly. Heuani was only half-right, though. They wanted them dead, but the same did not apply to the Maru. The Mata were Toa in name only...the Maru still carried the title. And true Toa showed compassion, empathy and mercy. Things the Mata had lost, or that had been taken from them long ago. It made little difference now.

Then one of the shadow-Toa stepped forward. At first Leah thought it was Heuani, but that was impossible, since he was dueling Stannis this very moment. Only on second glance did she realize the subtle differences between the two. Her opponent had the same height as Heuani, but his shoulders were slightly wider, his footfall a bit heavier as he stepped forward. But he was just as perfect in design and looks as his brother. It wasn't Heuani, but his rival in the team. And the same part of her that had broken the eye-contact with Reka stepped in again and there was a feeling of recognition. "It's you..." she half-whispered. Her oppenent smiled. "Those days are long gone - and soon, you will be, too." was his reply, as he walked closer and closer, sword in hand. Leah assumed a defensive stance. The next instant his sword raced forward. Leah sidestepped, but he had just bought himself time to bring it up for a stroke from overhead. The sword came down, Leah took one step back, raised her staff and blocked the strike, pushing up against the blade with both hands firmly around her staff. Suddenly, he gave way, the staff pushing the blade up and to the side. But he had counted on that and merely brought the tip around in a circle before she could react. Leah realized he had forced her into giving him an opening and in a fluid reversal of the motion, she brought the staff back down, but it was too late. She stopped him from piercing her torso, but the sword nicked her side above the hip. Pain shot through her and she whinced, instinctively ducking away and feeling for the cut with her hand. It wasn't deep, but the kneejerk reaction had been another mistake.Her opponent's free hand moved past staff and arms, seizing her by the throat and lifting the Toa of water up off the ground, his physical strength more than what Leah had expected. She pushed back against him with her arms, her staff still held in her left, but she couldn't pry his fingers open. He looked at her and Leah looked back. She did not get lost in the eyes again, but instead held his gaze as he brought up his sword to trail down the side of her face and then further down. He did it slowly, deliberately and he took pleasure in it. The cold metal moved down her neck, past the clavicle and further past the side of her chest, until the tip came to rest just underneath it, ready to pierce her heart. But he didn't follow through with it right away, instead savouring the moment. There was a sort of hunger in his expression, she realized and her stomach cramped up at the thought of what he might be thinking about as he devoured her with his eyes. "He had his fun all those past years...now it is our turn, my turn." the dark Toa mused. "I am going to enjoy this." Leah struggled against the iron-grip, but still managed to speak. "You...are making...a mistake." "The only mistake here are you and your other friends. One we will soon fix. And then we will take back what you stole, what is rightfully ours." he snarled, anger flaring up in his otherwise smooth, deep voice. "We...didn't steal anything. We were chosen...to do what you failed to do. We were given...your power...to...fulfill your destiny." He tightened his grip around her throat. Leah glanced left and right, but the other Maru were too hard-pressed by their own opponents right now. She was on her own for the moment.

"There is no destiny!" he said, voice suddenly raising. Leah managed to gulp down another breath of air. "Because...you...betrayed yours." she said, a tear rolling from the outer corner of her eye from the effort of trying to withstand his grip. But still, she managed to make eye-contact again, her blue gaze against his golden glare. "And if you..kill us...you'll only...betray yourselves...again. You were supposed...to be a hero. But...you failed. What are you now?"

She could feel the tip of his blade pressing against her chest harder, threatening to go through her armour. "I am Whiru. I am your doom."

But it was too late already. While speaking, Leah had moved her free right hand from his wrist to his chest. And now, at point-blank range, she called upon her powers of water. Like a spring-tide she could feel the elemental energies welling up inside her, racing through every cell of her being. And then a wall of water errupted from he palm of her hand, slamming into Whiru with the full force of a thirty feet high breaker, washing him away. Leah dropped down to the ground, onto one knee, her staff still in her left, and massaged her throat with her right. Bolts of shadow flew out of the darkness, but this time she was ready. A wave with her hand and a liquid barrier appeared before her, the dark energy impacting it at high speed and dispersing. Whiru followed a moment later warping out of shadows above, dropping down between the barrier and her. But he didn't rush in. He had tried to finish this quickly with his first attack and failed. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Leah watched him carefully as he moved around her, stepping so that she was facing him. "All you are doing is drawing out the inevitable." he said. "Why not be done with it?" "Yours is a saddening fate, Whiru." she said. And she meant it. "I would not wish it upon anybody." He charged and she flowed out of the way like rapids around smooth rocks. "Spare me your pity." Whiru said, continuing to press the attack. Leah parried, bringing his sword to the ground, holding it there with her staff. In another fluid motion she stepped on his forward knee, pushed up into a backflip, kicking him in the chest and throwing him on his back with her left foot. She landed smoothly again. For another moment, their eyes met again. "No." she said.

IC:

Dalia had watched the events between Joske and the lightning Toa in wonder. First, she was surprised to know that the Toa of Light was just a Ta-Toa with a fancy mask. A shame, since she'd never heard of a Toa of Light before, and he would've been a powerful being to reckon with. But then, she remembered the Mark Bearers, and what happened among them.

Dalia decided that everyone was better off without such a Toa in existence.

Cringing in pain, using her staff for support, Dalia walked over towards the lightning Toa. Her eyes weren't fixed upon the former Makuta-Aligned Toa, but more beyond him. At Echelon. The former Master Mark Bearer. The one behind everything that had happened to her. The ultimate reason why Emotia, Reaver, and Tillian were dead. Why Tuara was a broken husk of her former self. Why Dalia was here, at this moment. In her mind, she knew exactly what to do. However, she didn't know what their new ally would do.

"Shouldn't we take care of the Maste- I mean, Echelon?" She asked the Lightning Toa, who wasn't more than a few feet away from the Mark Bearer, "He should be dealt with before he runs off."

IC: Trizvan

Finished taking down a Fader Bull, Trizvan looked around. The battle was practically over. He smiled a little, despite himself. Few Rahi had been killed in the fight.

He swung his hammer at the glass that Agni had created, shattering it and freeing the now-purified Rahi. They had fallen unconscious by now, but he uttered a silent sigh of relief as he checked their life signs. Satisfied that the remaining Toa had things under control, he withdrew to the shade of a tree, where he replenished some of his elemental energy.

IC (Echelon)

Echelon's eyes narrowed in disbelief. Ronkshou was gone. Vidar's mind was broken. His own mask lay shattered on the ground. A sense of foreboding grew in Echelon's gut. What if this was but the prelude to the Light's true victory? What if he and his fellows had failed? What if Makuta was not so infallible as he thought?

What if Makuta's doom was even now walking towards him on six pairs of armoured feet?

Echelon made his decision. There was nothing he could do now; he was weakened, as was Utu, and they would be vastly outnumbered should they try to attack the Temple's defenders. Retreat was the logical course of action.

"Follow me," he told Utu's shell, and it obeyed. Echelon summoned what reserves of energy he retained and levitated; even with a Calix, walking was too painful and inefficient. He needed to get somewhere he could recover, and he needed to get there soon. Before the hunters became the hunted.

IC:

"Naw...leave him. He's not getting far."

The voice was scratchy and low with weariness and grit; the body it belonged to was lean, but muscled, and the face it came out of was handsome, but slightly anemic. Angelus' right hand was slightly slack around its grip of Cael (the longsword, mind you) as he moved forward. From his navel to the top of his rib cage was a long, crescent-shaped series of claw marks from some sort of Rahi. For better or for worse, Angelus had held the line.

"Utu's a powerhouse, and Echelon's not as much a scrapper as he likes to fancy himself. He's not in the equation anymore."

-Tyler

IC:

"I'd still like to see him suffer for everything he's done with the Mark Bearers," Dalia pouted, "Which reminds me..."

Dalia whipped around to face Angelus, pointing her staff at him angrily. Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at the Ta-Toa, as she gave him a rough poke with the tip of her staff.

"I have some fine words for you Angelus Radke!" Dalia growled, "First you abandon me for Tuara, then you just leave Tuara in Ta-Koro!? Have you lost your mind!?"

Dalia could feel her body trembling as she said this. She'd been waiting for this since Angelus had abandoned her in Le-Wahi, and hearing what Tank had said about Tuara had only intensified her desire for an encounter with the former Mark-Bearer hunter.

"Have you seen what Tuara has become? Once you left, her life practically fell apart! Between you and Dorian, I can see why that woman has become a drunkard!" As Dalia shouted this at Angel, she couldn't even fathom why he was here. Had the Toa of Fire/Light and the older Toa of Fire asked him to join with them? Or had he joined them of his own free will? If he had done the latter, Dalia mentally swore to herself that Angelus would suffer Karzahni by her hands if he didn't go back to Tuara and help with her problems.

IC:

"Once I--?"

Angelus tilted his head, totally dumbstruck by Daila's rant, and almost forgot that he was bleeding from the side until Dalia poked him with her staff and he yelped in pain, looking down. Then he looked back up with light blue eyes and tilted his head again.

"...Tuara came with us. She packed up and left just...a week ago, maybe? She got mad at me for taking a waffle cooking competition too far and stormed home."

-Tyler

IC

IC:

Deep breaths. Remember, Deep breaths are good to prevent a outburst Dalia.

With an angry yell, Dalia chucked her staff away from the temple, and watched it disappear into the bushes. Starting to breathe deeply, resting her right arm against part of the temple, and rubbing her eyes with her spare hand.

"And if I actually knew people, I wouldn't have this sort of problem," The Mark-Bearer muttered to herself, feeling her hands starting to clench. She continued to breathe deeply for several more moments before looking back up at Angelus, "Uhm... I'm sorry about... Misunderstanding... Part of if anyway. And... Uh, Tuara has a problem with Dorian and Tank, or something of the like. You should go back to Ta-Koro and help sort it out."

With that, the Ga-Toa put her back against the temple, and slid to the ground, putting a hand to her side to make sure she hadn't started to bleed again when she was yelling. With that, she banged the back of her head against the temple, sighing and closing her eyes. Dalia was thoroughly exhausted, physically and emotionally. It was one of those times that she wished she still had her mark.

Again.

IC: Trizvan

Having replenished his reserves of elemental energy (unfortunately, he now had no Rahi to borrow the stamina of to restore his physical energy), the Toa of Plantlife got slowly to his feet. He stretched, multiple joints cracking after the strain of the battle. He surveyed the battlefield. It really was a mess. But he could help. After all, Rahi weren't the only things he knew.

Stepping out towards the center of of the battlefield, his elemental energies poured out into the ground around. Grass righted itself, pushing its roots into the ground below, and bare patches regrew. He walked slowly throughout the battlefield, restoring it all as he went. The gouges in the earth he did his best to patch with the plants' roots to pull it back into place. He ignored the yelling nearby. The business of the civilized didn't concern him.

IC:

"I don't know where you're getting your info, but Dorian's kinda dead. And by kind of, I mean long dead."

-Tyler

IC:

"I saw him sitting in a Ta-Koro jail cell. I don't know where you're getting your info, but Dorian's kinda alive," She retorted, "He and Tank talk every so now and then. I saw him myself."

IC: Aurum

As a Toa of Magnetism, a shell of a hulking Toa of Ice started to head off in one direction just for survival, Aurum himself dashed over, quickly helping out Echelon as they walked off.

"Where to?" Aurum, asked, but just like Echelon, he wasn't focused on the battle around them anymore; rather, they were more focused on how on earth they had just lost and, more importantly, the chance of their leader losing.

No. Just like the faith Joske, Agni, Angelus and all the others had placed in the Toa Maru, Aurum had his full faith in the Makuta to survive, to win.....

And, unknowingly, faith for the ex-Toa Mata to win.

IC [Kini-Nui Temple, early morning] "I have some ###### fine words for you Angelus Radke! First you abandon me for Tuara, then you just leave Tuara in Ta-Koro!? Have you lost your mind!? Have you seen what Tuara has become? Once you left, her life practically fell apart! Between you and Dorian, I can see why that woman has become a drunkard!" "Once I--?" Pause. "...Tuara came with us. She packed up and left just...a week ago, maybe? She got mad at me for taking a waffle cooking competition too far and stormed home." "Please... " “Would ye mind remindin’ me what’s goin’ on here again?” "And if I actually knew people, I wouldn't have this sort of problem... uhm... I'm sorry about... misunderstanding... part of if anyway. And... uh, Tuara has a problem with Dorian and Tank, or something of the like. You should go back to Ta-Koro and help sort it out." "Guys... " "I don't know where you're getting your info, but Dorian's kinda dead. And by kind of, I mean long dead." "Hey-" "I saw him sitting in a Ta-Koro jail cell. I don't know where you're getting your info, but Dorian's kinda alive. He and Tank talk every so now and then. I saw him myself." "Enough!" *POP* There was a slight dazzling of light as the heated and flying words came to an abrupt halt at the sight of minor fireworks discharging at eye-level. My fireworks. It really wasn't much, just a few specks of light, but it was enough to garner the attention of the gathered Toa to me. To a Toa who had had a very long day, was extremely tired, needed rest, and wanted to bask in the hard-earned victory that we for all intents and purposes miraculously not only survived, but won. I was half-standing, half-leaning on the broken Suva-Nui, a single trembling finger pointed at the small group as I glared at them. Glared at them for everything I was worth, which really wasn't much considering my physical condition and my disintegrating mask. Yet with that little display I did manage to shut them up. "Just... stop. Please." I wheezed, my voice having returned - somewhat. "I don't know about you, but I fell like we just accomplished something amazing here, something worthwhile and tremendous. So can we please stop bickering like little children and take a moment to reflect? Or at least a moment of silence. Or something. Anything. I just can't believe it... " It was here that my legs gave out as I was unable to continue standing any longer. The only thing between me and a nasty impact on the hard stone was quick thinking by Angi, who deftly managed to catch me. I hung on him for a long moment as he helped me up, not saying a word as he allowed himself to be my pillar to lean on. The only sound I heard were our collective shallow breaths, but other than that, silence. Blessed silence. No roaring Rahi. Screaming Toa. Metal on metal. Not even songbirds, as if they understand what took place here. Just... silence. Just us and our thoughts. I gave a sigh. "Angi... " "Yes?" The patience, understanding, and long-suffering in his voice... I waited a moment, licking my lips and taking the time to form my words. "Would you please help me get away from this place? Out of sight? I need a moment alone... with her." With a weak and wavering arm I pointed to a dull-gray object in the distance, a mask that laid in the ground near where the Toa of Plantlife was slowly restoring the damaged valley. Odd choice of words, but it was the best I could string together at this moment. He knew what I meant.

IC:

Agni nodded once, then pulled Joske's right arm across his shoulders and slipping his free hand under his left to hold him upright. The others quietly watched them. No-one spoke, as the young Toa had requested. Joske tentatively moved a foot forward and the veteran picked his own pace accordingly to make the walk easy for him. It felt a little odd, Agni realized, to move this slowly, especially after the past days had mostly been spent trying to keep up with the tempo at which Joske was moving. But it was a welcome change as well, simply because of what this act of walking meant: They had done it. They had kept the Suva safe and the Maru's backs clear.

When the horde of Rahi had attacked and had been joined by several of the Makuta's top-men, it had been touch and go for a short while, before Joske had climbed atop the temple's pillars. If not for the power of light, the hastily assembled defenders would have been overrun. But he also knew that without them to hold the line, Joske would have been overrun on his own as well. But together, yes, together they had indeed accomplished something amazing.

So as Agni carried Joske, he did it with the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The only thing stopping it now was the Toa at his side and the thought of what he had lost to make this victory possible. After a minute of slow walking in silence, they had made it to the Kanohi resting on the ground near a rock on the temple's perimeter. Cael's Kanohi.

Gently, Agni let Joske go from his hold, but kept him steady with one hand as the young Toa sat down at the base of the rock. It was the same boulder Heuani had been defeated at and where Agni, Angelus and the Maru had found him sitting on just a little while ago, before the battle.

Agni squatted down beside his friend and reached over to where the Kanohi lay on the ground, handing it over to Joske, who took it with a nod. Before het let go though, he said:

"You did good, kid. I'm proud of you, Joske."

He stood up and turned around then, looking back over his shoulder once before starting to walk back towards the temple. As he moved, he took in the sight of the battle's aftermath. He saw the temple itself. Elemental blasts had left their marks upon the pillars and steps of stone and wounded and dead Rahi were lying at its base, while others were still frozen in bizarre poses in the wall of glass he hadd helped to create. But that was about it. The Makuta's lieutenants were gone by now, realizing they had lost. Agni was sure it wasn't the last they had seen of them. But today, the tables had turned. He had faith in the Maru, despite not even exchanging words with them so far. They would defeat Makuta and the forces of shadow would be crippled. After that, it would just be a question of time before they found Echelon and co. again and would lock them away for good. Yes. For the first time since he had left Ta-Koro, he felt that things were changing towards the better for once. He softly chuckled at himself as he thought back to the frustrated young Toa of fire, forced to patrol the streets and to stop petty crime. If that was the amount of villainy he would have to deal with from now on, he would gladly do so. Of course, that was wishful thinking, but he indulged the thought for a moment. A few seconds later, he approached the Toa of plantlife who had already begun to repair the damage done to the flora around the temple.

"I was wondering why I there were battle-sounds outside the temple's perimeter. I appreciate the help, brother. Though, I do not know your name."

The Toa of fire shrugged slightly, then nodded towards the temple. "If want, come join us at the Suva. The fight didn't give us much time for proper introductions, now seems like a good time to remedy that."

There was no immediate reply, so Agni left Trizvam to finish his work around the temple. Perhaps once he was done the Toa of plantlife would follow him to the others. But if he did not, that was fine, too. Agni was just thankful for another helping hand, nameless or not.

He quickly walked the rest of the distance and made his way back up the stairs to where the others were waiting. Angelus looked past him to where Joske was sitting and then to him. Their eyes met and Agni just nodded once. They understood each other. "He'll be alright. Just give him the time he needs."

"In fact, I think we can all take some time off after this." he added, the smile he had been hiding finally showing itself. "Because first off: We won here, today. And that is every bit as amazing and tremendous as the kid says it is. So I say: when the Maru return we head to Ta-Koro and spill some drinks. I'll buy. We're not out of the woods yet, though, so the celebrations will have to wait for a little while, but they're coming. And with Makuta gone, we'll finally have a chance to fix a lot of other things."

He looked at Angelus and Dalia when he said those last words and his eyes lingered on the Toa of water. "Just like this mess with what's left of the mark-bearers. I only know what little I learned from Angelus and Tuara in the past few weeks, but I'll do what I can to help. We all care about Tuara."

And finally he turned to the freed Toa of electricity. "Which leads me to you, Ronkshou, if that is still your name." he said. "It's a name with quite the reputation, I'm sure you're aware of that. But whatever Joske did back there seems to have turned you around. We don't get chances like this very often so I need to know: Will you help us to find Echelon and whoever is left when this is done?"

"Traitors!" a weak voice spat from the side behind them, then.

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

"All of you! Cowards!"

She was lying on the ground, curled up on her side, arms wrapped tightly around herself and head pressed to the ground, trying to disappear underneath the black cloak she wore. Tiny whisps of smoke were rising from her form and black feathers lay around her where they had fallen off of her left shoulder. But the purple eyes looking at the group of Toa were burning with anger and they were centered on the Toa that had been Ronkshou just a while ago.

Kohra had waited for the right moment to strike at the defenders. On the back of the Muaka-tiger she had waited for the feline Rahi to spring into action. Her target of choice had been Dalia. The Toa of water held her own against the Rahi, but she could tell that was all she would manage to do with her amount of power. Add to that the lack of a proper Kanohi and she was a prime target. If Kohra had taken her down clean and quickly it would have opened the defenders right flank and allowed the servants of Makuta to finally break through their line of defense.

And when the Muaka had finally made its move, so had she. The Rahi had charged out of the undergrwoth and up the stairs. At the right moment, Kohra had jumped from its back...right into a wave of pure light. Thext few seconds were a blur of motion, flashing colours before here eyes and pain. There was a reason she wore a cloak during daytime. Even mere sunlight was enough to cause her discomfort. But the pure light washing over her could not be stop by the black piece of cloth wrapped around her. It felt as if she was on fire, getting burned alive, without any flame. Not just her skin. The muscles underneath, the bones. Her very being was tortured by the light. Like Vidar, she did not have the fortune of being infected by a Kanohi that could be cleansed in an instant by an attack like this. At the same time though, her connection to master was not like that of a Parakuka either; she could not die by its removal. There was no screaming. By the time she hit the ground, the top of the stairs on the northern side of the temple, she was nothing more than a cramped up and shivering wreck.

And only now she had found the strength to speak again. It was barely enough, her words weak and throat hoarse. But she was not going to lay there quietly while Ronkshou stood with the defenders, while Vidar's mind had decided to check out for good and while Echelon, Utu and Aurum were fleeing like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.

There was nothing she could do, physically, at this time. But she was still here. And she would not abandon the master. She would die first. But even as the Toa of stone and sand stepped forward, their leader, the veteran Toa of fire held up a hand to stop him. He knew a beaten foe when he saw one.

"Somebody restrain her." was all he said.

IC:

"Restrain her?" Dalia asked, raising an eye at Agni's order, "We should finish her off... Before she gets strong enough to-"

A quick look from Agni silenced the Mark Bearer. Dalia then developed a sudden intrest in her feet, her face burning beneath her mask. While the Mark Bearer had no intent on leaving her enemies alive, she knew that Agni would never let her kill anyone. He and his "Code" wouldn't allow it.

So, Dalia simply folded her arms and looked away, keeping quiet for a few moments before asking, "So... How did this happen? How did that Toa- Joske, get so powerful? Who are these, 'Toa Maru' that you talked about?"

IC: TrizvanThe wild Toa sighed with weariness as he finished his work. The grass and trees around had been restored, a taxing job. Without the damage to the temple and the dead Rahi, one might think there were never a battle in the first place.He didn't want that.Closing his eyes as he drew on his dwindling energy reserves, Trizvan reached out to the grass of the battlefield. Exercising his control in a way he hadn't used in many years, the grass beginning at his feet began to change, their lush green growing duller, then brown, then brighter once more. They weren't green anymore, however. They were a rich red, brighter than blood. In Trizvan's eyes, it signified both death, and victory. The color spread through the grass, washing outward until all of it had been dyed. A reminder that any victor's path, no matter his cause, was paved with death.The wild Toa sighed once again and sat on a boulder. He looked to the other Toa. He had no interest in conversation, but he felt he ought to express his respect. They had fought well, and the deaths were few. For that, he was grateful.His steps kicked free some grass seeds. They were fertile, and would spread. A new kind of red grass. He thought it would make a decent reminder of the battle, and one that would last for the ages. As he got within clear earshot, he stood still, waiting for a moment of silence in which to express his feelings.

IC

[Kini-Nui Temple grounds; morning]

How strange it was to touch the face of someone that was long dead.

Angi had departed, leaving me with only my thoughts, this mask, and the rock that I sat on. The rock near the edge of the clearing at which several key events had happened over the last few hours, none of which I actually cared about at this moment. What I wanted was to be alone. Yes, I was here, alone, but I could still see the Toa at the top of the temple, catch occasional words of their conversation; no, I wasn't alone. Had I been in the mood I would have chuckled; just like Angi to get you most of the way there, but then forcing you to make the rest of the journey yourself. Blasted Toa, even now still being that ever-teaching mentor.

Amazing how soft metal can feel.

My thumbs stopped caressing the edge of the mask as my eyes re-focused on it. It was so simple, a dull gray Mask of Healing, but it was as if she was staring right back at me. Eyeless, neutral expression, no sigh of life... even now I could feel the grief that I had stuffed and shoved down in order to focus in the ensuing battles rising to the surface, of it banging against the cage that I had hastily imprisoned it in. It was clawing to come out, a beast within that this time I would have no control over. I had the chance to extract revenge on the Toa that that had so brutally killed her; but I didn't. I could have unleashed my pain on the hoard of Rahi, sacrificing them to my anguish; instead, I freed them of the Makuta's influence and kept deaths to a minimum. I were even a handful of high-ranking, equally-powerful Lieutenants of the Master of Shadows I could have beaten my frustration out on, giving them the ninth degree for my loss - yet I kept myself in check, fighting for the right reasons instead of the emotional ones. I did not regret that decision. But when you're sitting here in the aftermath trying to decide what to do, not having the relief valve for the suffering you went through...

It always looks better on paper than it did in practice.

And now after my self-denial of my revenge this time I would not be able to hold back. I had to be alone.

It was a blessing I didn't have any powers currently; or at least enough juice to do anything with them.

I need to be alone.

My feet didn't budge.

C'mon feet, move!

I might as well willed the Mount Ihu to change location my body was that exhausted.

I said MOVE!

Like an old, rust-covered mining drill my body creaked to life as I forced myself to stand, practically falling over in the process. With nothing but sheer determination I commanded my legs forward, and slowly step by step I staggered towards the treeline, using one arm for balance as I clutched the mask in the other.

As the gathered Toa talked about the previous battle I slipped into the jungle unannounced and unnoticed.

* * *

[Kini-Nui jungle; morning]

I didn't know how far I walked. I didn't care.

I could go no further.

I had wandered into the jungle, picking a random direction and moving as straight and as far forward as I could physically muster. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know how far I had traveled. All I knew was that my body could go no more and had decided this would be the place I would lie down.

My mind had no arguments as I collapsed face-down in the underbrush.

I laid there for... a while? I dunno, I didn't care. I was too depressed to care. Yes, depressed. Me. Joske. Depressed. Those two words never ever came into even remote contact with each other, yet here we were. With effort I craned my head to look at the metallic object in the dense green undergrowth, lazily noting where it had fallen in my decent.

Retirement? Heh. That required something to look forward to. A this point I really didn't have anything to look forward to. I mean, after all, I had completed my destiny.

Then what?

Reaching out I clawed at the ground, my fingers digging in the loose dirt and I began to crawl along the jungle floor towards Cael's mask. Everyone had a destiny right? Something to complete in their lifetime; what gave them purpose. My destiny is complete; my life has no purpose anymore.

I pushed through the underbrush, every twig feeling like a tree truck against my face, every leaf a coarse wall of sandpaper that mercilessly grated on my damaged exterior. I'm a Toa without powers, and even if I had powers I wouldn't have any idea where to go next. When Toa complete their destiny they usually transform into Turaga, but here I am, stuck in limbo.

Like a snail I left a small trail behind, a trail of gold powder as my mask was half of what it was when I donned it, it's rapid dusting made even more pronounced by every plant that struck it, even to the point of small sections simply falling off altogether. It could not have been but a handful of bios, but it felt like I had traversed the island by the time I could feel my fingers grasp its smooth edges. I breathed out heavily as I drew it in, her in, closing my eyes in resignation.

If my destiny is complete, then I might as well give this one last shot, because if I don't try, then I might as well be dead.

I laid there under a canopy of brown and green, all but invisible to the outside world. Even Angi couldn't have found me out here. As my face was there next to hers, I gave a small, weak, smile. I don't fear death; only here and now I realize I never have. Taking on the Tarakava as a matoran; throwing myself between the Company and Makuta's servants; accepting the quest without any prior knowledge; willing to fight Heuani alone; defending the Suva against impossible odds... no, I never feared it. I never ran from it. I could be said I ran towards it more than once with a grin on my face. I am not afraid to die.

Opening my eyes I stared into her lifeless mask, know what I was going to do was stupid, even for my standards. This had been a thought that had been implanted in me the moment I reached the temple, further beaten into me when her final fate was finally proven true to me. Only I and my deepest, darkest thoughts knew of it, and now that she was dead there was no other alternative. This is why I wanted to be alone.

So that no one witnessed it.

I am not afraid of death.