User:Echo 1/Legacy of the Toa

"All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. There will be challenges to face and enemies to fight, but I know you will overcome. All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides. Be well, be strong, care for this world and for each other. Farewell."

- Mata Nui, Journey's End

Legacy of the Toa is a story taking place an unspecified amount of time after the Reformation of Spherus Magna.

Synopsis
Spherus Magna has reformed, society has stabilized, the world is at peace. But at the same time, it has never been more unbalanced. Gone are the ancient Toa that once protected the civilizations of Matoran and Agori. The world is tense, as the new tribes and nations clash with their older brethren. And worse yet, rumors of an untold evil rising in the Black Spike Mountains are beginning to circulate across the planet.

Now, a new team of Toa must rise to combat this threat, or all that the Great Spirit and his Toa worked to achieve will be destoryed...

Prologue
Kiina walked the halls of the Great Temple in New Atero. Once, the monumental structure had been the heart of Matoran culture, bustling with the workers of all kinds who came to acknowledge the Great Spirit Mata Nui. Now, it was a silent relic of a bygone age. Few Matoran were left to attend to the temple, leaving the few Glatorian that respected their culture. And now even she was almost indistinguishable from the relics of the temple.

She walked down a massive vestibule, its ceiling towering above her. Lining the walls were statues of every known Toa. She was not a devout enough scholar to know all their names, but she recognized several. Tahu's team, the Toa Nuva, stood out to her the most, along with the Toa Mahri. However, many were still unknown to her, and others still were lost to the mists of time. It was also likely that many Toa were missing in the chamber, forgotten even to the Matoran scholars who had constructed the temple.

Kiina sat entered a small antechamber between two statues. The room was lit with a single lightstone, obscuring the face of the other inhabitant who sat on the other side of a wooden table. However, she knew who it was. One of the last remaining denizens of the Great Spirit's body. One of the oldest and wisest beings on Spherus Magna.

"Artakha," she said. "It's been a long time."

He nodded, his dull gold Kanohi mask glinting in the relative darkness. His eyes, however, burned orange in the darkness. It would have been unnerving to someone who hadn't had experience with beings such as him. Kiina, however, knew the old creator well.

"Indeed," he replied in a whisper that still seemed to shake the room. "Sadly, I cannot afford to do any 'catching up.'"

"I know, Artakha," she said. "You never summon anyone without reason, it appears."

He nodded again. "I believe you know why I'm here. We must discuss the subject of Vakama's Last Prophecy."

Kiina pursed her lips. The Last Prophecy was a subject of contentious debate among scholars of Matoran Culture. The story was uttered by Vakama a few years before the old Turaga became inactive, and was believed to be a vision from Mata Nui.

"You think we're reaching the time he referred to?" she asked.

"Shadows in the mountains," Artakha quoted, "Silver body, built and worshiped by thieves. I do believe we are reaching that time, yes. Thieves have been acting...strangely in the Black Spike Mountains as of late. And there are stories saying they are building something near the ruins of my old universe."

"Well, I doubt we can do anything about it," Kiina replied. "The New Atero Republic has no jurisdiction there, and I doubt the Shadow Hunters would let us investigate. They hold their territory zealously."

"Which is why I suggest we prepare for whatever the prophecy refers to instead of try to prevent it," Artakha stated. "History has shown too often that those who avoid their destiny ultimately achieve it."

It was Kiina's turn to nod. "So, you want me to investigate the reports, then?"

"We need new Toa. The Mahri are beyond their best years, and the others have all left us, either physically or altogether."

"But the reports are always so vague, and so many of them have turned out to be false anyway. Many people claim to have 'Toa' for sons or daughters, but they're always false. The Great Spirit granted very few Glatorian the power over the elements, and even fewer now hold that power. I don't think it'd be a wise use of our...limited resources."

"Just the same, we must investigate, Kiina. The future of your - our world depends on it."

Kiina nodded. "I'll dispatch a few agents soon. Hopefully we'll have better luck."

Artakha rose from his seat. "Good. I return to my tower. If they are found, bring them to me."

With that, space warped around him, and the ancient being vanished.

Kiina sighed. He could complete the journeys she would have to take in a simple amount of hours, but he had duties that required his attention. As did she. She left the room and headed to find the list of reports of 'Toa' that had arisen in recent times. Hopefully, she could discover the next Toa.

Chapter 1: Keia
Coming soon...