Flesh and Blood

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Flesh and Blood is MAZEKA's entry to the Character swap writing contest. It is centered on Niha's travels through the parallel universes, in the hope of finding the means of becoming a real Toa.

Chapter 1
Niha stepped out of the portal, her legs buckled as they always did after stepping into another reality. She waited till the world stopped spinning and stood up. She was on an amazing, glistening new world. She saw the ocean shimmering a brilliant blue, the jungle, emerald green, dark and light and alive. She saw beings going about their daily existence in this perfect world. What she saw next, wasn't so perfect. Suddenly, the brilliant green of the jungle was turned a malevolent red as tendrils of fire snaked their way through the hanging vines. a deep, black, hellish smoke rose to Niha on her hill. In between the pillars of smoke she saw the now familiar sight of Rahkshi.

She leapt into the sky. using her jet boots to gain altitude. She was concealed from the Rahkshi by the smoke. Niha fell towards the ground. she landed behind a Rahkshi and cracked open the Kraata tank before it new what was happening. Another turned and swung at her with its staff. she ducked, rolled out of the way as it struck again, picked up a boulder and hurled it at the Rahkshi. One of the small beings she'd seen earlier, she guessed it was an Agori, was cowering near by. A Rahkshi aimed its staff at the trembling Agori. Niha lunged forward, activating her jet boots to gain speed and thundered into the Rahkshi. They both went sprawling to the ground, but Niha was up first. she kicked the Rahkshi's head then turned as a beam of red energy crackled towards her. In the split second before it hit she saw a lot of things; she saw the Fear Rahkshi at the other end of the beam. She saw how the energy swirled, so beautifully, yet how it seemed evil, clawing its way towards her. Then, she saw something else, from the corner of her eye. A large, green armoured figure charging forwards and suddenly the Rahkshi was lying dead on the ground. then the beam hit her and all she new was fear.

"Hello, can you hear me? Hello," Niha was vaguely aware of the beings crowded round her.

"Wha-what?" She asked, she was confused, but then it all came flooding back to her and she was on her feet, eyeing the criwd with caution.

She was surrounded by a group of Agori and what could only be Glatorian. Niha was not where she'd been when the Fear-blast hit her, she was in some sort of cavern, with light-stones on the walls. WHat she saw next was stranger still. There was a Toa in the group as well, one she recognized, Helryx. When she scanned the crowd she saw that there were Matoran in the crowd as well. In all the universes she'd visited, she'd never seen Toa or Matoran on Bara Magna. Come to think of it, she'd never seen Bara Magna look so beautiful.

"Hey," someone said, it was Helryx. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," she replied, she gave nothing more away.

"Who are you, what are you?" This came from the green Glatorian she'd seen earlier.

"I am Niha, ATP-001. I am an artificial Toa Prototype, I am not of this universe, is this Bara Magna?"

"It used to be," said Helryx. "But the Great Spirit, Mata Nui reformed this world into Spherus Magna. An artificial Toa. We could've used a few of those."

"If Mata Nui reformed this planet, where is he? why are there Rahkshi?" Niha was already confused by the mysteries of this universe.

"Wait a second, we need to know if we can trust you, we do the questioning." This came from the Glatorian.

"Why?" Niha asked, she fixed the Glatorian with an innocent stare.

He sighed, got up and strolled through the cavern.

"Niha, can you tell us why you're here?" Asked Helryx.

"I want to become real," replied Niha.

"'Real'?"

"Yes."

"How are you not real?"

"If I were to stick a needle into your hand, you would bleed, if I did the same to myself, whilst I would still feel pain, I would not bleed." Niha remembered her Helryx showing her just the same thing...

Helryx stood up and went over to the Glatorian. they were talking about something, throwing the odd glance at Niha, though Niha could not hear what they were saying. She remained where she was and waited for them to finish. When they did she asked them what they'd been discussing.

"Vastus and I think we can help you, but first, we want you to help us," said Helryx.

Niha seemed to fill with joy, it bubbled through her body at the sound of Heryx's words.

"I'll do whatever you want."