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This article was written by Invader39. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Lost in the Dark | |
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| Story | |
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| Date Set |
The Time of Unity
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| Media Information | |
| Released |
November 3-December 15, 2017
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| Written by | |
| Timeline | |
| Previous | |
| Concurrent |
The Journey to One
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Lost in the Dark is a story serial written by Invader39. It is a sequel to his 2015 story Pushing Back the Dark and an expansion of the 2016 BIONICLE story. The story covers the Toa's Quest for Unity to find the Elemental Creatures and the Mask of Control, and follows Umarak's quest to find both the creatures and the mask for Makuta.
It is the second installment in The Dark Trilogy.
Story[]
Prologue: Shadows[]
A long time ago on the mythical island of Okoto, all lived in harmony. It was a place of wonders and beautiful landscapes.
From the island’s Elemental forces, Fire, Water, Jungle, Stone, Earth and Ice, two brothers, known as the Mask Makers, created Masks of Power.
Each brother had a special Mask: Makuta owned the Mask of Control, and Ekimu the Mask of Creation.
The brothers provided the Islanders with many Masks, but Ekimu’s were the most treasured. His brother became envious and forged an evil plan.
It was a sacred law that a Mask could never contain the power of more than one Element, otherwise it would become too strong and dangerous.
But Makuta wanted to create the strongest Mask of all time: the Mask of Ultimate Power.
When Makuta put it on, it took control over him, and the island began to shake and crumble. Realizing what his brother had done, Ekimu managed the knock the Mask from Makuta’s face. A shockwave rolled across the land, sending both brothers into an endless sleep.
The Masks were scattered all over the island, waiting for a time when someone would come looking for them...
Seven hundred years ago…
The Protector of Fire looked out over her village. A gentle breeze swept through the air, rustling her red hair. She sighed as she saw dark storm clouds appear on the horizon, lightning flashing in the distance.
Suddenly someone tugged at her hand and she looked down to see a small child next to her, looking up. She smiled as this was not just any Okotan child, this was her daughter.
“What’s wrong, Sera?” Abbi smiled.
“Couldn’t sleep,” the little girl said. “What’re you doing, mommy?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” the Protector replied.
“Hm. That’s weird, huh?”
“What’s weird?” Abbi turned to her daughter again.
“That we both can’t sleep. Why can’t you sleep, mommy?”
“I just couldn’t.”
“Me too.”
They looked out at the stars above Okoto. As she looked, Sera noticed six strange stars.
“Are those the Toa, mommy?” She pointed to them.
Abbi looked up and saw them and smiled.
“Remember what the Prophecy says, my love.”
“When times are dark and all hope seems lost, the Protectors must unite, one from each tribe. Evoke the power of past and future, and look to the skies for an answer. When the stars align, six comets will bring timeless heroes to claim the Golden Masks of Power and find the Mask Maker.
“United, the Elements hold the power. United, but not one,” they said in unison.
“Very good, Sera. You’re getting the hang of this,” Abbi knelt down to ruffle her daughter’s hair.
Sera giggled. “Thanks mommy.”
“Why don’t you try and go back to sleep. There’s something I have to do.”
“Okay,” Sera said, going back inside.
Abbi watched her leave before she grabbed her Blaze Bow and strapped it to her back. She jumped over the railing and down into the deserted street. She looked around before walking out of the village.
The Protector traveled for some time before reaching the mountains. Abbi had used her power over lava to surf up a stream towards the top.
She came up and looked around. A few moments later her fellow Protectors appeared as well. They all gathered in a circle.
“So,” Abbi began. “Why am I here in the middle of the night?”
“I have felt darkness,” Urluc, Protector of Water said. “And it is rising.”
“Yeah it’s called night,” Abbi said, crossing her arms.
“Abbi please, let us humor Urluc,” Duran, Protector of Earth replied sharply. They both cast dark looks at each other.
The other Protectors looked at each other before Urluc continued. “Right… anyway… I have felt a negative shift in the energy on Okoto.”
“What negative energy?” Hura, Protector of Jungle asked.
“Evil.”
The group all cast concerned glances at each other.
“Man you really like the pronoun game,” Abbi said.
“Enough with the snappy remarks, Abbi. This is serious,” Duran snapped at her.
“I feel Makuta’s darkness on the island yet.”
“How? He’s been asleep along with Ekimu for thousands of years!” Noran, Protector of Ice replied.
“He is still moving through the island, spiritually.”
“How can this be?” Abbi asked.
“You cannot destroy the dark any more than you can destroy the light.”
“So what is he doing?” Noran asked.
“I don’t know, but we need to be ready for him.”
“Then we best be on our guard. Even if he doesn’t come in our lifetimes, we can be sure to have all generations ready for the return of the lord of shadows,” Abbi said.
“The Prophecy,” Mukai, Protector of Stone replied.
“Yes. When it is time for it to be used, it will be the light in the dark.”
Silence then engulfed them.
“Alright, so again, why are we here?” Abbi looked around.
“As I said, evil is rising,” Urluc replied.
“Yeah but you could’ve sent a messenger with this information.”
“But we don’t get together too often and we need to renew the bonds between our peoples.”
“But why call a meeting in the dead of night?” Abbi asked again.
Urluc said nothing.
“Tell me, Urluc. Now.”
“I… I saw...”
“You saw what?” Abbi stepped forward impatiently.
“I saw the Elemental Creatures.”
The five Protectors gasped. No one had seen the Elemental Creatures since the Festival of the Masks right before the Cataclysm, where Ekimu used the Mask of Time to see into the future and create the Prophecy of Heroes.
“When did you see them?” Hura asked.
“Earlier today, in the mountains of the Region of Jungle.”
“Do you know why they appeared to you?” Noran inquired.
“An omen of some kind, like they were heralding the future.”
“What would they be heralding?” Duran asked.
“The Toa,” Abbi said.
“That’s right,” Urluc took a step forward.
“So does that mean we have to do it, the Prophecy of Heroes?” Hura asked.
“Not until Okoto is really in danger,” Urluc replied.
“But why would they appear to you now?” Duran questioned, obviously skeptical.
“I do not know, maybe because whatever causes the Toa to arrive will come soon.”
“Then we must be ready for it.” Abbi concluded.
The six Protectors agreed and split ways. As Abbi headed back to her village, her home, her husband, her daughter, she walked to the edge of a cliff and stared out over the once great City of the Mask Makers.
“Give me a sign...” she said under her breath.
And then she disappeared into the dark of night.
Chapter 1: The City[]
No Islander had set foot in the City of the Mask Makers in thousands of years. Long had it been abandoned after the battle between Ekimu the Mask Maker and his brother Makuta, which caused a shockwave that forever changed Okoto and sent both brothers into an endless sleep. In that time the island was attacked by Skull Spiders, who searched for the Masks of Power, which were scattered during the Great Cataclysm.
By the Prophecy of Heroes, six legendary heroes, the Toa, were brought to the island to destroy the dark, and save Okoto from evil. By defeating Makuta’s minions, awakening Ekimu, and reclaiming the Mask of Creation, they brought balance back to Okoto.
Darkness, however, still lurks, attempting to lose the light within the dark.
Present day, two weeks after the City was reclaimed.
The villager of Jungle sat on the ledge that overlooked the city, one leg dangling over the side while the other was propped up, his arm resting on it. His blue eyes overlooked the magnificent city, now being restored as more and more villagers moved to the city.
Of course there were a few who stayed in their homes in the Regions, which had sheltered their ancestors for thousands of years after the Great Cataclysm, but most were eager to come to the city that had been so long forgotten.
Suddenly someone came up behind him, and he turned to see another villager from the Region of Jungle, only this one was a female.
“Hey Bingzak,” the new arrival said.
“Hey Harvali,” Bingzak replied. “How’re you?”
“Good. Yourself?”
“Just looking over the city. It’s brilliant.”
Havali took a seat next to him. “It really is. I never thought it would look so magnificent.”
“Hey look, the Toa and Ekimu!” Bingzak said, standing up and pointing down into the city where the six Toa and Ekimu were walking through the city, a group of villagers following them.
“Let’s go see what they’re doing!” Bingzak said, getting up and going towards a path that lead down to the city. Harvali got up and followed him.
They walked down the path and came into the City itself. The two walked down the street until they caught up with the group. Bingzak went up to the Toa while Harvali stayed back, still a little shocked by the Toa being here on Okoto after all these years.
“What are you guys doing?” the villager asked.
Ekimu, the Mask Maker chuckled. “We are going to interrogate Kulta and Skull Basher.”
“Where do you have them?”
“In a dungeon under Ekimu’s Forge,” Tahu, Master of Fire said. “We brought them down there after we defeated them.”
“Can I come?” Bingzak asked eagerly.
“No, little one. This is not for you,” Ekimu said, and they walked forward again, leaving all the villagers behind.
“Hm,” Harvali said, crossing her arms as the group disappeared into the city.
“What do you think they’ll get out of them?” Bingzak asked.
“I don’t know. Hopefully something about Makuta,” Harvali responded as they began to walk away.
The group ascended the steps of the Forge of the Mask Makers.
“Here we are again,” Tahu said. “Going to your Forge to confront Skull Grinder, Ekimu.”
“Only this time we are not fighting for the fate of Okoto,” Gali, Master of Water pointed out.
“We are still fighting for the fate of Okoto, Toa,” the Mask Maker said. “Just because Skull Grinder has been defeated does not mean that my brother has not. He still lurks in the dark.”
“How will we find him?” Onua, Master of Earth asked.
“That’s why we’re going to question Skull Grinder, to try and find out where Makuta is hiding.”
They went into the forge and walked to the stairwell that led up to the Mask Maker’s forge. Ekimu went forward and brushed over several runes that were engraved on the wall. He found one that resembled a strange Mask of Power and pushed it inwards, revealing it to be a button.
Several mechanical clicks and grinds were heard as the wall slid out of the way into the ceiling to reveal another stairwell descending down into darkness.
“Tahu?” Ekimu asked the Toa of Fire standing next to him.
The Master of Fire nodded and created a flame in his hand. He then pushed it forward, bending it in mid-air to hit several torches that lined the wall of the staircase, igniting them. The flames cast a flickering orange glow on the group.
“Let’s go, then,” the Mask Maker said, walking down the stairs. The Toa all glanced at each other before following Ekimu down. Their footsteps echoed as they descended.
The Toa had been down this path before, when they had brought Skull Grinder and his lieutenant Skull Basher this way after they had reclaimed Ekimu’s Mask of Creation from them. The Protectors helped by carrying down the villain’s Masks, which they had taken to ensure that they could not use their powers.
They came to the bottom of the steps and into a dark dungeon, the only light coming from the torches that Tahu had lit. Without being asked, the Master of Fire ignited several more torches around the room, revealing two cages, the forms of Skull Grinder and Skull Basher lying inside them.
The Toa instinctively went to draw their weapons, but Ekimu waved them off.
“You do not need your weapons. They are no threat,” he said over his shoulder.
With several uncertain glances, the Toa let their weapons stay where they were, but were still ready for anything.
The Mask Maker walked in between the two cells, looking in both of them.
“So, how are you, Kulta and Skull Basher?”
After a few moments of silence, Skull Grinder sat up and looked at the blue and gold figure, his red eyes still blazing.
“How do you know that name?” he asked, his deep voice still booming.
“I told you while we were fighting, I remembered you from those thousands of years ago when you attacked our island.”
“How did you know it was me?” Kulta asked, indicating his more rotten appearance.
“You are quite unforgettable,” Ekimu said, smiling. “And that is a compliment.”
“What do you want, Mask Maker?” Skull Grinder asked, tired of the small talk.
“You know what I want.”
“We’re not telling you anything about Makuta, old man!” Skull Basher snapped from his cell.
“Look who’s awake,” Ekimu smiled.
“Silence, Akelta!” Kulta yelled at his lieutenant.
“Akelta?” the Mask Maker asked. “Is that your real name, Skull Basher?”
The brute said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Like he said, we’re not telling you about Makuta,” Kulta said.
“But why not? What else do you have left to lose?”
After a few moments of silence from the two, Kulta spoke up. “I can’t say much, because he’s listening, always.”
“How?” Ekimu asked.
“Wherever darkness is, he is. Wherever the shadows are cast he is there.”
“If he is everywhere, how can he not retrieve the Masks himself?” Kopaka asked.
“He is not physical. He is a spirit, influencing events.”
“Like how he employed you and allowed you to use his dark power to raise warriors of times long past?”
“...Yes.”
“Why you?” Ekimu asked.
“My people made an alliance with him long before the cataclysm. My lieutenant and I,” Skull Grinder said, implying Skull Basher. “Remained loyal to him for these thousands of years. Apparently he remembered us.”
“And tasked you with destroying my Mask of Creation. How’d that work out?”
“Very funny, Ekimu.”
“Well, it seems our friends have nothing further to share, so let’s go,” Ekimu said, making a big deal out of turning around and heading for the Toa, who looked on confused. As the Mask Maker was close to the stairs, Kulta broke.
“He’s most likely employed someone new… someone to fulfill his wishes.”
“Who would my brother employ?” Ekimu asked, but it didn’t seem to be entirely directed at Skull Grinder.
“Someone who’s been in the darkness for thousands of years,” Kulta said darkly.
His fiery red eyes scanned the terrain, waiting.
The Shadow Traps had told him that the Creature was coming this way, and he felt like they had actually spotted it for once. So, he came to where they told him to go.
And, as usual, there was nothing. He was going to have to destroy those two…
Suddenly he heard something rushing towards him and turned to his left to see something white coming at him at an alarming speed. With no time to do anything else, he jumped backwards out of the thing’s way just it time as it passed.
He recovered himself and looked forward and saw a path of ice in front of him.
The Creature.
He quickly grabbed his bow and trained it down the path, and saw the Creature in the distance, creating the bridge with its ice powers. It was too far away to hit with one of his projectiles, so he dropped it and turned around to see two Shadow Traps coming towards him on the ice bridge. Infuriated, he quickly strode over and grabbed both of them in his hands, gripping them tightly.
“How could you let the Creature get away?!” he yelled at them. “You had one job and you failed!”
The traps tried to reason with their master in their language, but he didn’t care.
“You’ve made your last mistake,” he said. “And you know what that means.”
He dropped them both on the ground, where they then quickly tried to scurry away, but the Hunter was too fast for them and drew his bow and shot them both in an instant, both exploding into a pile of flaming parts.
“Makuta will not be pleased if I fail...” he said to himself. “But I can handle him.”
The Hunter then walked towards a cave shrouded in darkness. As he stepped into the shadows, he disappeared, gone into the shadows from which he was born.
Three days later.
The Protector of Jungle blasted away another green Skull Spider, knocking it into the pile.
“With the Lord of Skull Spiders dead and Skull Grinder locked up, these guys don’t have a master to command them,” Vizuna smiled.
“That is not true,” Narmoto, Protector of Fire said, using his flame blades to cut off the legs of a silver Skull Spider. “Makuta still controls them, guiding them to continue to attack our villages.”
“Yeah but they’re definitely weaker than before,” Korgot, Protector of Earth replied, using her Star Drill to ram a blue Skull Spider into the ground.
“To truly control the Skull Spiders, you need the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders,” Nilkuu, Protector of Stone said, using his Sandstone Blaster to bury several of the beasts.
“Yes. The Mask I tried to steal and nearly lost my life for,” Narmoto recollected darkly.
“At least the Toa and Ekimu say they didn’t find it after they reclaimed the city, so it must be lost to the island,” Kivoda, Protector of Water replied.
“I hope,” Narmoto said, using his shoulder-mounted Fire Blaster to clear away the last of the Skull Spiders.
The Protectors relaxed and looked around at their handiwork.
“That went well,” said Izotor, Protector of Ice.
“Let’s get all these Skull Spiders in the hole. Korgot, Vizuna and Nilkuu?” Narmoto asked, gesturing to the Skull Spiders.
The two nodded and used their Elemental Masks to bend the rocks and the earth around the Skull Spiders, causing the ground they were on to sink away, making a crater. Vizuna then stepped forward and used his power to make a net of vines over the hole, trapping them in the earth.
“The Toa will be able to get rid of them completely,” Kivoda said.
“At least we saved this village. That’s all that matters,” Izotor smiled, looking around at the villagers now coming from their homes to thank the Protectors.
“We should be getting back to the City,” Narmoto suggested after a while.
The other Protectors nodded and bid farewell to the village and left towards the mountains in the Region of Jungle.
As they reached the top, the six looked out over the Region of Jungle, admiring the vast forest of Okoto.
“Your home is beautiful, Vizuna,” Korgot said.
“That it is,” he replied.
Turning away from the view, they walked towards the ancient City of the Mask Makers when they heard a hissing in the brush around them. Instinctively, they all drew their weapons and went back-to-back, covering all their sides.
“What was that?” Kivoda whispered.
“I don’t know but I don’t think it’s a Skull Spider...” Narmoto said.
Suddenly something green and silver ran forth out of the bushes at the group. The Protectors collectively turned to open fire but only got a few shots off before the figure knocked them all off their feet and onto the ground.
They looked up at the being and saw that he was very skeletal, wore a Skull Spider Mask, and had four arms. In two of his hands he held hook blades, similar in design to the one carried by Skull Grinder and the ones that the Skull Warriors used.
“Who are you?!” Korgot asked, trying to get up when the being knocked her back down with his blades.
“I am Skull Slicer, famed champion of Okoto!” the being yelled.
“The Toa spoke of you. They defeated you!” Kivoda said.
“The Toa? You know the Toa? Take me to them!” he yelled, brandishing his weapons again.
“We would never do that! Plus they’d defeat you again,” Narmoto said.
“You will take me!” the being insisted.
“No.”
In a fit of rage he brought down both his weapons on the Protector of Fire.
“No!” the other five Protectors yelled as the weapons came down on their leader.
“This is going pretty well,” Onua said, dropping the rubble he’d been carrying in the pile.
“Indeed,” Gali replied, bending the rest of the water that had leaked out into the streets into a well to be used by the citizens of the City. “This is going well.”
“Yeah but we haven’t done the worst yet,” Lewa said, using his power to drive several vines back into the ground.
“What do you mean?” Onua asked.
“Well we still have to clean up where the Arena was (thanks Onua), and we still have to get rid of those Scorpios.”
“The Scorpios you crushed,” Gali smiled.
“Yeah but it was worth it at the time, unlike how Onua destroyed-.”
“Enough!” came an enraged voice.
The Toa turned and saw Ekimu coming towards them, arms behind his back. “Do not bicker amongst yourselves for things of the past!”
“Yes, Ekimu,” the Toa said collectively.
“Now come this way. You can deal with the other things later,” Ekimu said, before turning back the way he came towards his Forge.
The Masters all glanced at each other before following the Mask Maker in question. They went through the City again, several villagers greeting them as they went. They eventually made it to the Forge and went to the top level, where Ekimu’s furnace was.
As they came in, several tables had been pulled over, six to be precise. On them rested dozens of pieces of armor, each table hosting a different color: one red and gold, one blue and silver, one green and silver, one brown and silver, one black and gold, and one white and gold. One table for each Toa.
“What are these, Ekimu?” Gali asked, slightly confused.
“You have proven yourselves worthy, Toa, by defending me from Kulta and saving Okoto, even when all hope seemed lost,” Ekimu said. “These are new armor and weapons for you that will help you channel your Elemental Powers better,” he gestured to the new Masks and tools.
“I see there are new Masks for us. What about our Golden ones?” Gali asked.
“These Masks have a better connection to the Elements.”
“Why’d we go through all the trouble to get these Masks, then?” Lewa asked, a little annoyed.
“Because without those Masks you wouldn’t have saved the island from darkness. But that part of your quest is over, and you must be ready for the next.”
“What is the next?” Tahu asked.
“To find my brother Makuta’s Mask of Control,” Ekimu said grimly.
“The other Mask that was lost along with yours and the Mask of Ultimate Power in the cataclysm? How will we find it?” Onua asked.
“These Masks will also help you find the Elemental Creatures.”
“The what?” Kopaka said, confused.
“The Elemental Creatures are six ancient entities that represent the Elements of Okoto,” the Mask Maker explained.
“Like what we do?” Gali asked.
“Not exactly. Instead of embodying the Elements, they are the Elements.”
“How can they be the Elements?” Tahu inquired.
“When Okoto was formed several hundreds of thousands of years ago, the six Elemental Creatures came into being along with it. They were born of the Elements and the Regions of Okoto were named after them and they have complete control over them.”
“So why do we need to have a connection with them?” Pohatu asked.
“Because they know where Makuta’s Mask of Control is.”
All the Toa let out a collective gasp.
“I thought that the Mask was lost along with the others?” Gali asked.
“It is, because only the Creatures know where it is.”
“Maybe they’re the ones who hid it,” Lewa suggested.
“Perhaps. But that is not important right now,” Ekimu said. “It is time to put on your new armor.”
The Toa strode forward towards their tables and picked up pieces of the armor and inspected them. They then began to take off their old armor and replaced it with the new ones, the new fitting perfectly. Last, they took off their Golden Masks of Power that they had spent weeks searching for, and set them down and traded them for the new Masks of Power that Ekimu had made.
When the put the new ones on, they felt a similar surge of energy that they experienced when they put on the golden ones, although not as intense.
“Do these have the same power as the Golden Masks of Power?” Gali asked.
“They are slightly more powerful, but they will help you find the Elemental Creatures.”
The six Toa stood together, each looking over their new sets of armor and weapons. Tahu carried two Elemental Fire Blades, Gali carried an Elemental Water Spear, Lewa carried twin Razor Crystal Blades, Pohatu carried the Crystal Flail, Onua carried a Blazing Crystal Hammer, while Kopaka carried an Elemental Ice Blade and an Ice Blaster.
“Although I miss my lavaboard,” Tahu said, looking over his new weapons. “I could get used to these.”
“Alright, there’s still more to do with the City,” Gali said.
“Like the Arena,” Lewa muttered.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Tahu said.
The six heroes walked away from the Mask Maker, leaving him by his burning forge. He watched as they disappeared down the steps.
Once he was alone, he let out a deep breath.
“I know you’re out there, Makuta. I can still feel your presence...”
Ekimu walked over to one of the windows of his forge and looked down to see several villagers greeting the Toa, awing in their new armor.
“What are you planning…”
Darkness was all there was in that place.
Never ending shadows always surrounded him.
He looked out from the tower over the city. Several villagers walked around aimlessly below. Many Toa-sized beings walked around amongst them also, some red and black, some blue and green, and others purple and green.
They were all his servants, corrupted by the darkness. He smiled at his handiwork.
“You better be ready, brother,” he said to himself. “I shall return and I will conquer Okoto, and take my rightful place amongst the gods!”
He turned away from the edge and disappeared back into the shadows.
Chapter 2: Quest for Unity[]
“No!” the other Protectors yelled as Skull Slicer’s weapons came down on their leader, Narmoto.
In an act of desperation, Nilkuu and Korgot bent chucks of earth and stone at the Skull Creature. The projectiles collided with him and knocked him backwards. On impact Skull Slicer dropped both his swords and they clattered away.
The Protector of Fire quickly got up and shot blasts of fire at the Skull Creature. The being tried to dodge them but failed. The other Protectors quickly came to their leader’s aid, using their Elemental Powers to knock Skull Slicer towards the edge of the cliff.
“Stop! I will kill you all!” Skull Slicer exclaimed as the edge of his foot went over the cliff.
“Not today,” Narmoto said.
With a massive blast of Elemental Energy, the six Protectors launched the minion of Makuta over the edge, sending him into the depths below.
The six Protectors came to the edge and looked down into the mist.
“Do you think he’s…?” Korgot began.
“Dead? No, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him,” Narmoto said.
“We should be getting back to the City,” Vizuna looked towards the capital of Okoto.
“Yeah. This will be an interesting story to tell the Toa,” Nilkuu said as they picked up their weapons and walked away towards the ancient City of the Mask Makers.
Ekimu had joined the six Toa below, who were being admired and awed at by several villagers. The Mask Maker smiled at this, as the Toa had been the villager’s beacon of hope in the dark times, and continued to be their hope even now in the good times.
“Ah, Ekimu, there you are,” Onua greeted him.
“Yes, here I am,” the Mask Maker responded.
“Look, it’s the Protectors!” one villager shouted, pointing down the street, where the six Elemental Protectors were walking towards the Toa and Ekimu.
“There you are, my Protectors. How did the mission in the Jungle Village go?” Ekimu asked.
“We got rid of all the Skull Spiders, trapping them underground, but when we were heading back we ran into a problem,” Narmoto said.
“What problem?” the Mask Maker inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“Skull Slicer attacked us,” the Protector of Fire explained.
“How is that possible?” Gali asked. “He fell into the chasm when we dropped the floor during the Hammer Flush match and he had to have been crushed when the Arena fell down.”
“He must’ve clawed his way out,” Tahu suggested.
“What happened to him after you encountered him?” Ekimu asked the Protectors.
“He overpowered us and was about to kill Narmoto when we used our Elemental powers and pushed him off a cliff and into the chasm below,” Korgot explained.
“Is he dead?” Lewa asked.
“I don’t think so,” said Vizuna. “I mean, he is undead, isn’t he?”
“And he must’ve been acting on his own free will, as the Lord of Skull Spiders and the Skull Grinder have been defeated, unless Makuta’s still using him somehow...” Ekimu pondered.
“Wait, was Skull Slicer under the control of the Lord of Skull Spiders?” Gali asked.
“He was controlled by both Kulta and the Lord of Skull Spiders,” Ekimu began. “You see, Kulta revived him, and the Lord of Skull Spiders gave him a Skull Spider mask on him, giving him control as well.
“Was he still wearing the Mask when you encountered him?”
“Yes, he was,” Nilkuu said.
“Then it is impossible to tell if he is free or not. We’ll have to capture him.”
“That’ll be easy,” Kivoda said sarcastically.
“We’ll handle it, Protector,” Tahu replied.
“Your power over the Elements will serve you well,” Ekimu put his hands together. “But a greater quest awaits you.”
Suddenly they heard screaming and shouting in the streets below.
“Something’s going on down there!” Tahu said.
Together, the thirteen figures ran down several stairs and into the street to see several Skull Warriors walking slowly towards them, Skull Spiders crawling at their feet.
“Because Kulta has been defeated, they have no purpose,” Ekimu said, drawing his hammer and saw shield.
But the Skull Spiders suddenly jumped onto several of the Skull Warriors’ faces, taking control of them. They suddenly became more alert and agile.
“That’s bad,” Kopaka pointed to the scene.
“They are minions of my brother, Makuta,” Ekimu said. “The Lord of Skull Spiders may be dead, but the Mask Hoarder still controls them.”
“How? I thought you could only control the Skull Spiders through the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders?” Narmoto asked.
“He must be using his dark power, that or he has the Golden Mask of Skull Spiders.”
“Probably just his dark power,” Lewa concluded.
“Probably,” Ekimu agreed. “Toa, use your new weapons and powers! This will be the perfect test!”
The Toa all drew their weapons and ignited them, elemental crystalline blades shooting from their their handles.
“Nice,” Pohatu said, admiring his own blade.
“Onua, use your Elemental Powers!” Ekimu shouted to the Uniter of Earth.
The Toa of Earth nodded and saw a Skull Warrior running towards him. Using the Element of Earth, he pulled a large chunk of earth out of the ground with his hammer and launched it at the creature, throwing it across the courtyard and into a ledge.
“Onua, good,” said Ekimu as Onua looked at his glowing weapon.
Pohatu was readying for a Skull Warrior who was running at him.
“Pohatu, let the Elements guide your crystal blade!” the Mask Maker called.
The Toa of Stone did as Ekimu said, feeling the elemental power charged within his crystal blade. He felt each step the warrior took through his spear. As it came at him, he used his weapon to knock it away and off a ledge to a street below, the Skull Spider being knocked off his face and out cold.
“Gotta step it up some,” Lewa said cheerfully as several Skull Warriors approached, Using his power over plant life, he made several buried roots to shoot up from the ground, launching Makuta’s minions across the city.
“Let the Toa of Water try!” Gali chuckled.
Using her connection to the sea, she controlled the water inside a nearby well and brought it up and out. In front of her, three Skull Warriors had pulled out their spears and were readying to attack the female Toa.
Grunting under the weight of the water, she threw it down at the Skull Warriors, washing them away down the street.
“Nice one, sister,” Kopaka said, readying his sword. “But can you do this?”
He froze the water left over from Gali’s attack as four Skull Warriors ran at him. As they stepped on the slick surface, their feet slid across the ice, sending them crashing down on their backs. The impact dislodged the Skull Spiders and knocked them all unconscious.
“Hm. The Skull Warriors can’t handle the ice. I wonder if they can handle the heat?” Tahu smiled, readying his Elemental Flame Blades. Six Skull Spider-possessed warriors ran towards him, two holding Freeze Bows and two holding spears.
Tahu blocked three ice projectiles and before striking the ground with both his weapons, the blades glowing bright as fire burned through them. The intense heat melted the ground, the earth, stone and fire creating red-hot lava.
The molten earth went under the Skull Warrior’s feet too fast for them to react and they all fell into the boiling lava, disappearing from sight.
“The Protectors can handle the Skull Warriors! We need to defeat the Skull Spiders!” Tahu called to his fellow Toa.
“That takes all the fun out of it!” Lewa said cheerfully, using his blades to blast several Skull Spiders away with in a gust of wind.
Korgot shot several Earth projectiles from her chest-mounted cannon at a Skull Warrior, knocking it out. Nilkuu bent a large stone at one, crushing it. Narmoto used his flame swords to cut off the legs of two warriors, bringing them to the ground. Kivoda dodged a Skull Warrior’s spear and then shot a harpoon, killing the undead minion. Vizuna shot several blasts of green energy at two Skull Warriors, pushing them over the edge. Izotor froze another warrior to a rock wall.
Pohatu was knocking away several Skull Spiders before Ekimu called them. “Leave them, Toa! There is a greater quest ahead of you.”
The Toa all stopped what they were doing and looked at each other confused before gathering around Ekimu the Mask Maker.
“There awaits a Golden Mask of Unity hidden in a secret temple for each of you.”
“Another quest for Golden Masks? Didn’t we already do that?” Lewa asked.
“Yes, but these are for your Elemental Creatures,” Ekimu replied. “Your very Masks are designed after them.”
“Wait, you did not create the Golden Masks of Unity?” Gali’s eyes widened. “Then who did?”
“I do not know.”
“Do you know where the Shrines are, at least?” Pohatu asked.
“I do not know that either, but I don’t know that the Masks are guarded by the Creatures and to find them, you must look where you would have never looked before.”
“Look. Where?” Pohatu asked impatiently.
Lewa let out a laugh. “Somewhere you’d never look: in here,” he put two fingers on his temple.
“I don’t get it.”
“Wait,” Kopaka interrupted, his fingers on his own temple. “Something’s wrong.”
“Where? What is it?” Tahu asked.
“Not here, out there,” Kopaka looked to the horizon.
“What, did you have a vision?” Gali asked.
“Yeah. I saw a creature in the Region of Ice fighting off what looked kind of like Skull Spiders,” the Toa of Ice explained. “They had it trapped for a moment, but it controlled ice like I can and defeated them.”
“That must have been Melum, the Creature of Ice,” Ekimu said. “Your Creature.”
“Ooo let me try!” The Uniter of Jungle said, pressing his fingers to his temple again and closing his eyes. “Uh… hm… uh... I see… I see… a Creature. And it’s being followed.”
“By what?” Kopaka asked.
“These trap-like things.”
“That’s what was attacking Melum!”
“You have a long journey ahead of you,” the Mask Maker said, turning away towards his forge. “Go, I have Masks to make.”
Narmoto came up to him. “We’ve gotten rid of all the Skull Spiders and the Skull Warriors are leaving the city.”
“Good. Come with me. And bring the others,” Ekimu said, walking up the stairs. After a moment’s hesitation, the Protector of Fire gestured to his fellow Protectors to follow and the six departed up the stairs to the Forge of the Mask Makers.
The six Toa all looked at each other.
“I guess we should get going, then,” Gali reluctantly. “We’ll see each other again. After we’ve found our Creatures,” Onua reassured her.
“Right, let’s find these Creatures,” Tahu said.
The six then parted ways, each going to their Elemental Region. Above them, a small four-legged being watched them, it’s blue eye zooming in and out at them. Seconds later it turned away and disappeared into the shadows.
The Uniter of Fire walked across the scorched ground of the Region of Fire.
“If I were to hide a temple, where would I put it?” he pondered aloud.
Tahu came into a valley, where several ancient ruins were scattered around. These were some of the many ruins left over from the time before the Great Cataclysm several thousand years ago. What the ancient runes said had faded away with time, incomplete and lost to the ages.
He brushed over them with his hand before moving on. Now was not the time to reflect on the past, but to find his Elemental Creature so they could reclaim the Mask of Control before Makuta got his hands on it again.
“Now, if I were the Creature of Fire, where would I hide?” Tahu asked, adding onto his previous question.
He walked a little further, going under a broken archway. As he walked past, he noticed something odd on the surface. He went back and brushed off some dirt on a rune. Inspecting it closer, Tahu realized that it was a symbol, the symbol he had seen when he put on his armor.
The Toa of Fire looked down at his chest and saw the same symbol, just as he expected, the same symbol was there, outlined in blue and gold.
“What does this symbol mean?” Tahu asked himself. “Why did Ekimu put it on my armor?”
Had the Mask Maker also put symbols on the other Toa’s armor? Thinking back he hadn’t actually noticed them, but he still remembered seeing some sort of symbol on the Toa’s armor, and maybe even their Masks.
The Uniter of Fire felt his forehead and ran his fingers over a rune that felt exactly like the one on the arch.
“Interesting,” the Toa said.
Tahu walked away from the archway and continued on his journey. Eventually he came to a cliff looking over a lake of lava. The Toa put his hands on his hips and gazed out at the bubbling lava.
“This would be the kind of place I’d hide a temple.”
Suddenly he heard something move behind him and quickly turned and drew his swords, launching twin blasts of fire at a rock directly behind him. The fire cut clean through the rock. Although he couldn’t see what was behind it, he could hear it shaking.
“I know you’re out there,” Tahu pointed his sword in the direction of the rock.
Nothing.
Tahu smiled and turned towards the lake of lava. “You can try and follow me,” the Toa of Fire crouched down, like he was going to jump. “If you can.”
Suddenly the Uniter of Fire jumped off the cliff, and as soon as he disappeared from sight, a small, bear-trap-like being scurried out after the Toa and looked down to see him surfing across the lake one a rock. The creature screeched and crawled away, trying to get to the other side to continue to follow the Toa.
Gali, the Uniter of Water, had reached the swampy marshes of the Region of Water, trying to go towards the sea. She assumed that the temple, and her Creature, would be out there.
Because, if she was the Creature of Water, she would want to live out at sea.
On her journey she had already encountered a few Skull Spiders that lurked within the swamps, and even a Skull Warrior, but it merely wandered around, since it was no longer being controlled by Kulta.
Gali wondered if while they were gone if Ekimu was going to interrogate Skull Grinder again. Come to think of it, maybe that was why he called all the Protectors into the forge when the Toa left the City in search of the Elemental Creatures.
The Toa of Water walked over a small land bridge between two sides of a swampy river, looking down at the murky waters.
After a while she left the swamp and came into a canyon-like area. She looked up at the high cliffs and blocked her eyes from the blazing sun of Okoto.
“It must have been torture when Pohatu and Nilkuu had to cross the desert to get to the Golden Mask of Stone,” Gali said to herself.
She looked up over the top of a canyon and smiled. Crouching down, she suddenly sprung forward at a high speed, landing on one ridge and then jumping to the next before landing at her destination. She stumbled to a halt before looking around.
“That was fun. I should do that again sometime,” Gali smiled to herself.
She was about to walk on when something scurried past behind here. Acting purely on instinct, she grabbed her spear and whipped around, pointing it in the direction of the sound.
The Uniter of Water really wished she hadn’t turned around, because what was before her was a living nightmare.
“Hello, Toa Gali,” Kato, the former Protector of Water said.
“How are you here? I thought Kivoda banished you in that cavern…?”
“I cannot be cast out, Toa.”
“Wait… you’re not Kivoda’s father at all… you’re a puppet. You’re Makuta,” her eyes widened while her grip on her spear got tighter.
“Very astute, Toa. I bet you’re smarter than those other… people… you call teammates. Imagine if you were free of them… imagine you working for yourself… not bound by unity, duty or destiny...” the Mask Hoarder said.
“Unity makes us strong, duty gives us a purpose, and destiny is where we are going,” the Toa of Water retorted.
Makuta laughed. “Foolish Toa. Darkness is the only way-.”
Suddenly Gali launched a jet of Water at the ghostly figure. The water shot through his body and he dissolved into mist, falling into the ground.
“So unwise...” he whispered as he disappeared into the earth.
Gali stared as the ghostly dust vanished before turning around and walking away. She went to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea.
That was… Gali couldn’t finish her own thought.
She looked behind her and saw two small creatures scurrying towards her. They were like bear traps the Okotans had made, but they had legs and a single red eye.
Not bothering to fight them, she jumped into the water and disappeared below the surface. The two went to the edge and looked down after the Toa.
One of them pushed the other one and they fell down, hitting several rocks as it descended. It finally crashed into the water and disappeared.
He jumped from tree to tree, the wind rushing around him. It felt great to be back in the jungle again. Constantly fighting off Skull Creatures and being in the City of the Mask Makers had really made him lose touch with his Element.
Lewa grabbed onto a vine as he flew past, using it to change his direction.
“WOO-HOO!” he yelled as he soared above the treetops.
The Toa then fell back into the green trees and landed on a large branch. He looked around at his surrounding, seeing almost nothing but green.
“Isn’t that a beautiful sight?” he said happily.
He then jumped from the branch and down to the forest floor. As we walked he heard children laughing. The Toa of Jungle raised an eyebrow and continued in the direction of the noise. He eventually came to a wall of bushes, and the sound was strongest behind them.
Lewa used his power over plant life to pull back the brush to reveal a jungle tribe village with children running around and playing.
The Uniter of Jungle couldn’t help but smile broadly.
He walked forward past the brush and entered the village. As he walked through, several villagers saw the Toa and gasped at his arrival. Quickly they all ran over to greet the hero of the Region of Jungle.
“Toa Lewa! What brings you to our village?” a villager asked, presumably the Elder.
“Just passing through on my quest to find the Creature of Jungle.”
“You seek Uxar?” the Elder asked. “Does this mean that it is the Time of Unity?”
“The Time of Unity?” Lewa repeated.
“Yes, where the Toa shall find the Elemental Creatures and unite with them to find Makuta’s Mask of Control.”
“I guess that’s what I’m doing. How do you know?”
“It was foretold thousands of years ago in an ancient prophecy.”
“Another Prophecy?” the Uniter of Jungle scratched his head. “How many are there?”
“There are many legends and prophecies foretelling events on Okoto. Most of them are visions from the Vahi, the Mask of Time.”
“The Mask the Protectors used to summon the other Toa and I here to Okoto? It can make prophecies too?”
“No, it only shows glimpses of the future. The prophecy-making is up to up to the user of the Mask.”
Lewa looked around at the bright, awe-filled eyes of the villagers that surrounded him before sighing. “I’d best be off to find Uxar, the Creature of Jungle,” he said, an undertone of sadness in his voice.
“You will visit again, won’t you, Toa Lewa?” a child asked.
The Uniter of Jungle chuckled. “Of course I will, little one.”
As the Toa left the village, he could not help shake the feeling that he wasn’t going to see these people again.
Why did they have to keep journeying across Okoto for these things?
This was his third journey across the Region of Stone since his arrival on the mythical island. The first had been to find his Golden Mask of Stone with Nilkuu. His second had been back across the region to the ancient City of the Mask Makers where he then encountered his fellow Toa.
Now, he was journeying across the desert for to find the Creature of Stone and yet another Golden Mask, the Golden Unity Mask of Stone.
Pohatu, the Uniter of Stone jumped over a large chasm in the desert floor that fell down into darkness. As he landed he caused a stream of sand to fall into crack and away from sight.
Better it than me. He thought to himself.
After he got up he continued to his journey. He shaded his eyes from the intense blazing heat of the sun. This was all familiar to him when he and the Protector of Stone had traveled across the Region, yet different now that he could fully control his element and that he had new, stronger armor.
And the fact that Skull Spiders weren’t trying to stop him at every turn, now that the Lord of Skull Spiders was dead and Skull Grinder captured.
His path led to an island of stone. He arrived at it’s face and looked up. Although he could just go around it, it was getting darker and the top of it would make for a good camp and vantage point.
This should be fun.
The Toa of Stone then began to climb, using his power over the rock to create hand-holds for himself. As he climbed, a strong wind pushed through the desert, nearly knocking him off the rock. He had to create deep pockets in the stone to keep himself from being blown away.
Lewa would find this amusing. Pohatu thought to himself.
After the gust had passed, he continued his climb. After a while, he eventually came to the top and looked around. Just as he had predicted, it was a good place for a camp, as there were a few high rocks that would make a good shelter and he had a clear, three-hundred-and-sixty degree view of the surrounding desert.
The sun was beginning to set in the west, casting everything in an orange glow. The Toa of Stone had to block his eyes again from the bright, blinding light of the star.
Having had enough of the view, Pohatu began to walk across the hill to the rocks when suddenly the ground gave way beneath him and before he could react he was plummeting into darkness.
He hit the ground hard and was having trouble keeping consciousness, his vision blurring in and out of focus.
After the Toa of Stone had recovered from the fall, he slowly got up, his body aching and looked around. He had fallen at least thirty feet and it seemed that the part that had given way had been the only weak part of the island, which was a relief.
At least I know I won’t be falling in my sleep. Pohatu thought to himself.
He was about to just launch himself using stone to the search when something in the cavern caught his eye. The Toa left his crouching position before walking over to one of the walls of the cave. On it was several carvings, a lot of them familiar to the Toa of Stone…
Of course. He had seen carvings similar to this when he had traveled across the desert with Nilkuu, the Protector of Stone.
One of the carvings caught his interest in particular: it was a carving of six beings, which kind of looked like… Toa. Strangely, they looked a lot like him and the other Toa when they first arrived, but also completely different.
One held a flame sword and wore a Mask similar to Tahu’s, one held twin hooks and wore a Mask like Gali’s, one had a large ax and his face was like Lewa’s, one didn’t carry any weapons, but had strange additions to his feet and his Mask like his own; one wore a Mask like Onua’s and carried twin claws, and one had a telescopic lens like Kopaka and carried a shield and a sword.
“Who are these beings?” Pohatu asked himself, brushing over the carvings with his hand.
He looked around at the carvings a little more and they were all very strange, Masks that he had never seen, beings dark and menacing.
After a while he had enough of them and went back to directly beneath the hole. Using his power over Stone, he launched himself into the air and through the hole. He landed and rolled to a stop. He got up and looked around. It was now night, the only light coming from the twin moons.
The Toa of Stone looked up at the sky and saw the many thousands of stars the night sky, a brilliant sight. He could see the galaxy glowing brightly in the heavens.
“Best get some sleep,” he said to himself.
He went and laid down by the rocks and slowly fell asleep. His dreams were filled with the images of all he had seen, and a brewing darkness ahead of him.
Onua, Uniter of Earth, entered the large cavern and looked towards the ceiling. There was a large hole in it that revealed the starry sky above.
The Toa chuckled to himself. “I guess time flies when you’re underground.”
He walked to the center of the cavern and set down his hammer and took a seat on the ground. He folded his legs and closed his eyes and began to meditate.
The Universe seemed to pour in through the opening and onto the Toa of Earth and he dove deep into the energy that surrounded him. While they had been traveling across the Region of Earth together, Korgot had taught Onua how to feel the energy of the Universe, and the Toa had caught on quickly.
Now every night he could, the Uniter of Earth just sat under the open sky and felt the energy of Okoto flow through him.
He felt as though the Toa were meant to do this, connect with the energy, like the island needed them to do it.
Suddenly he heard something scurry through the dark and instinctively grabbed his hammer and stood up ready for combat.
His eyes darted around for his enemy yet he did not see it.
“Where are you?” the Toa called out into the dark.
No response.
“Who’s there?” he called again.
Still no answer.
Shrugging, the Toa moved to set down when suddenly a large rock hit him. The Uniter fell backwards and rolled across the floor.
The Toa slowly got up and saw at the entrance to the cavern stood two Skull Scorpios, both with Skull Spiders on their faces.
Onua sighed. “Here we go again,” he readied his Crystal Hammer.
One of the Scorpios shot its tail at the Toa, and he moved out of the way to dodge it. The other was ready for this move and snapped its own tail at the Uniter, grabbing onto his hammer and swinging him around, throwing him into a wall.
“I’m getting some kind of deja vu,” Onua said as he rubbed his head.
The two snarled at him before advancing again. Onua pointed his hammer at them and suddenly purple energy swirled within, like one of the Protector’s weapons. Suddenly energy blasted outward in the form of several little projectiles, hitting the Scorpios and knocking them backwards.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Onua jumped forward and swung his hammer at the Skull Spider on one of their faces, detaching it with ease and launching it across the cavern, where it lay still. He then turned around and grabbed hold of the other and ripped it off with his brute strength, killing the spider.
Instantly, the two were released from Makuta’s control and began to walk around aimlessly. Deciding it was best to get out of there, the Uniter of Earth walked out of the cavern and through the tunnels.
“Even underground Makuta’s evil still lingers...” Onua said as he walked through the dark.
The Uniter of Ice made his way across the frozen tundra as the morning sun arose on the horizon. He had arisen with the first break of light and now was continuing his journey to find Melum, the Creature of Ice. All the while he kept his guard up for those strange creatures he had seen in his vision.
What were they, anyway? They were reminded him vaguely of the Skull Spiders, only because they scurried across the ground. Other than that, they were completely different, and didn’t seem like they would possess you if they clamped onto your face. Instead, it looked like they would tear it off.
Kopaka looked at the tundra around him, using his new telescopic lens to look over the various ridges and ice arches that littered the Region. Of course he had seen all of this before when he and Izotor had journeyed to find the Golden Mask of Ice just mere weeks ago, but Kopaka still marveled at these natural wonders.
The Toa came to a lake that was frozen over and covered his face as the light from the rising sun reflected off it’s glassy surface and blinded him. After getting used to the glaring light, the Uniter of Ice walked across the slick surface, making sure not to slip.
Kopaka had only slipped once in his life, and he intended never to do it again.
Ever.
As he walked, he heard something crack behind him. He moved so quickly he did actually slip just an inch or two, but he didn’t worry about that. Instead he drew both his sword and blaster and aimed it in the direction exactly opposite of where he had been going.
Directly ahead of him was a Skull Warrior, holding its Freeze Bow high and aimed at the Toa, a dark blue Skull Spider on it’s skeletal face.
“Possessing them even out here in the wastelands, Makuta? You must be getting desperate,” Kopaka said aloud.
The thing that happened next took the Uniter of Ice completely by surprise: “I’m not desperate, Toa of Slush,” the Skull Warrior said in a deep, dark voice.
Kopaka gasped. He had never heard a Skull Warrior or Spider speak before. “I see you are shocked, Toa, at a Skull Warrior talking. Fear not, for it is not the warrior.”
He understood instantly: “Makuta,” he said.
“Good. You’re not as ignorant as I originally thought.”
“What do you want, Mask Hoarder?”
“Mask Hoarder? Is that what they call me now?” the Master of Shadows said.
“It’s true, isn’t it, though?”
“I never hoarded Masks. I wanted to share my creations with all of Okoto. If anyone hoarded Masks it was Ekimu.”
“How did Ekimu hoard Masks?” the Toa of Ice inquired.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Makuta chuckled. “He hid some of the most powerful Masks on Okoto away.”
“Those Masks were for us and he hid them to keep you and your minions away from them.”
“Is that what he told you?” the Mask Hoarder said through the skeletal warrior. “You are gravely mistaken.”
Having had enough with this, Kopaka pulled the trigger on his Elemental Ice Blaster and shot a projectile so fast that Makuta had no time to react and it collided with the blue Skull Spider and detached it, ice surrounding it as it fell. It hit the ice and several cracks appeared around it.
As the Skull Warrior fell lifelessly to the ice, Kopaka thought he heard a whisper say “How foolish indeed...”
Seven figures descended the stairs again. Only this time, six of them were not the Toa, but the Protectors, led by Ekimu into the dungeons. While they didn’t point their weapons at the two skeletal figures behind the bars, their fists were tightly clenched around their tools.
Kulta looked up at there arrival. “I see the Toa have shrunken,” he chuckled.
“No, they’re just off cleaning up Makuta’s mess,” Ekimu retorted.
“What do you want now, Mask Maker?”
“You told me Makuta has sent someone searching for his Mask of Control,” the Mask Maker put his arms behind his back. “Who is it?”
“Why would I know? I’ve been stuck in here for… how long has it been now?” the skeletal figure sneered.
“So what?” Ekimu raised an eyebrow. “You two get captured, your forces defeated, and Makuta instantly gets a new henchmen?”
“Yes.”
“I find that unlikely, even for my brother,” Ekimu said. “He likes to plan things ahead. Even when he was just experimenting with combining powers… I believe he was planning the Forbidden Mask...”
“It’s been thousands of years since you last spoke to Makuta,” Kulta said. “I highly doubt you remember him well.”
“The thing about being in an eternal sleep, you dream a lot, and a lot of the dreams I had were of the cataclysm, over and over again,” the Protectors all exchanged uneasy glances. “So I sure as Karzahni know my brother.”
Ekimu walked over to the bars and stared directly into Skull Grinder’s blazing red eyes, who met the Mask Maker’s sharp green. “Now, who has Makuta sent after the Mask?”
After several moments of glaring and silence, the only noise being the crackling flames, Kulta spoke. “I’ve only heard rumors, but I think that if we failed in getting the Mask of Creation and destroying, that he would send an ancient warrior of Okoto after his Mask of Control.”
“What ancient warrior?” the Mask Maker’s eyes widened slightly.
“One as old as Okoto itself, one whom the shadows obey.”
After another few moments of staring, Ekimu smiled and stood up. “Thank you, Kulta. That will be all.”
The Mask Maker then walked past the Protectors and was about to go up the stairs when Skull Grinder called after him.
“You must beware him, for they call him ‘the Hunter’, and that he will not stop his quest until it’s complete, and he will not show mercy to those who oppose him.”
“Thank you, Kulta,” Ekimu said again before ascending the stairs, the Protectors following him.
One whom the very shadows obeyed…
Chapter 3: The Elemental Creatures[]
The lone Skull Spider scurried across the forest floor. Although both the Lord of Skull Spiders and Skull Grinder had fallen, it still remained loyal to Makuta. Its self-given mission was to find out where the Toa were heading and why they were going that way.
Suddenly something moved beside it and the Spider turned to see what it was. In front of it was a small trap-like creature with a red eye and vine-like legs. The Skull Spider snarled, snapping it’s pinchers, but trap snapped its jaws and launched itself at the Spider, capturing it within its claws.
The Skull Spider struggled to free itself, but that only caused the creature’s grip to get tighter. The creature then screeched to an unseen being, and waited where it stood for several moments.
Suddenly the shadow of a tree grew darker and then a tall figure appeared, the sun caught his ancient armor, but seemed to be absorbed by it. His form was extended by the boney antlers jutting from his head. The trap-like creature screeched at its master’s arrival and held up the Skull Spider proudly.
Umarak the Hunter sighed before angrily grabbing the trap and holding it up. He placed his hand on the Skull Spider and pried it from the claws of his minion and tossed it aside to the forest floor, it unmoving.
“You waste your time with Skull Spiders?!” he yelled at the Shadow Trap. “You must find the Creatures!”
This last sentence echoed through the minds of the several Shadow Traps across the island of Okoto. After he was done speaking, he dropped the Shadow Trap and told it as he disappeared into the shadows.
“Do not fail me again.”
Tahu, the Toa of Fire, came to the edge and looked out over the bubbling lake of lava. It was inside a giant volcano, one of the three main of the Region of Fire. Previously the Toa’s Golden Mask of Fire had been inside another of the three.
In the middle of this volcano was a large island, raised above the lava’s surface by a pillar of rock. On top of it was a large structure: the ancient Fire Temple of Unity.
“This is the place,” Tahu said to himself.
Calling on his power over lava, the Toa of Fire brought up a wave which carried a surfboard-like rock with it. Letting go of the lava, Tahu quickly jumped onto the rock and rode it down when it hit the lava. The molten rock splashed as he made impact, and again using his power he created a wave of lava and rode it across the span.
“Yeah!” he yelled as he sped across the molten floor.
As he approached the island, he caused the wave to go higher and higher before he jumped off and landed on the platform and rolled across the rock floor. He got up and admired the ancient temple in front of him.
“Incredible.”
Suddenly something that sounded like a bird screeched and before he could draw his weapons, a red and gold-clad phoenix came out of nowhere and knocked the Toa across the platform.
He recovered himself and looked at his opponent. “Ekimu said nothing about them being hostile,” Tahu said, drawing his weapons. “Assuming this is the Creature, of course.”
That was all he could say before Ikir, the Creature of Fire dove at him again.
This is great! The Toa of Ice thought to himself.
Kopaka was skating across an ice bridge of his own making. The path curved and twisted as it appeared in mid-air. At one point the Toa twisted upside down and though he might fall, but didn’t. It was like his feet were stuck to the ice, but yet he still moved gracefully on it.
In the distance he saw a large hill surrounded by ancient ruins. As he got closer, he realized that it wasn’t a hill, but a large block of ice. Inside was an ancient building, as old as Okoto itself.
The temple, Kopaka realized.
Causing the path to descend, the Toa ceased his elemental powers and came to a skidding halt on the snowy ground. He got up and looked at the frozen temple. It was a large building adored with the same runes that were engraved on the ancient ruins scattered across the island.
“In the name of all the Elements,” Kopaka marveled at the spectacular temple.
Suddenly he heard something roar before a small, white, blue and gold ape-like being jumped down from the top of the ice and landed, hitting the ground and then it’s fists together.
Kopaka automatically grabbed the hilt of his blade as the Creature’s paws began to glow with Elemental energy. Suddenly it launched several blasts of ice at him, knocking him back.
“Okay so this isn’t going to be easy,” the Toa said to himself.
He had come up from the underground and was now walking across the surface of the Region of Earth. It wasn’t often that he traveled above ground, but sometimes it was easier to go out on the surface than dig a whole new tunnel.
Onua shielded his eyes from the sun as he walked across the rocky ground. He could feel he was getting closer to the Creature now. His Mask was guiding him in this journey, and he was amazed by it. He hadn’t ever met the Creature of Earth, yet he felt that he knew him well.
The Toa of Earth came to a mountain-side and found a cave entrance. Although foreboding, he felt drawn to it, his Mask pulling him there.
The massive Toa stepped into the cave and walked around. Light poured in from the outside, illuminating the rough walls. Going further into the tunnel, he came to a drop-off that lead down into a cavern illuminated by purple crystals. Taking a deep breath, he readied his hammer and jumped down. As he hit the ground, he ran the drill-end of his weapon into the ground to channel the force of the impact.
He got up and looked around and saw that there were two door ways in the rock wall that lead to more walls and openings.
“A maze,” he muttered to himself. “I hate mazes.”
Taking another deep breath, he readied his hammer once more and ran forward, striking the wall and creating a huge hole for him to go through and ran on, striking the next wall, and the next, and the next…
Eventually he came out into a bigger room, what he assumed to be the center of the maze. Directly in front of him was a small little being with giant paws and black, purple and gold armor. He stood staring at the Toa, and then looked behind him to where he had come, seeing the several holes in the wall.
Onua chuckled. “So you’re in here too,” he looked back where the Creature was gazing. “I suppose you know an easier way through?”
Terak, the Creature of Earth, gave what appeared to be a little sigh and then motioned for the Toa to follow him before turning and heading through one of the doors in the maze. Onua shrugged and then followed the Creature.
“Where are you?” she called out through the water.
No response.
That was what she expected, though. This quest was as frustrating as the one to find the Golden Mask of Water. Although this time she didn’t have Kivoda for company.
She swam through a large reef, several fish fleeing from her arrival. The Toa of Water smiled weakly. It was natural for smaller creatures to fear bigger creatures, as it was the order of things.
Gali exited the reef and saw directly ahead of her was the largest whirlpool on Okoto, known to the Okotans as Death’s Spiral. She didn’t know why she was here, but her Mask seemed to know. She had been drawn here for a purpose. What that purpose was she did not know, but that did not stop her.
She came as close to the whirlpool as she could without being sucked in. Suddenly she heard something like a dolphin next to her and turned to see and silver and blue clad shark-like creature beside her, armed with twin rotating blasters.
“It’s you!” Gali exclaimed.
The Creature circled the Toa in delight and Gali followed. “So, will you take me to the temple?”
As if in response, Akida put her fin under the Toa’s hand and she gripped it before the Creature of Water sped forward into the whirlpool. It was too fast for Gali to fully react and all she could do was yell her protests.
“No! Not that way!”
Almost there.
Almost there.
Pohatu kept telling himself this as he scaled the giant ruin. Every now and again he would place his hand on a rune and it would crumble under his weight, trying to drop him to the desert floor below. Each time he grumbled to himself before continuing upwards.
Finally he reached the top and gazed out over the desert. He shielded his eyes from the treacherous sun as he saw something peculiar in the distance. It was a large structure, like a peak in the desert, only this was surrounded by ancient ruins.
Although to the normal villager it might just seem like another site, but his Mask drew him to that point, like it knew that was exactly where he needed to go.
Jumping down from the ruin he created a cyclone of sand from the desert floor to meet him in mid-air. Using his power to push it forward he glided across the desert towards the temple.
He reached the wall that led up to the temple and dismissed the sands that surrounded him. Leaping from the falling cyclone, he grabbed hold of the rock wall and began to climb again.
Is this entire journey going to be climbing? Pohatu thought to himself.
His hand eventually reached the top and he pulled himself up, looking around. “Here’s the temple, but where is that Creature thing?”
Suddenly something from his worst nightmares came out of nowhere and landed in front of him. A scorpion. It had four legs, was brown, had a tail and two swords. It hissed at him, causing the Toa to lose his grip.
The Toa of Stone fell and hit the desert floor hard. He looked to the top and saw that the Creature of Stone was now coming down over the side towards him.
“I. Hate. Scorpions,” he said aloud.
The Uniter of Stone got up and readied his Crystal Staff as the scorpion approached.
The Toa of Jungle knew he was being followed. It hadn’t been the first time. It had happened when he was searching for the Golden Mask of Jungle, where Skull Spiders had followed him and Vizuna, and again when Skull Slicer followed him through the ancient city.
Now he didn’t know what was following him, but he didn’t like it… at all.
“Here I am! ‘Tis I, Lewa, Toa of the Jungle! Here am I looking for the Jungle Creature!” he said out loud, trying to get the attention of the small creature that stalked him.
Behind him in the brush, a small trap-like creature peered out, its red eye shining. Lewa caught it out of the corner of his eye and smiled.
“Yes, here I am, all alone by myself!” he said, before disappearing through some tall bushes. Once he had passed through, he bolted forward, skipping feet a time. He bounded through the jungle faster than any creature could, eventually landing on a giant root.
The creature that had been stalking him had been left far behind, but another was watching him from the treetops above. It moved to get a closer look but fell from the tree and landed feet behind the Toa of Jungle. In an act of panic, it hid directly under the Toa.
Lewa looked around, having heard the creature but not knowing where it was. He was about to investigate further when he heard something else, some kind of buzzing. Looking up, he saw it: Uxar, the Creature of Jungle. The green and silver-clad Creature resembled a dragonfly and had large beating green wings.
It looked at the Toa before giving a playful buzz and sped off.
“Wait!” Lewa yelled, jumping down to the forest floor and running after the flying Creature. The Toa had to duck under long hanging branches and swampy patches.
He had to stop when he came to a cliff edge and looked out over the jungle to see Uxar hovering feet from the edge.
Lewa gave a chuckle. “So you’re the Jungle Creature? I was wondering when I’d find you.”
Suddenly the Creature shot forward and struck Lewa in the chest with his head, launching the Toa backwards. He flew through two trees before being stopped by a third, splintered wood going everywhere.
The Uniter of Jungle slowly got up groaning. “So this is how it’s going to be,” he muttered as he looked up to see the Creature speeding towards him again.
He readied for impact but it never came, as Uxar came to a stop feet from him, buzzing happily. “So, you’re plenty strong,” Lewa stood up. “But so am I.”
Lewa looked around before noticing a giant tree in the distance atop an island of stone. He then realized what it was.
“That’s the temple, isn’t it? The temple’s in the tree?” Lewa pointed towards the island, and the Creature of Jungle buzzed happily again.
“How about you and I race for it?” the Toa of Jungle smiled before Uxar buzzed once more and flipped around to face the tree, landing in a read-to-race position. Lewa did the same, getting ready.
“Alright, on the count of three… one… two...” suddenly Lewa shot forward, laughing all the way. Uxar buzzed slightly angrily, but also in delight as he sped after the Toa of Jungle.
The Toa flew over the cliff and landed down in the forest below. Uxar caught up with Lewa in a matter of moments, coming beside him. Lewa laughed at his arrival and continued sprinting forward. Then the Creature of Jungle managed to fly ahead of the Toa and went through some brush, leaving the Toa out of his sight.
Suddenly, a creature jumped from the treetops and landed on the Creature of Jungle. Uxar tried to knock it off but it’s trap-like claws clamped around one of the Creature’s wings and caused him to fall to the forest floor. He tried to struggle against it but it was no use.
Lewa burst through the brush and as he ran looked for the Creature. Suddenly he heard something calling out for help.
Uxar.
“Oh no,” Lewa said. He darted forward again, tapping into his Mask to find the Creature. He didn’t know what had happened, but it wasn’t good.
He just hoped he wasn’t too late…
They had done it. They had actually done it.
After all those false summonings and all the Shadow Traps he had had to destroy for their stupidity and wasting his time, they had actually caught a Creature.
Calling upon the power of the Mask of Shadows, Umarak the Hunter disappeared into the darkness of the cave and in a moment reappeared in a small clearing in the jungles of Okoto. In the middle of the clearing was a small green and silver being whose wings flapped in vain in the grip of a Shadow Trap.
The Hunter’s grin broadened even further as the Creature of Jungle looked up in horror to see him. Umarak had been pursuing the Elemental Creatures of Okoto since the dawn of time, having been brought into existence with them. It had been thousands of years, and occasionally he would be close to capturing one and stealing its Elemental powers, but they would always slip away. One time even a Protector of Stone had defended Ketar from him.
Now he had one in his grasp, it was so close now. No one would stop him, no one.
Calling upon his power over Shadow, Umarak reached out with his hand and suddenly the shadows that outlined the clearing began to move, closing in on the trapped Creature. The darkness reached it and shadowy tentacles appeared and enveloped Uxar, the Shadow Trap on his wing melting into the dark.
The tentacles picked up the Creature and dragged him towards the Hunter at his command. As Uxar came towards him, he turned around and grabbed the bow have his back to reveal a glowing piece of armor.
A moment later the Creature made contact with it, and suddenly they were both covered in red energy, causing Uxar to scream.
After the light disappeared, the shadows receded and revealed that the two were now joined, the Creature fused to his back via the strange armor piece that they both possessed.
Suddenly an image flooded Umarak’s mind, a strange chamber in an ominous green glow, in the center encased in crystal was the prize he sought: Makuta’s Mask of Control.
The vision then began to go backwards, revealing now a large chamber with six symbols on the floor, then a maze of moving blocks and walls…
In a flash of white light the vision vanished and Umarak was back in the forest stumbling forward, a massive feeling of withdrawal coursing through his body. The Hunter turned around to see what had happened and saw the weak Uxar laying on the ground beside a tall green and silver clad figure wielding two blades and bearing a great Mask of Power.
A Toa.
“You fool! You severed the connection before I could see where it was!” Umarak readied his bow.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you do whatever you want with my Elemental Creature.”
“What makes you think he belongs to you?” spat the Hunter. “He and I have existed lifetimes longer than you.”
“I don’t care how old of a geezer you are,” Lewa twirled his Crystal Blades, both glowing with Elemental Energy. “But I’m not letting you harm him.”
“Who said anything about harm?”
“I mean, he did scream when you two joined. So yeah I’m going to call it harm.”
“You Toa must think that you’re the most righteous beings on Okoto, don’t you?” Umarak sneered.
“I don’t know. I guess? We don’t think about it very much,” Lewa shrugged.
“Well you’re dead wrong, Toa,” the Hunter stepped forth. “And I will have that Creature!” In the blink of an eye Umarak raised his bow and fired three blasts of fiery energy. Lewa struck the first with one of his Crystal Blades, the resulting explosion knocking him back. He had to lay flat against the ground to avoid getting struck by the others.
Calling upon the power of Jungle, the Uniter of Jungle caused a nearby large vine and made it eject all its thorns from itself, shooting them into the air. Lewa grabbed hold of all of them and directed them at Umarak. A second before they made impact the Hunter suddenly disappeared into the ground, like he had melted into the shadows themselves.
Suddenly blasts of energy rained down upon him, green, red, blue, brown, black and white exploded all around him. He jumped out of the fray and rolling across the jungle floor as a blast of fire exploded next to him.
Lewa looked up and saw Umarak atop a branch above him, bow glowing with energy. Calling upon his power again, the Toa of Jungle caused the branch the Hunter stood on to shake violently, throwing him off.
The Hunter hit the ground and rolled across the jungle floor before getting up to fire more blasts when he saw that Lewa was no longer there.
“Where did you go, little Toa?” Umarak said, stalking around the outskirts of the clearing, the injured Uxar watching him as he went.
Suddenly Lewa appeared out of nowhere and kicked the Hunter in the back, launching him forward. Umarak recovered and turned to retaliate, but was stopped by a whirling wind that surrounded him. Directly ahead of the Hunter was Lewa, who had begun spinning in mid-air, upheld by a spout of air. He was creating a cyclone in the middle of the clearing and only Uxar could stand against it.
The tornado picked up Umarak and spun him around again and again and again before throwing the Hunter into the dirt, his bow and sword falling away from him.
Wounded, Umarak tried to reach out to the shadows to attack Lewa, but the Toa of Jungle put a stop to this quickly, using his Elemental Power to spread the canopy of trees apart, sunlight flooding in and drowning out the shadows. Umarak quivered in the sunlight, blocking his face with his hand.
“You’re all out of shadows, shadow-man,” Lewa taunted.
“Darkness is rising, Toa, and you and your band of so-called ‘heroes’ won’t be able to stop it,” Umarak said. He stood up and held out his hands, both his bow and sword flying into them. He stepped back and suddenly shadows flooded into the clearing and surrounded Lewa and Uxar before the Hunter then melted away, gone into the dark.
After he vanished, Lewa let out a loud laugh. “He didn’t stand a chance against us! I guess we make a pretty good team.”
Uxar buzzed happily.
“Now. I think we have a temple to visit...”
“Unity is not the triumph of one over another, but setting aside of our differences and working for the greater good,” Gali said, bowing before Akida, the Creature of Water.
The Creature bowed in return. They were now outside the temple, a small structure situated under Death’s Spiral. A glow came from the center of it, shining light into the dark of the depths of the sea.
Akida turned and led Gali into the temple, where in the middle laid a shrine, above it floated a golden and blue Mask exactly in the same shape as her current Mask. She swam towards it, Akida going behind the Shrine.
Gali reached out towards the Mask and slipped her fingers around it. She pulled it towards herself and looked at it.
“Unity,” the Toa of Water muttered before placing her hand on her own Mask.
In the six Temples of the Elemental Creatures, the six Toa heroes had realized that they need not fight the Creatures, but surrender to them. Being led into the temples, they removed their Masks of Power and replaced them with the Golden Masks of Unity. Power surged through them, seemingly from the island itself.
They turned towards their Elemental Creatures who looked on and walked to them.
“I am ready,” each of them said.
Turning around, the Toa readied themselves. The Creatures jumped onto their backs and upon connection, they exploded with Elemental energy. They all glowed with raw power and were lifted into the air, light shining outwards across Okoto, nearly as bright as the sun.
The energy receded and the Toa landed, ready for battle.
The Time of Unity had come.
The villagers awed at them as they passed, admiring their united forms. Hushed whispers and wide eyes surrounded them as they walked towards the Forge of the Mask Makers.
Tahu, Gali, Onua and Kopaka entered a small courtyard that was situated below the Forge where Ekimu and the Protectors were sitting with several villagers. They all got up at their arrival and ran towards them, marveling at their united forms.
“I see that you have made peace with your Elemental Creatures. Well done, Toa. You may disengage.” Ekimu nodded his head.
The Toa returned the nod and in flash of light they disconnected from their Creatures and were no longer united.
“How did your journey to find the Creatures go?” Ekimu asked.
“It was easy,” Kopaka shrugged.
The Mask Maker’s eyes narrowed. “It wasn’t. And you know it.”
Kopaka slumped, defeated. Tahu laughed and knocked the Uniter of Ice on the shoulder, causing him to lose his balance.
“Where are the other Toa?” Gali asked.
“Above!” came a familiar voice.
They all looked up to see Lewa flying in the air, a large winged creature on his back, the Creature of Jungle. The Toa of Jungle did several flips in the air before landing on the ground. Uxar disconnected from the Uniter and Lewa stored his weapons where the Creature had been.
“Great. You can fly again,” Kopaka said.
“Yeah, I was starting to miss it,” Lewa smiled.
“So now we’re only missing Pohatu,” Onua said, looking around.
“No you’re not.”
They turned to see the tan and brown Toa of Stone walking towards them. But something was off.
“Where’s your Creature? Didn’t you find him?” Onua asked.
“Oh I found it, it’s just back there somewhere,” he pointed with his thumb behind him, to where a scorpion-like creature was walking towards the group, a trail of villagers in its wake.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Gali waved her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“I. Hate-,” Pohatu began.
“Scorpions,” the rest finished. “Yeah, we forgot about that.”
“So, did you have the vision?” Lewa asked the group.
“Of the labyrinth? Yeah,” Kopaka answered.
“You guys had it too?” Tahu asked.
They all nodded.
“Of course!” the Mask Maker said. “The Creatures were the ones who hid the Mask of Control! Although, I don’t know of any labyrinth on Okoto.”
“The Creatures would know where the Labyrinth is,” Gali spoke up.
“Yes, they would,” Ekimu smiled.
“We can plan tomorrow, I think we should rest,” Onua said.
“We have to find Makuta’s Mask and you want to nap?” Pohatu rolled his eyes.
“Onua’s right. We’ll need our strength, because we’re not the only ones hunting for the Mask,” Lewa stepped forward.
“Who else is hunting for it, Lewa?” Tahu questioned.
“A dark figure, a fierce warrior,” Lewa said.
Ekimu’s eyes widened. “That is Umarak, the Hunter. He is an old evil on Okoto, having come into being along with it and the Elemental Creatures.”
“He came into being along with the Creatures? Why?” Gali stepped towards the Mask Maker.
“His sole purpose is to hunt down the Elemental Creatures and drain them of their powers. He is of the darkness itself.”
“And we’ll need our rest because he’s a tough one to beat,” Lewa said. “Took me a while to defeat him and even then he fled.”
“Then six of us would obliterate him,” Tahu smiled.
“Don’t underestimate him, Toa of Fire,” Ekimu said. “He may have just been playing Lewa.”
Tahu laughed but then silenced himself at the Mask Maker’s stern look.
“Alright, you should get your rest,” Ekimu dismissed them. “The Protectors will stand guard.”
“Okay, goodnight, everyone,” Gali said before departing for her quarters, and the rest of the Toa and their Creatures soon following her.
High above them, a dark figure looked down to them, his red eyes blazing.
“You will need your rest, Toa, because this is only the beginning,” Umarak said before stepping away and disappearing into the long shadows of the evening, gone in the wind.
Chapter 4: The Labyrinth[]
It was a new day on Okoto. The sun shined bright in the early sky. The Islanders had set to work again restoring their once glorious city to it’s proper state.
The Toa and their Creatures had emerged early in the morning to discuss with Ekimu how best to retrieve the Mask of Control and defeat Umarak.
“Tell me where the Labyrinth is,” Kopaka told Melum, but the Creature shook his head.
“Why won’t he tell me?”
“They will in due time. Now, I will be right back,” Ekimu said, turning back into the Forge.
“So we take the time to rest and now we’re going to take to hang around here?” Pohatu asked. “That means Umarak is going to get to the Mask before us!”
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t know where the Mask is, I think he only got a glimpse of the Labyrinth,” Lewa said.
“That doesn’t mean he’s not figuring out where it is,” Pohatu crossed his arms.
“While you guys are arguing about this, Ikir and I are going to take a fly-around of the city,” and without waiting for an answer, he nodded to Ikir and the Creature of Fire connected to his back and a blast of fire shot out before Tahu and Ikir were united and flying towards the sky.
“He can’t be serious?” Pohatu said, turning towards the others.
“It’s Tahu,” Gali sighed. “Of course he’s serious.”
Tahu and Ikir flew around the City of the Mask Makers, the villagers below looking up to see them and pointing in awe. They flew over an Islander of Earth who was working on top of a structure and the breeze caused by their flight over knocked the Okotan’s toolbox off the structure and it hit the floor, the tools spilling out all over the ground.
“Hey!” the Okotan shouted after the Toa and Creature of Fire.
Ekimu watched the Toa soar as he returned from the Forge before turning to the others. “Now that you have made peace with your Elemental Creatures, you will be in awe of the power you will command when you have United.”
“Tahu’s certainly enjoying it,” Gali smiled.
“He’s have a little too much fun, isn’t he?” Ekimu said, returning the smile.
“Shall I?” Onua asked.
“Please,” Ekimu responded.
The Uniter of Earth nodded and then turned around for Terak. The Creature of Earth ran forward and jumped onto Onua’s back. There was a burst of purple energy as they united before the glow vanished and they turned towards Tahu.
Onua put one hand forward and moved it like he was raising a heavy object. Suddenly the city quaked as a massive pillar of Earth shot out of the ground. Tahu was going too fast to react in time and flew right into the rock, collapsing it. The Toa and the Mask Maker looked over the rubble and then saw the two gold and red beings rise out of the rock.
“Okay, I get it!” Tahu shouted, dusting himself off. “Time to stop fooling around!”
The thirteen walked through the City of the Mask Makers towards the newly-reconstructed city bridge that had been made after Onua accidentally destroyed the old one while they were fighting off the Skull Warriors before they had awoken Ekimu and brought balance back to the island.
“Once you find the Mask you have to bring it to me, so we can destroy it,” Ekimu said as they approached the bridge.
“Why can’t we just keep the Mask hidden in the Labyrinth?” Kopaka asked.
“Because Makuta has set his sights on the Mask, and he will not stop until he gets it again,” Ekimu replied. “That is why he has set Umarak on it.”
“So we must stop him,” Tahu slammed his hands together.
“Good thinking, Tahu,” Kopaka said sarcastically.
“It is critical that you get that Mask before Makuta does, otherwise the island will be thrown out of balance once more,” Ekimu said, his tone grave.
“Don’t worry, Ekimu,” Lewa replied. “The Creatures will lead us to the Labyrinth long before Umarak gets to it.”
“I admire your confidence, Toa of Jungle,” Ekimu looked at him. “But you must be ready for anything. Umarak is not like the Skull Creatures you faced and defeated before. He is of the shadows, and he will use you against yourselves.”
Sobered by these words, the Toa walked from the city and onto the bridge, walking towards the rocky plain outside the chasm and to the jungle abyss beyond.
He watched as they entered the Region of Jungle beyond the city bridge. This is where the Toa had first met each other after arriving on the island and retrieving their Golden Masks of Power.
Now they left the city on another quest: recover Makuta’s Mask of Control.
The dark figure turned away from them to a large fire that burned against the cliff-face. The Hunter waved his hand across the surface of the fire. As his hand passed over the flames turned black and dark red, growing larger than it was before. A pair of red eyes appeared from the surface of the fire. He knelt down in front of it, somewhat reluctantly.
“Master, they leave for the Labyrinth,” Umarak said.
“Then you must follow them, for you did not capture a Creature,” the spirit of Makuta, Master of Shadows boomed.
“Then I will follow them!”
“For my Mask to be yours, you must have control of a Creature of the Elements,” the shadow flame’s eyes narrowed.
“Then I will take one from them!” the Hunter punched the ground.
“Do not underestimate them, Umarak,” Makuta said. “You are cunning, but they are strong.”
“I know of their strength. What do you want me to do?” Umarak asked, growing impatient.
“Follow them, discover the weakest link, and then attack when you see fit,” the fire’s eyes glowed bright red.
“Yes, my master,” Umarak said, a smile creeping across his Mask.
The six Toa had entered the Region of Jungle guided by their Elemental Creatures, apparently towards the Labyrinth. They had been traveling for a few days now.
“I wonder how long it’ll take us?” Tahu asked, growing weary of the journey.
“I don’t know, it took us weeks to get to the Shrines,” Gali replied.
“We had to fight off Skull Spiders all the time, though,” Pohatu said, crossing his arms.
“Yes, but Okoto’s still a big island,” Gali said. “It’ll take us at least a week to cross the Region of Jungle.”
“And we don’t even know where we’re going,” Kopaka said, turning to Melum. “Can you tell us now?”
The Creature shook his head.
“Of course.”
“We should probably make camp for the night,” Onua said, looking at the quickly darkening sky.
“Agreed,” Tahu said, walking into a clearing. “This should be good for the night.”
In ten minutes they had fixed themselves a small little campsite. If they had done this when they had first met, they wouldn’t have even been able to lay down a bed.
But, after conquering the dangers of the ancient city, they had united with each other, working as one.
After their camp had been established, which was more or less just a campfire and them laying down around it.
Slowly, one by one, they fell asleep into the darkness. Despite seeming peaceful from the outside, their minds pondered the Labyrinth, the Mask of Control, the Hunter, and Makuta himself.
They arose early the next morning and quickly packed up camp and went on their journey. Slowly they were making their way to wherever the Creatures were taking them.
“This Labyrinth must be at the other end of the island or something,” Lewa said, glacing at Gali. “I just hope it doesn’t take weeks like getting to the Golden Masks of Power.”
“It shouldn’t,” Kopaka said. “Hopefully.”
They came into a wide channel through the land with walls of rock on either side of them, the jungle continuing above them. As they entered the Creatures began moving around nervously, whimpering and looking all over the place.
“What’s going on?” Tahu asked, looking at the Creatures.
“Something’s got them spooked,” Gali said, drawing her weapon.
The rest of the Toa did the same and got ready to defend themselves. Suddenly a blur of red flew through the air and hit Tahu in the chest. He looked down to see something like an arrow, only made of pure red energy, sticking out from his chest.
“What?” he said, pulling the arrow from his chest and examining it. He then threw it to the ground, it rolling to a stop next to Ikir.
Suddenly it exploded into flame and one of the small trap creatures sprung out of it and grabbed onto one of the Creature of Fire’s legs, causing Ikir to scream and try to knock it off.
“It’s the Hunter! Watch the shadows!” Lewa said, pointing to one of the ridges where Umarak was standing with his bow in hand.
“He’s using the Elements to create his creatures! He’s using them against us!” Gali’s weapon glowed with energy.
Akida swam forward through the air and blasts jets of water at the Hunter, but he disappeared into the shadows. He appeared on the other side of the channel and fired several blasts of energy at the Creature of Water.
“No!” Gali screamed and ran forward. She dove and grabbed Akida and rolled out of the way as the blasts hit where the Creature had been.
“Are you okay?” she asked the Creature of Water, who squeaked in response.
Kopaka pointed his blade at the Hunter and fired a massive blast of ice at him. However, the Hunter disappeared just as the blast hit, the entire area where he had been standing freezing into solid ice.
Umarak reappeared on the other side of the channel and fired at them again. Tahu ran forward with his weapons glowing brightly.
“Ikir!” he yelled.
The Creature of Fire flew into the air and went right for the Toa of Fire. In a blast of light, the two soared into the air as one. Tahu then swung his weapons and two blasts of fire were slung from them right at the dark figure. Again, he disappeared before they could hit him, the fires striking the ground instead, sending dirt and rocks into the air.
The Hunter emerged from the shadows once more on the other side and fired three more blasts at the group of twelve. Hitting around them, three figures emerged from the explosions, all in almost the exact likeness of Umarak. These, however, had strange purple gauntlets and tails like scorpions. They were much more hunchback as well.
“What are they?” Tahu asked, looking around at them.
“They’re duplicates of Umarak! How is that possible?” Pohatu said.
Ketar walked up to the Uniter of Stone in hope to unite with him.
But Pohatu shooed him away. “No. Spread out. We’ll be able to cover more ground!”
Suddenly one of them launched themselves at the Toa of Stone and he just barely managed to block the blow with his spear. He was taken to the ground but launched the creature off of himself.
Umarak’s blazing red eyes narrowed and he fired several blasts of energy at the ridge behind the Toa, causing several rocks to fall from it upon them.
The Toa and Creatures quickly scattered together. Pohatu looked from the stones to his Creature and moved out of the way without him. Ketar looked up and dove out of the way as a stone fell right next to him. Onua, carrying Terak on his back ran forth and picked up the Creature of Stone, taking him out of harm’s way.
“Yet he resists!” Umarak said to himself.
The Toa regrouped and looked to the still-present Umarak shadows.
“I have seen enough,” Umarak said to himself.
“We’ll give them everything we’ve got!” Tahu said, igniting his blades again, the rest of his team following. “On the count of three: one. Two-.”
Suddenly the creatures disappeared into the ground just as the Hunter had done. Umarak turned away and disappeared into the shadows also.
“-Three?”
“What happened?” Kopaka asked, looking around.
“The Hunter never runs. I think that was planning,” Lewa replied.
“Planning? Planning for what?” Pohatu asked, looking shocked.
But Gali interjected. “At least it’s over. Now let’s get moving. We’re close to the shore now.”
The six Toa looked at each other and ran forward, before the Creatures followed them. They ran through the trees like they were racing each other, trying to outdo the Toa next to them. Onua uprooted a large tree in his way as he ran.
“Watch out!” Lewa laughed as he jumped over Pohatu.
“Come on!” the Toa of Stone yelled after him, but the Toa of Jungle merely chuckled in response.
After running for a few minutes they crashed through a wall of bushes and out onto a cliffside, the waters crashing into the rock. Two large monuments, thousands of years stood in the water, each carved like one of the Toa’s original Masks of Power.
“Haha, I win!” the Toa of Fire exclaimed.
“Oh, were you racing?” Gali smiled. “Then you kind of lost.”
“Impossible,” Tahu crossed his arms.
“Hey guys, look over there!” Onua pointed off the cliff and across the crashing waters to a small island several miles off the coast of Okoto.
They all walked to the cliffside and gazed at the small mass of land.
“Is that where we’re going?” Kopaka asked.
The Creatures nodded in response.
“Then we have no time to lose,” Lewa said before jumping off the cliff with Uxar following him.
“Lewa!” Tahu yelled running and looking over the side.
Suddenly the Uniter of Jungle flew upwards with the Creature of Jungle on his back.
“Last one there’s a rotten Kolhii Ball!” Lewa exclaimed, hovering in front of them.
“Or an overripe Thornax Fruit!” Gali said.
“Wait… what?” Lewa’s eyes narrowed.
“Just let her have this,” Kopaka walked forward.
“Yeah, she needs this,” Onua said.
“No.”
“Let’s just go,” Gali said, annoyed.
“Alright!” Tahu yelled, running towards the edge of the cliff. “Let’s go!”
He jumped off and Ikir swooped in and fused to Tahu in a blast of light before they flew off. Akida slammed into Gali’s back and they jumped off into the water. Melum and Kopaka joined and created a slide of ice going down and across the surface of the water. Onua and Terak united and they lifted a bridge of earth from the water.
Pohatu and Ketar were staring at each other.
“My thoughts exactly,” the Toa of Stone suddenly said before jumping off the cliff and grabbed a slab of rock from the cliff face with his powers and brought it under his feet where he landed in the water with a massive splash and then launched it forward, leaving the Creature behind.
The Creature looked around before Onua turned to him. “Come on!”
Ketar scurried forward onto the bridge with the Toa of Earth, running towards the island.
“WOO-HOO!” Lewa yelled as he flew over the water. Tahu and Ikir flew up behind him, nearly ahead of him.
“You can’t beat me, fire-spitter!” the Toa of Jungle taunted.
“You want to bet?” the Uniter of Fire narrowed his eyes.
“How many widgets do you have?” Lewa smirked.
Behind them Kopaka and Melum slid past Gali and Akida on a ramp of ice. The snow that came off as he skid past flew onto Gali, causing the Toa to shiver.
Kopaka smiled. “Is that too cold for you, Gali?”
“No,” she readied her spear. “Is this too warm for you?”
She bent some water onto the ramp behind the Uniter of Ice, the warm, tropical ocean water met the frozen ice and instantly melted through it. Kopaka was helpless to do anything as the bridge shattered and he was thrown forward.
Fortunately, he was just in reach of Lewa and grabbed onto the Uniter of Jungle’s leg, weighing him down slightly.
“Hey! Get your own ride!”
“Mind if I hitch one for a while?”
“Yes.”
“Too bad.”
The Toa Jungle shook his leg and knocked the Uniter of Ice off. Kopaka acted quickly and created a block of ice under his feet before he splashed into the water. He then took control of ti and propelled it forward. The only downside to this was that the tropical water was melting the ice, so he had to keep freezing it.
Up ahead Tahu and Lewa were closing in on the island, Lewa slightly ahead of his brother.
“It’s neck and… whatever that thing is, brother!” the Toa of Jungle said.
“Oh yeah, are you sure about that?” Tahu smiled, his flame blades glowing.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lewa said. Suddenly he swiped one of his blades towards the Toa and a blast of air shot from it and knocked the Uniter of Fire backwards.
“Argh!” Tahu said as he flew backwards before regaining control and flying forward again, Lewa laughing all the way.
The Toa of Jungle was the first to land on the beach of the small island, followed by Gali, Kopaka, Pohatu and then Tahu. The five looked around at each other before Onua came in on his bridge of Earth.
The Master of Fire chuckled. “Looks like you lose, Onua.”
“Did I, though?” the giant said before gesturing to the bridge where Ketar scurried across it onto the sand.
Gali swung to Pohatu. “You left him behind?”
“No, we just took different paths,” the Toa of Stone grudged.
“What’s your problem?” Tahu asked.
“You know my problem. I’m not carrying a scorpion on my back unless I need to.”
Onua put his hand on the Uniter of Stone’s shoulder. “As long as you’re there when we need you.”
“Alright,” Tahu said, walking forward. “Let’s go find that Mask.”
Disengaging from their Creatures, the six Toa and the six Elemental Creatures began to walk along the beach and began to climb the mountain when they found an ancient stone staircase.
“Looks like we’re on the right track,” Gali said, looking at the stone steps.
Pohatu knelt down and put his hand on the steps.
“These stones… they’re almost as old as the island itself.”
“What do you mean?” Kopaka asked.
“I mean either someone decided to put steps on this right after this island was created, or it was created with the island.”
They looked at each other.
“We don’t have time to ponder this right now,” Tahu interjected. “We have to get the Mask of Control before that Hunter gets it.”
Pohatu stood up. “Let’s go, then.”
The twelve then began to ascend the stone stairs. As they went along it began to seem like they’d never end. As they walked up they saw several faded carvings in the rock wall, all in the ancient Okotan language from the time before the Fall. They couldn’t make out what it was because it was thousands of years old, but it did put them a little on edge.
Finally, they reached the top of the stairs. They came onto the rim of what was like a volcano, only in the middle was a huge maze. It filled the entire space and made up most of the island.
“I see that’s where we’re going,” Kopaka marveled.
“Come, my friends, our Destiny awaits,” Tahu said, noticing another set of stairs that led down to the maze.
With one last glance at each other, the twelve figures descended down the stairs towards the Labyrinth of Control.
In the shadows outside the maze, a tall figure materialized in the darkness. He stepped out across the grass, his antlers casting bizarre shadows on the ground. The figure looked up at the tall wall of the ancient maze, the sun just over the top.
Suddenly a black flame appeared in front of him before Makuta’s red eyes appeared amongst the fire.
“The Toa have reached the island, my lord,” Umarak reported.
“Then you know what you must do, my Hunter,” Makuta said, his eyes flashing.
The figure nodded.
“And you have chosen a target?”
“The Toa and Creature of Stone,” Umarak replied. “The Toa squanders the power they could have together based on some irrational fear.”
“Good,” Makuta replied. “Do not fail me.”
The flame then disappeared into shadow, leaving the Hunter alone, just as he preferred.
“Oh don’t worry, Makuta, you’re not worth failing.”
That was all he said before he disappeared into the darkness once more.
Chapter 5: Darkness Falls[]
The group of Toa finally managed to descend the stairs to one of the walls of the Labyrinth. The green trees that hung overhead split the sun’s rays into patches, giving a feel like they were in the jungle again.
“It should feel right at home for you here, Lewa,” Gali said.
“Nah,” the Toa of Jungle shook his head. “The Region of Jungle doesn’t have a wall going through it.”
As they walked along the massive wall of the Labyrinth, they noticed that it had several engravings along it. The meaning of these words had been lost over the millennia, but they still intrigued the Toa.
“Hey look over here!” Lewa said before running forward, followed by his Uniter allies and their Creatures. He stopped at a massive door in the wall. It was half the height of the maze and in the center had a circle engraved with the same symbols on the wall behind them.
“What does it say?” Tahu asked.
Lewa went over to it and began to examine the carvings.
“Uh… uh…?” the Uniter of Jungle tried to read.
“Do you need help over there?” Gali smiled.
“I think it says our names,” Lewa said, turning back.
“There’s so much we don’t know about our pasts. Maybe it has something to do with us?” Gali replied.
“Or we have something to do with it,” Onua said.
“One… of… Hey, someone touch the door!” Lewa cried.
Tahu looked to everyone who was staring back at him and sighed before walking up to the door and holding his hand forward. He pressed it against the circle when both the symbols as his arm glowed with orange light.
Quickly he pulled away his arm and examined it as the light faded away.
Suddenly they heard gears grinding before the door slid upwards and away from sight. Beyond it was a large room that had several vines snaking their way up the walls.
“We should let the Creatures go first,” Kopaka said. “They’ve been here before.”
But when they looked back at their companions, they were standing as far away from the door as they could, like they were afraid of it.
“I think they want us to go first,” Onua replied.
“Then so be it,” Tahu said before he entered, quickly followed by the other Toa and then the Creatures.
As soon as they stepped into the room, the floor beneath them glowed green.
“Incredible,” Gali remarked, kneeling down to examine it.
On the other side of the room was another doorway that seemed to lead into a bigger room. The Toa of Fire ran forward through the doorway when suddenly a massive block flew in front of him, causing him to fall backwards.
“What?” he exclaimed as the other Toa caught him.
They looked around the massive room and saw that there were blocks moving all over the place above and below them.
“What’s causing them to move?” Gali asked.
“I don’t know,” Pohatu said before dodging a block as it flew past.
“It seems like some kind of… magic,” Tahu replied.
“But it can’t be, can it? There’s no such thing,” Pohatu’s eyes flashed.
“Ekimu and Makuta’s Masks are said to be made out of solid gold and raw magic. So magic does exist, Pohatu, and this could very well be it,” Gali turned to the Toa of Stone.
“We don’t have much time to wait around, we have to get the Mask of Control before Umarak gets here and takes it from us,” Lewa said.
“Lewa’s right,” Tahu replied. “We have to move!”
Together, the twelve of them ran across the bridge of blocks that had formed ahead of them, the green light following below. As they ran blocks began to descend behind them, faster and faster, closer and closer.
“Those blocks are going to crush us!” Gali yelled.
Suddenly ahead of them a block dropped and created a chasm between them and the next block.
“Pohatu!” the Toa of Fire called to his comrade. “Fill the chasm!”
“On it,” the Uniter of Stone said.
The Toa stopped in his tracks and looked up to see a large block floating above him, ready to crush Pohatu where he stood. As it descended upon him he stretched his arms out and took control of the block. With great effort, he threw it over towards the chasm and guided it into the gap perfectly.
As soon as it was in place, the six Toa and six Creatures ran across the bridge and onto the other side, a safe haven. They looked back at the chamber they had just escaped as the bridge disassembled itself, cutting them off.
“I guess we’re not leaving that way,” Kopaka remarked.
“It’s like the Labyrinth wants us to get the Mask, but it doesn’t want to make it easy for us,” Gali said.
“Let’s keep moving. I fear Umarak is not far behind,” Lewa said grimly.
And with that, the twelve set off further into the maze, unknown to the dangers that awaited them in the dark.
Harvali was surveying the city when she heard someone behind her.
“Lovely, isn’t it?”
The Jungle villager swung around to see Ekimu the Mask Maker approaching her.
“It’s amazing,” Harvali replied, stroking her hair nervously.
The Mask Maker joined her by the ledge and looked over the city.
“This city is the second-oldest on Okoto, the first being-.”
“The Capitol City,” the historian answered.
He smiled at her. “Very good. History is your bread and butter, is it not?”
“Yes, Ekimu,” she said, an undertone of nervousness in her voice. “I’m kind of a dork when it comes to it.”
“It is a good thing,” Ekimu replied. “If one does not understand the past, they are destined to repeat it.”
“Do you think the Toa are doing okay?”
Ekimu chuckled. “That, my dear, I have no doubt about. The Toa are strong. Despite their differences, they will pull together when the time is right.”
“I hope so,” Harvali sighed, looking over the city again.
“Watch out!” Lewa yelled as the massive stone block came crashing towards them. The twelve quickly jumped out of the way as the block narrowly missed them, disappearing down the square corridor behind them.
“Okay I’ve just about had it with large blocks of stone trying to kill me,” Kopaka said, dusting himself off.
“We must be getting close to the Mask, right?” Tahu asked, looking to Ikir. The Creature of Fire merely shrugged.
Pohatu chuckled. “Not even the creatures who hid the Mask know.”
“Come now, there’s no need for hostility,” Onua said.
“Onua’s right,” Gali agreed. “If we are to find the Mask of Control, we have to work together, and stay together.”
Suddenly a block came down several feet behind them, sealing off the hallway. And then another fell, and another, and another, threatening to crush them.
“Move!” the Toa of Fire said before they ran off down the hallway as the blocks continued to fall behind them.
As they ran, a tall, slender figure watched them with his blazing red eyes.
“Fools,” he muttered to himself.
Behind him a patch in the wall began to shift and mutate into the form of a legendary Mask, it’s green eyes glowing sickly.
“How is your progress, my hunter,” Makuta’s voice came through.
The Hunter spun around with his hand on his sword before relaxing. He ought to be used to the Master of Shadows’… methods.
“I am following the Toa. They do not suspect a thing. Probably because they are too busy trying to not have the building crush them.”
“Good. Do not let the Toa out of your sight and do not reveal your presence to them until it is too late.”
“Of course.”
The Mask then disappeared back into the wall, the eyes lingering just a second longer than the rest of the face. Umarak turned away from the wall and continued on, bow in hand. The Hunter was irritated. Makuta continued to act like that Umarak had never been on the hunt before, like he was some incompetent Skull Raider.
How very wrong he was.
Umarak was as old as the island himself, and was destined to hunt the Elemental Creatures until he caught them all and drained them of their Elemental Energies.
True, the Hunter had forgotten parts of his past. He did not know if he himself had been one of the Elemental Creatures to start with and changed into his current form. But, one thing was very clear to him. One thing he knew he had to do for certain: find the seven Elemental Creatures.
He turned the corner and saw that the Toa were quickly moving across a bridge of blocks before they disappeared into the abyss.
Activating his Mask of Power, Umarak quietly disappeared into the shadows, further into the Labyrinth.
“How much longer until we get to the Mask?” Tahu groaned as they continued through the maze.
“Not very long, I hope,” Lewa replied.
“Hey guys!” Kopaka suddenly said, running forward towards a tall stairway. “There’s a room up here!”
The five other Toa looked at each other before running forward with their brother up the stairs, the Creatures right behind them. The twelve then came into a large circular room with a small hexagonal platform in the middle with six lines coming from its six corners to six smaller hexagonal patterns on the floor, each with color-coded symbols.
Gali quickly ran over to one of them and examined it, seeing that the lines were filled with Okotan dialect, which she brushed off to read.
“What does it say, sister?” Lewa asked.
“I think it says our names,” she replied.
“What else does it say?” Onua inquired.
“It says… united, but not one...”
“Like the Prophecy of Heroes,” Tahu said.
Gali nodded before turning back.
“A lot of this is hard to decipher. It’s ancient Okotan, a dead language.”
Suddenly several blocks began to drop from the ceiling and landing next to the Toa, causing them to jump.
“What’s happening?” Tahu yelled, pulling out his swords.
“We must’ve triggered a trap,” Pohatu replied, dodging a large stone block.
Gali didn’t notice the massive block descending on her as she continued to read the glyphs on the floor. Seeing there wasn’t a moment to lose, Kopaka bolted forward and dove, grabbing the Toa of Water as he passed and pulled her out of the way seconds before the block dropped on them. They rolled to a halt several feet away and got up.
“Thank you, brother,” Gali said, catching her breath.
“Alright, that’s it,” Pohatu said suddenly, stepping forward.
He then turned to Ketar.
“These are stones. We can get rid of them.”
The Creature nodded, and seemed kind of excited to Unite again. The Ketar jumped up and landed on the Toa of Stone’s back. In a burst of light, they were united once more. The Uniter glowed with energy.
Focusing on the stones that were falling from the sky and the stones already on the ground, he began to twirl his staff by the chain. Suddenly all the stones were lifted up and began to spin with the rhythm of his blade before they dissolved into nothing but sand.
He then keeled over, winded before Ketar jumped off, also weakened.
“So what are we supposed to do?” Tahu asked.
“The runes said that separate, we cannot hope to reach one, but as one, we can reach our destiny.”
“Maybe these symbols have something to do with it,” Lewa said, walking around the six symbols on the floor.
“Six symbols… six Elemental Regions of Okoto… six of us… and six Creatures. I think six is our magic number.”
“Six symbols, six doors?” Galki asked.
Lewa nodded.
“Six doors to one room,” Onua said.
The six Toa walked over and found their respective symbols, their Creatures following close by.
“Hey...” Kopaka knelt down to examine his glyph. “These are the same as the ones on our Masks and chests.”
The others quickly examined themselves and saw that this was the case for all of them.
“I guess we do have something to do with this place,” the Toa of Fire remarked.
Gali looked around and saw that none of the other doors were opening for them, either. “I think we have to be united.”
All the Toa nodded except for Pohatu, he crossed his arms. Suddenly the room was filled with blinding light and five of the six were united with their Creatures. As soon as they touched the symbols, they lit into life as the lines going to the center melted away into stone stairs, leading down into the floor.
The Uniters looked at each other before descending, leaving only Pohatu and Ketar. The Toa looked to the Creature of Stone coming towards him, ready to Unite again.
He sighed. “Fine.”
The Toa of Stone began to walk towards the Creature when suddenly a blast of energy rocketed towards him from above and struck him in the chest, blasting him backwards and into a wall. Pohatu fell unconscious to the floor as a dark figure materialized out of the shadows.
Ketar turned towards the being and snarled before suddenly he was engulfed by shadow and lifted up into the air.
“The power you squandered is now mine to command, Toa,” Umarak the Hunter said.
The tall figure then turned around as Ketar flew unwillingly towards him. Suddenly the two connected and the room seemed to grow dark as Umarak glowed with red energy.
Pohatu attempted to get up when he was buried in rock, knocking him out once again.
“You are a fool, Toa, and now your world is doomed because of it.”
The Hunter walked towards the last symbol and it opened as soon as he stepped foot on it, descending towards his prize.
The five Toa and Creatures entered the room nearly at the same time. The chamber was large and was bordered by six walls, each with a door. The frame of the door was decorated in ancient Okotan symbols, but time had done its work on them and they had faded away.
Around the walls of the chamber were various green crystals, which illuminated the room in their eerie light.
At the center was a slightly raised platform. And at its center, encased in crystal, was their treasure: the Legendary Mask of Control.
“Great,” Tahu said, walking towards the Mask. “How do we free it?”
“Six Creatures… six keys...” Gali stroked her chin. “We need Ketar!”
“Where are they, anyway?” Kopaka asked, looking around.
Suddenly the last door opened, a shadow being cast down the stairs.
“There he is,” Onua said.
Then the figure of Umarak the Hunter appeared coming down the steps, Ketar the Creature of Stone attached to his back.
“That is not Pohatu and Ketar,” Lewa readied his blades.
Before the Toa could do anything, Umarak thrust his arm forward and a wave of red energy flew outwards and struck all five of them, launching them backwards away from the Mask.
With all his opponents felled, the Hunter was free to take his prize. He walked towards the crystal and examined it.
“Fools,” he chuckled to himself. “You locked it in Elemental crystal.”
Umarak drew the blade at his side and it glowed with various colors, the colors of all the Elements. Bringing it back, he swung it at the crystal, and in a blast of energy, the transparent green rock shattered, the Mask of Control floating in the air, free and ready for the taking.
Tahu came back to consciousness in time to see the Hunter snatch the Mask out of the air and turn away from them and go back towards the stairs.
“No...” he said before he blacked out again.
The tall figure ascended the stairs and back into the main chamber to see Pohatu getting back up and drawing his spear.
“Hand the Creature and the Mask over,” he said, his blue eyes blazing with rage. “Now.”
“How about no?” Umarak replied mockingly.
Activating his Mask of Shadows, a gateway of darkness appeared in front of Umarak.
“No you don’t...” the Toa of Stone said as the Hunter stepped into the shadows.
Running forward, Pohatu jumped after the tall figure as the door of shadows closed. And then everything was dark.
Moments later ground appeared beneath them as Pohatu bounced across the hard floor to a stop. He looked up and saw that they were on the edge of a cliff above the Labyrinth.
“You think you can beat me, Toa?” Umarak taunted. “I control your Creature! Therefore I control your Element!”
Glowing red again, the Hunter launched a massive boulder straight at Pohatu. Jumping out of the way, the Uniter of Stone fired several small stones at Umarak. The Hunter was not fast enough to get out of the way in time and was struck in the chest, getting knocked backwards.
Using this to his advantage, the Toa sped forward and struck the Hunter once more, this time with his spear and then the rock at the end.
Umarak recovered himself quickly and drew his bow, which glowed with raw Elemental energy. A moment later the Toa was pelted with dozens of projectiles, being knocked to the ground.
“This is the consequence for you squandering your power, Uniter,” Umarak said. “And now you have failed to retrieve the Mask of Control.”
Suddenly he was covered in red energy again, but this time he screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, the Mask clattering several feet away.
“Ketar…” Pohatu muttered to himself, getting back up.
“You don’t control him, Umarak! I can feel him fighting you!”
“Impossible...” the Hunter said, struggling to his feet.
Umarak had only gotten up in time for the boulder that struck him in the face, knocking him backwards again. He nearly fell to ground but was recovering himself when Pohatu struck him in the back with his spear, right where he and Ketar were united.
There was a massive flash of red energy followed by an explosion that knocked them in various directions.
Pohatu got up and saw the Mask of Control laying on the ground. Acting on instinct he began to run for the Mask when Umarak’s voice called out.
“Go ahead, take the Mask.”
The Toa of Stone turned to see the Hunter standing at the edge of the cliff with an unconscious Ketar in his hand, dangling over the ledge.
“But you’ll have the blood of the Creature on your hands.”
Pohatu’s eyes narrowed. What choice did he have? Save the Mask and lose the Creature or save the Creature and lose the Mask?
Suddenly Umarak made the decision for him and let go of the Creature. Dropping everything else, the Toa bolted past the Hunter and dove over the edge. In one swift motion he caught hold of Ketar and drove his spear in the side of the cliff.
Pohatu brought the Creature up next to himself and looked it in the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” the Toa of Stone said softly.
They then both looked up see Umarak standing over them, the Mask of Control in his hand.
“Compassion has made you soft,” he mocked. “Now Makuta has the Mask of Control once again, and the death of Okoto will be on your head.”
Suddenly he heard several footsteps behind him and saw that the five other Toa and Creatures had arrived on the clifftop.
“You are too late, Toa,” Umarak said before activating his Mask of Shadows and descending into a portal of darkness before it disappeared entirely.
“I’m sorry, I understand now,” Pohatu said to the Creature of Stone, who licked him.
The other Toa ran over and helped the two up. After they were rescued, Pohatu looked down sadly.
“I lost it, I lost the Mask.”
Gali put her hand on her brother’s shoulder. “But you saved Ketar, and that’s the mark of a real hero.”
“What do we do now?” Kopaka asked.
Tahu turned towards Okoto. “We find Umarak, and we take the Mask of Control back.”
The others joined him at the cliff edge and looked over the island, the future uncertain.
“I have done just as you’ve asked, Makuta,” Umarak said as he materialized in the room, the Mask of Control clutched in his hand.
“You did retrieve my Mask of Control,” the flame of shadow replied, its red eyes flashing.
“Now I want you to keep up your end of the bargain, Makuta,” Umarak said, his eyes blazing.
“Unfortunately, I am not able to fulfill your request since you are the one who did not capture a Creature.”
“Then why should I give you my wages?” Umarak said, holding up the Mask of Control.
“Because I am your master, Umarak,” Makuta replied.
“No one is my master. I will make sure you know that,” the Hunter said, pulling off his Mask of Shadows and replacing it with the Mask of Control.
As soon as it made contact with his face, Umarak was covered in lime green energy and screamed in agony as he fell to the floor.
Makuta laughed. “You fool! Now you will serve me for eternity.”
Umarak’s features began to distort, growing and mutating.
“No longer shall you be the Hunter.”
The energy faded as Umarak stood up again, but not the same as he had been before, his eyes blazing between the slits of the corrupted Mask of Control.
“Forever you shall be the Destroyer.”
Chapter 6: Creatures of Shadow[]
As the six Toa traveled across Okoto back towards the ancient City of the Mask Makers, they didn’t come as heroes, but as failures. Soldiers who had lost the battle as the war hung in the balance.
If Makuta won, it would be on their heads.
They were walking through the forest when the sky above them turned dark and began to crackle with lightning. They all looked at each other, all of them knowing who was causing it.
“Umarak must’ve used the Mask of Control on himself,” Onua said.
“Or was forced to,” Pohatu replied grimly.
“Hey guys,” Gali said, looking towards the horizon. “Is that smoke?”
The other five turned and saw a pillar of pure black rising from behind the trees. Without a moment’s hesitation, the twelve were off in the direction of the ascending smoke. They crashed through the forest and onto a dirt road that led into a village.
The sight that met them filled the Toa with dread. Before them lay a village, oh yes, but what was left standing plumed smoke. Several of the buildings were damaged or destroyed while the Okotans who could still stand were running around to aid their fallen comrades.
Lewa ran forward and extinguished several fires with his blades while Gali drowned others. The other Toa checked to see if they could help with the villagers. Once he was done, the Toa of Jungle returned to the group, his rage obviously overflowing.
“Why would Umarak do this? These villagers did nothing!”
“Evil does not care if you are innocent or guilty,” Pohatu said.
“Brother...” Gali began, but Lewa cut across her.
“No, sister, he’s right. And that’s why we’re here, to save the innocent and stop the darkness.”
The others nodded their agreement.
“What are these tracks?” Tahu knelt down next to a trail of strange footprints, filled with lava.
“What kind of creature can manipulate lava like this?” Gali asked, coming next to her brother.
“Something not of Okoto,” Lewa said grimly. “And we need to stop it.”
“I have done as you have asked, my lord,” Umarak the Destroyer said, kneeling down before the shadowy flame of Makuta.
“Excellent. Now that the Shadow Horde is unleashed, the Toa will be too distracted to find out what is happening until it is too late. Proceed onto phase two.”
“Yes, my lord,” the monstrosity of Umarak stood up again and turned away from the edge of the cliff. He reached to his back and pulled out a strange black box with ancient purple writing on it.
“The endgame has begun,” Makuta said to himself before disappearing.
Having made sure the villagers were okay, the twelve then rushed back to the City of the Mask Makers. Crossing the rebuilt bridge, they ran past several villagers who attempted to greet them, but they didn’t respond. Time was not a luxury they could afford.
Ascending the steps to the Forge, they rushed in through the entrance.
“Ekimu!” Tahu called as soon as they crossed the threshold.
Moments later the Mask Maker descended to the stairs from the upper-level followed by the six Protectors, who quickly made their way over to the Toa.
“What has happened, Toa?” Ekimu asked. “Do you have my brother’s Mask?”
“I could have had it,” Pohatu said. “But I lost it.”
Gali put her hand on her brother’s shoulder. “He chose instead to save Ketar.”
“Do not worry, Pohatu, you made the right choice. The death of one of the Elemental Creatures would tear Okoto apart. The Creatures must be put above all else.”
“So what do we do now?” Vizuna asked.
“We have to stop Umarak,” Lewa said, anger in his voice.
“What’s happened, Lewa?” the Protector of Jungle inquired, drawing nearer to the Toa.
The Uniter of Jungle let out a sigh. “Umarak must have used the Mask of Control on himself and is attacking helpless villagers. He destroyed an entire settlement, Vizuna.”
“...What?” the Protector struggled to say, but Narmoto put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, my brother, we will stop him.”
Suddenly a sharp noise came from outside as an Okotan sounded the alert. The group looked at each other before running out of the Forge and into the City. They looked out and saw that dark, unnatural clouds were hovering just outside the city.
“What is that?” Kivoda asked, pulling out his torpedo launcher.
“Umarak,” Lewa said darkly.
“Raise the gates!” Narmoto yelled, nearly jumping down the stairs while the others followed.
An Okotan of Stone at the gate nodded and pulled a lever to the right. Suddenly a large wall came up from the threshold into the City and stopped at the arch, cutting them off from the outside world.
The six Toa, Protectors and Ekimu climbed up the staircase to the wall that surrounded the ancient city and looked over to see what was happening. Beyond the bridge was an army, a horde of beasts, some red, some blue and others purple. They all had tinges of green in their armor, glowing sickly.
“No...” the Mask Maker said.
“What is it, Ekimu?” Korgot asked, looking to the Mask Maker.
“The Shadow Horde,” Ekimu replied. “He’s unleashed the Shadow Horde!”
“What’s the Shadow Horde?” Gali questioned, looking to the army outside their door.
Ekimu sighed. “The Shadow Horde is an army that comes from a world not our own, a world of shadow, unending shadow: the Shadow Realm.”
“And what’s the Shadow Realm?” Tahu asked.
“Where my brother is trapped.”
“Why haven’t you told us this before?” Pohatu burst out.
“Because you did not need to know it.”
“You’d think we’d need to know where our greatest enemy was,” the Toa of Stone said.
“All you needed to worry about was to stop those attempting to free Makuta.”
“Enough with this,” Narmoto snapped. “We have better things to worry about, like that!”
He pointed over the edge to across the chasm where several of the red-clad beasts were creating bridges of dripping lava across the passage. The molten rock cut through the wall below the group, giving them an entrance into their city.
Tahu acted quickly. “Onua, Pohatu, with me!” he yelled as he jumped down, the two others following him.
They landed next to the openings. Looking through, they saw that the Lava Beasts were beginning to cross to the city.
“Alright, I’ll destroy their bridges,” said the Toa of Fire. “But I need you two to fill these holes and reinforce the wall. Understood?”
The two Toa nodded.
“Then let’s do this.”
Tahu drew both his swords, and taking a deep breath, thrust them forward. In an instant, the bridges of lava shot away from the city and fell down into the chasm, taking the beasts with them. As soon as they fell, the Uniters of Earth and Stone used their Elemental Powers to fill in the holes while making the walls thicker.
“Good job, team,” the Uniter of Fire panted.
Gali and the other two Toa then dropped down next to them. “They’re beginning to cross the bridge, and I think they’ll knock down the gate!”
“Then let’s get rid of them before they do so,” Pohatu said.
The city gate descended back to where it had come as the six Toa charged onto the bridge from the side while their Elemental Creatures came from the city.
“Alright,” Tahu said, having a look at his enemies. “Unite!”
In a flash of light that could have very well been a new sun being born on the earth, the six Uniters emerged from the blast of energy united with their Elemental Creatures, charging at the approaching enemy horde.
Tahu and Ikir were the first to reach them. The Toa of Fire swung down with his right blade. The beast blocked with one of its blades of pure flame. Using his other hand, Tahu swung across. Expecting it to stop when it made contact with the creature’s ribcage, the Toa was completely unprepared when as soon as his blade made contact the beast shattered into a million shards, its mask the only thing left intact.
To his left, Gali experienced the same thing. She swung her blade at one of the Storm Beasts, also expecting it to merely knock the creature away, but instead it shattered the beast into a million pieces, again nothing but the mask remaining.
“What is this?” Kopaka asked as he shattered a Quake Beast.
“Maybe they’ll be easier to defeat than we thought?” Tahu said, striking another Lava Beast.
Suddenly several Shadow Traps swarmed out of nowhere as the sky above them crackled with lightning before they struck the masks of the fallen beasts, causing them to rise up on a spout of either lava, water or crystal before a Shadow Trap, either fire or stone for lava, water or jungle for storm and earth or ice for quake, jumped into the spout. They came out the other side as one of the three beasts.
“Okay, maybe not as easy,” the Toa of Fire deflated.
“Hey, have you guys noticed that these things kind of look like Umarak?” Lewa said as he blew away a Lava Beast.
“No?” Pohatu replied as he knocked a Quake Beast off the bridge and down into the chasm.
“Must be just me, then,” Lewa shrugged, shattering a Storm Beast.
Onua raised his hammer above his head as three Quake Beasts approached. Glowing with Elemental energy, he swung down struck the ground. A trail of purple crystal jutted out from the earth and struck the beasts, shattering them.
Acting quickly, the Toa of Earth ran forward and brought his hammer down on one of the masks, shattering it. After quickly doing the same to the other two, he waited for them to reconstitute, but it didn’t happen.
“Destroy the masks!” he yelled to the other Toa. “They can’t reconstitute without them!”
Nodding, the other Uniters followed their comrade’s directions. Using his launcher, Kopaka fired several blasts of ice at a Storm Beast, shattering it. Then, as soon as the mask hit the ground, he brought his sword down upon it, breaking it.
“Ha ha!” the Toa of Ice exclaimed. “It worked!”
“Of course it worked,” Lewa said. “Onua thought it up.”
“We have to get these things away from the City!” Gali yelled as she brought down a pillar of water on several of the beasts, shattering them. Kopaka then pelted the masks with spikes of ice and fragmented them.
“Alright,” Tahu said, looking towards the end of the bridge, where more beasts were approaching to cross. “We don’t let them cross to the City no matter what.”
The Toa nodded their agreement, and as one, charged forward across the bridge. Seeing the heroes approach, the creatures of shadow ran towards them, glowing with energy. As they ran, the Uniters dodged bolts of lightning fired at them by the Storm Beasts.
Crossing the threshold, Tahu brought his sword down on a Lava Beast and shattered its body and mask in one swift motion.
“Drive them back!” the Toa of Fire yelled.
Together, the six Uniters with their Elemental Creatures used their powers to try and push back to beasts. Using the ball at the end of his staff, Pohatu swung through three of the monsters before smashing their masks.
“Look!” Kopaka said, pointing towards the top of the hill just outside the Region of Jungle where three Quake Beasts were creating a large boulder at the edge of the slope.
“Pohatu! Onua!” Tahu called to the two Toa. “Make a barrier in front of the bridge!”
The two Uniters nodded and together, with their elemental powers raised a wall of dirt and stone up, bringing it taller than the both of them.
In that moment the Quake Beasts let go of the boulder and it roared down the slope incredibly fast. The six Toa watched it as it rolled towards them, their blue eyes narrowing as it sped closer, and closer.
Then the ground shook beneath them as the rock suddenly collided with the wall, smashing into pieces. As soon as the dust cleared the Toa jumped over the barrier and ran forward as the approaching beasts.
“Gali, Lewa, I want to you to cook up a storm to shatter these beasts,” Tahu yelled to the Toa of Jungle and the Toa of Water, who nodded and split off from the group.
“Kopaka, Onua, I need you to keep them back from the bridge while making sure they don’t throw any more boulders at the city.”
“Yes sir,” the two replied before swerving to the right.
“And what do we do, fire-spitter?” Pohatu asked.
“We drown them.”
“I don’t think lava would work on the Lava Beasts.”
Tahu sighed. “We don’t have to use it on them. We just use it on all the others.”
“That’s not a good strategy.”
“Shut up.”
Slashing through two more beasts and fracturing their masks, the two heroes jumped forward and pointed their weapons at the ground beneath six beasts. Uniting their Elemental powers, the streams of Fire and Stone created a pool of lava at their feet as the creatures fell into it, disappearing from sight.
“Watch out!” Tahu yelled suddenly to his companion.
Pohatu didn’t hesitate to find out what was happening and quickly flipped out of the way as lava splashed past him. He landed and looked to see three Lava Beasts approaching them, their finger tips glowing brightly.
“Ah, you guys think you’re good with lava?” the Toa of Fire smiled. “Then you obviously haven’t tried me.”
His blades glowing brightly, he flipped in midair, dragging the lava from the pool behind them with him and throwing it at the beasts. They didn’t have any time to react as the boiling substance covered them, reducing them to nothing.
“Huh,” Pohatu said. “I guess it does work on them.”
“Let’s keep going,” Tahu replied, charging forward, his comrade close behind.
Onua smashed through another Storm Beast with his hammer before crushing its mask beneath his foot. His icy companion swung his sword up through a Lava Beast, shattering it and breaking its mask in one stroke.
“These guys just keep coming!” Kopaka yelled as he fired his gun at several of the approaching creatures.
“I didn’t know that Umarak had created this many Shadow Traps!” Onua said.
“He needs to get a hobby,” Kopaka muttered.
Suddenly the Toa of Ice was forced to jump out of the way as a large spear of crystal came flying at him. He looked up to see a Quake Beast with its arm extended towards him.
“I’m really beginning to hate these guys.”
“That’s not new,” Onua said.
The Toa of Earth looked around them as numerous beasts closed in on them, glowing with sickeningly green energy.
He sighed. “I guess now’s a good a time as any.”
“For what?” Kopaka turned to him.
“For the new upgrade Ekimu gave me.”
Pressing a button on the staff of his hammer, suddenly it retracted into itself, leaving only a handle and the rest of the weapon. Then the drill spun around to reveal a glowing gun similar to that of the Protectors’.
“You had that all this time?” the Toa of Ice exclaimed.
Onua nodded. “Yes, but Ekimu said only to use it in emergencies.”
“Fair enough.”
Pointing it forward, the six glowing barrels began to spin before violent streaks of purple energy shot out and struck the beasts, shattering them into nothing but masks. His brother used his own projectile weapon to break the masks, destroying their connection to the Shadow Realm.
“That would’ve been nice against Umarak,” Kopaka quipped.
“Yeah but it’s just a prototype right now. I can only do it a few times before it breaks down.”
“Oh,” the Toa of Ice said, slashing through a Storm Beast.
“I wonder how the others are getting along,” Onua said, continuing his assault.
Lewa flew through the air slashing through two of the Lava Beasts who had taken flight.
“I wasn’t expecting these guys to fly,” Gali groaned, impaling another Quake Beast with her spear, shattering it before smashing its mask.
“Yeah,” the Toa of Jungle said, rejoining his sister on the ground. “The air is only for Uxar and I.”
The Uniter of Water smiled. “Then let’s get them out of the sky.”
“Oh,” Lewa said, realizing what she meant. “You want to do that now?”
“It’s not like there’s much else to do,” she replied, striking another Lava Beast.
“Alright,” the Toa ran over to his sister. “Let’s do this.”
Pointing their weapons into the air, energy crackled as water and air combined to create a cyclone. As the storm brewed above them, rain and hail began to plummet down as lightning streaked across the sky.
The beasts looked up at the typhoon before they were struck with Kolhii-ball sized hail and shattered.
“It’s working!” Gali yelled over the wind.
They both laughed as the creatures were fragmented and fell to the ground. Bolts of lightning came down as well and destroyed the Lava and Quake Beasts while the Storm Beasts absorbed the bolts, crackling with energy.
“Mata Nui,” Lewa said before he was suddenly blasted with lightning, being thrown across the plain.
As soon as the Toa of Jungle was rendered unconscious the cyclone ceased to be, leaving the Uniter of Water surrounded by crackling Storm Beasts.
“Typical.”
A moment later she jumped out of the way of a bolt of electricity before another was shot her way, and another, and another. Swinging her spear, she cut through two more of the beasts, shattering them. She was about to swiftly smash their masks when she was struck from behind by a bolt of electricity.
The Toa of Water was thrown to the side of her fallen comrade, barely conscious. She rolled over to see the last six beasts surrounding them, glowing with the energy that would surely kill them both.
Suddenly they exploded all at once as the forms of Tahu, Pohatu, Onua and Kopaka appeared where they had been standing, their weapons glowing with Elemental energy.
“Need some help?” Tahu smiled, helping the Toa of Water up.
“Thanks, brother,” she replied, grabbing her weapon.
Lewa shot to his feet.
“What now?”
“The Beasts are all gone for now. We’d best make it back to Ekimu to find out what our next move is,” Tahu said.
“No time to lose, then,” Lewa smiled before they ran off towards the ancient city.
As Ekimu looked over the battle from the top of his Forge, his heart was heavy as the plumes of smoke rose into the sky.
“Evil,” he muttered. “All it does is destroy.”
The heroes could no doubt defeat the Shadow Horde, but he felt that this was by no means the main front of Umarak’s attacks. There was something much more sinister at play here than just these beasts. This was all part of Makuta’s endgame, and the Mask Maker felt that it was about to reach its climax.
Suddenly there was a burst of light above the temple before a magnificent golden and white hawk exploded from the glare. The hawk flew around the building once before landing on the ledge in front of Ekimu.
“Agil?” the Mask Maker said, kneeling.
The hawk bowed in return.
“Is it… is it time?”
The Creature nodded.
Ekimu sighed. “You’re right. I’ve stood on the sidelines for too long. Okoto needs the Toa of Light.”
Turning away from Agil, the Mask Maker walked off of the balcony and back into the temple. As he walked into the chamber, he gazed upon the engraving at the far side of the room. The depiction was nearly identical to the one that had been on his coffin that had been his home for the past several thousand years.
As he approached, the doors slid open to reveal a bright light that nearly blinded the old Okotan. Agil followed him into the chamber and watched as he gazed upon the room of glowing crystals.
Ekimu turned back towards him and nodded before walking into the blinding glare.
“Spirit of the Toa of Light, come to me.”
The moment he was stepped over the threshold his armor glowed brightly as it became more like crystal while he increased in height, growing to the size of one of the legendary heroes. Grabbing his two weapons from his back, they also changed as his hammer grew to accommodate his size while his shield turned transparent like his armor.
The runes on his Mask of Creation shone gold while the rest of the mask turned into blue crystal.
Stepping from the light, the doors closed behind him, the Toa of Light emerging from where the Mask Maker had entered.
The Creature of Light Agil screeched before flying into the air and landing on Ekimu’s arm as the two looked at each other, having been separated for thousands of years. The seventh Creature had come into being along with the other six and Umarak the Hunter, and embodied light and virtue while Umarak was made of darkness and hate.
“My brother’s shadow lengthens as the light on this island fades,” Ekimu said to the hawk.
“Let us shine some light in the dark.”
Chapter 7: The Portal[]
Close.
Normally, he wouldn’t believe in destiny. When he had come into existence along with the island of Okoto and the seven Elemental Creatures thousands upon thousands of years ago, his only purpose seemed to be to hunt them and drain them of their Elemental powers. Maybe that was destiny, but he had wanted to do it, and what he understood of destiny was that he couldn’t control it, and he could control his goals.
But this, this felt like destiny. He didn’t know how, but it did. Makuta had given him purpose in life. Makuta was his purpose.
He walked around the outside of another pool of quicksand, which bubbled to his left. One more piece of the forbidden mask was all he needed before he could complete his destiny. After all these centuries, he finally had a true purpose in life.
Umarak the Destroyer then came to a long-abandoned fortress, easily thousands of years old. It was most likely from the Time of the Mask Makers, and abandoned shortly after the Battle.
As he approached the building, he saw that there was a massive hole in the roof of the structure, just what he was looking for.
The Destroyer eventually found the entrance to the ancient building, which was blocked by tons of rock. Stretching his clawed-hand forward, it glowed with a sickly green energy before the rocks also glowed with this light before they flew backwards into the structure, the impact echoing throughout the area.
His red eyes blazing, Umarak strode forward into the darkness. As he came into a large chamber, he surveyed his surroundings. While he had been in the Region of Fire, a creature had been stalking him, one he had not seen for a long time.
Agil, the Creature of Light.
The seventh Creature usually did not make an appearance unless… unless it was time for the guardian of Okoto to emerge once more.
Ekimu.
Time was running out. Surely the Mask Maker knew what he was up to and was now getting ready to stop him. Walking through the fortress, he saw something glowing under a pile of rubble. Using his newly-found strength, he lifted the broken pieces and threw them across the room when he was blinded by an intensely glowing light.
Reaching down, he picked up the glaring piece, and as he raised it, the intense glow faded enough so he could see its detail while it still vibrantly shone in the dark.
Smiling, he pulled out a small box with glowing purple glyphs and flipped it open to reveal five other fragments similar to the one in his claws. He placed the piece in the container along with its counterparts and closed it, the shade of purple it glowed becoming brighter.
“Soon you will be free, Makuta,” he said before turning to leave the fortress, the darkness seeming to descend behind him.
The six Toa and their Creatures ran towards the Forge of the Mask Makers. Having defeated the Shadow Horde, they now sought to regroup with Ekimu and plan their next move, as they could sense that Umarak was reaching his endgame.
They ascended the stairs to the Forge before coming to a halt at the sight of a tall figure descending towards them adorned in blue and gold armor while holding a large crystal-tipped hammer and a saw shield.
“Ekimu?” Tahu asked in astonishment.
“Yes, Toa Tahu,” the Mask Maker nodded.
“How…” Kopaka fumbled for words. “How did this happen?”
“Just as it is your duty to defeat the darkness, my duty is to push back the dark.”
Suddenly a golden hawk flew around them before landing on Ekimu’s arm. The other Creatures seemed to recognize the bird.
“Is that… a Creature?” Onua asked.
The Mask Maker nodded. “This is Agil, the Creature of Light.”
“If he is the Creature of Light,” Gali’s eyes widened. “Then you must be the Toa of Light.”
“Well,” Ekimu chuckled. “Not in the same sense that you six are. You are the true heroes of Okoto, while I am merely a guardian.”
“Yes,” Tahu nodded. “But what exactly are you? How did this happen?”
“The Toa of Light must always exist on the island. I am the reincarnation of the previous Toa from the Region of Ice. All Toa of Light must wear the Mask of Creation.”
Gali understood. “So that Okoto will always have a light in the dark.”
Ekimu nodded. “Indeed, Toa of Water.”
Suddenly Pohatu chimed in. “So, it seems that you are only supposed to don the Toa of Light form when Okoto is in danger.”
“You are correct, Pohatu.”
“Then what has happened?”
The hulking figure overlooked the vast city that surrounded his tower, the purple glow reflected in his eyes. He had been trapped in this forsaken place for millennia, ruler of nothing but shadow. He was destined for so much more than this.
He turned away from the perpetual reminder of his brother’s betrayal and walked through his chamber. Upon his wall was engraved the Prophecy of Heroes, the very thing which brought the Elemental Toa to the island of Okoto mere weeks ago.
His clawed hand traced over the engraved signs and symbols and chuckled to himself.
“Your little heroes may be able to push back the dark, but they will never be able to fully outshine it, because when you take away the light, the rest is shadow.”
Makuta’s red eyes blazed as he turned away from the Prophecy and picked up a large three-pronged spear, the tips glowing as he made contact.
“My endgame is nearly here, and there will be nothing you can do, Ekimu.”
Across Okoto the Destroyer strode towards the Black Crater, the site of the Battle of the Mask Makers. As he approached, the box he carried began to glow brighter and began to shake as it neared the site. Umarak overlooked the vast, unnatural darkness that filled the hole in the ground.
As he surveyed where Okoto was thrown out of balance, a voice suddenly echoed through his mind.
“Excellence, my Destroyer,” the voice of Makuta said. “Now use the Mask of Ultimate Power to open the portal.”
Looking at the box he held, he outstretched his free clawed hand watched as purple energy began to circle around it before the darkness within the crater began to ripple and splash before dozens of sharp-pointed rocks shot up out of the seemingly fluid black and continued to rise towards the dark sky. Soon after the top of a mountain followed them, growing bigger and bigger as it rose.
Eventually it stopped and the light faded from his hand. Now in front of him was a gigantic black volcano, rugged tips of black rock jutting out all over its form. At the peak a bright purple light shone, bathing him in the glow.
Umarak smiled to himself before beginning to make his way towards the mountain when the voice stopped him.
“The Toa will be on their way. You must dispose of them before you attempt to release me, or they will stop you.”
“Yes, my lord,” Umarak complied before turning back and looking towards the direction of the City of the Mask Makers.
“So what? Umarak’s collecting the pieces of the Mask of Ultimate Power? I thought the Mask was lost in the battle?” Gali asked.
“Indeed it was,” Ekimu nodded. “But long ago, my brother created the Mask out of the six main Elements. It was a sacred law never to combine the Elements, and for a very good reason. The combination of the six is extremely dangerous and unstable. But my brother did it anyway.
“While if he had had pure heart, he might’ve been able to control the power of the Mask, he did not and it quickly took over the darkness within him and overshadowed him.
“Soon after the Mask became unstable and Okoto began to shake and crumble. I had to act quickly before it destroyed the island and I struck the Mask of Ultimate Power with my hammer and as it detached itself from Makuta’s face, the very power it was made of broke it apart into six pieces and a massive shockwave erupted from it, sending all six pieces, as well as the Mask of Creation and the Mask of Control across the island.”
“So,” Tahu said. “Umarak is getting all the pieces to bring to Makuta?”
“But I thought Makuta was trapped in the Shadow Realm?” Lewa asked.
“Both are true,” the Mask Maker replied. “I fear that Umarak is going to use the pieces of the Mask of Ultimate Power to reopen the portal it created thousands of years ago.”
“And set Makuta free,” Pohatu said grimly.
“How will we find Umarak?” Kopaka inquired.
“He ought to be heading or is at the Black Crater, the site of the battle.”
Suddenly the ground shook beneath their feet and Ekimu looked to the east, the others following where they saw a brilliant purple light shooting into the sky.
“It’s already begun,” Ekimu said before pulling out a bag and dropping it at the Toa’s feet. As it hit the ground six Masks identical, save for that they were silver, to their current ones rolled out.
“These are Masks of Speed. They will help us get to Umarak before it’s too late.”
Glancing at each other, the Uniters reached down and grabbed their respective Masks before placing them over their existing ones, the Masks fusing together.
“Who will protect the city while we’re gone?” Onua asked.
As if in response, the six Creatures chirped and barked.
Ekimu chuckled. “I think between the Creatures and the Protectors we’ll be fine.”
“Let’s go,” Gali said.
Together, the seven of them ran down the stairs of the Forge and came to the city gate, overlooking the battlefield they had just left. After surveying the destruction left by the Shadow Horde, the six Toa turned to the Mask Maker.
“How do we use these Masks?” Lewa asked, adjusting his own.
“Just think and it will happen,” Ekimu said.
Suddenly Lewa whizzed off in a blur of motion before skidding back to them a moment later. He looked at the surprised faces of his comrades.
“I think I got it,” he quipped.
“Alright we’ve got no time to lose,” the Mask Maker readied himself.
Together, the six activated their new Masks of Speed while Ekimu began to glow brightly. Then they sped off in a blur of motion, disappearing into the hills towards the darkness.
From the wall surrounding the city, Nilkuu and Vizuna watched as the six Elemental Toa and Ekimu the Mask Maker speed off towards the beam of light coming from the Region of Stone. While they had seen that the Toa were incredibly powerful warriors, they did not know if they were going to be able to vanquish Makuta.
Who knew how powerful Makuta had grown in the several millennium that he had been trapped? Who knew what kind of forces he had amassed? And what would happen if Makuta managed to cross over back into Okoto? Would the Toa be strong enough to stop him and his army?
Nilkuu looked to his brother. “Are your sensory tails picking up anything?”
“No, and that concerns me,” he replied. “All my life I’ve been able to catch glimpses of the future, having some idea of what is going to happen tomorrow. But now, now it’s like an eternal night has descended upon me, and I can’t see the light at the end.”
“You don’t think it has something to do with what’s going to happen today, do you?” the Protector of Stone asked.
Vizuna sighed. “I don’t know, Nilkuu. I don’t know.”
“I guess all we can do now is be ready for whatever comes our way.”
“Whatever comes,” the Protector of Jungle agreed.
Several minutes after they had departed from the City of the Mask Makers the group of Toa had crossed the mountains in the center of the island and were only seconds away from reaching the Black Crater. Rain had begun to pour down as they entered the Region of Stone.
An instant later Ekimu called out to them. “Stop!”
Willing themselves to a halt, they seven skidded to a standstill. The six Toa looked to the Mask Maker.
“What is it, Ekimu?” Gali asked. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re here,” the Toa of Light said, staring off at the horizon.
They followed his gaze and were met with a massive black mountain ahead of them, a stream of purple energy emitting from the peak.
“How did Umarak do this?” Tahu stared in awe of the dark mountain.
“I fear that our old friend has managed to find all six fragments of the Mask of Ultimate Power,” Ekimu said grimly.
“And at the top of that peak is the portal?” Onua inquired.
The Mask Maker nodded. “Yes. While the portal may be formed, Umarak still need to bring the Forbidden Mask to open the rift between our world and the Shadow Realm.”
“I’m betting Umarak hasn’t even made it up the mountain,” Lewa said.
“And what makes you think that?” Kopaka’s built-in lens adjusted slightly as he looked at the Toa of Jungle.
“Well Umarak is a big guy,” the green Uniter elaborated. “And he made that portal, what is it, five minutes ago? A big guy like him is ought to move slowly, so there’s no way he’s gotten up that mountain yet.”
“That’s good thinking, Lewa,” the Toa of Water said.
Tahu surveyed the area. “Perhaps we could sneak up on him?”
Lewa nearly laughed. “Yes, sneak up on the giant monster of pure evil. Just a walk in the park.”
“You said it yourself; he’s big and slow and we might be able to get an edge on him.”
Suddenly a voice came from behind them. “I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible, Toa.”
The seven swung around to see the massive form of Umarak towering over them. Since he had stolen the Mask of Control, which was now seemingly fused to his face, they had not seen him. Now he was a giant brute, his features twisted and distorted and his armor was a sicker green than it had been the last they had encountered him.
“Umarak,” Ekimu said, readying his hammer and shield. “This is not you. You are not Makuta’s servant. You are not loyal to him. You are more ancient than he ever could be.”
“But Makuta has shown me a path that is so much clearer than what I had been doing before. He has shown me the light in your darkness,” the Destroyer snarled at the Mask Maker.
“You are gravely mistaken,” the Toa of Light retorted.
The beastly figure laughed before he suddenly swung at the group, some kind of green ooze trailing from his clawed hand. The seven Toa and Agil quickly jumped out of the way as the slime struck rocks behind them and eroded them away like acid.
“Huh,” Lewa said, landing. “I guess he’s learned a few new tricks.”
Umarak smiled. “That’s not the only thing I’ve learned, Toa.”
His clawed hands glowed with energy before he raised them up, like he was lifting something. As soon as he did dozens of spouts of lava, water and earth came out of the ground. The sky above then began to crackle with electricity before it came down and struck the spouts. Before their eyes the spouts became members of the Shadow Horde.
Kopaka groaned. “I thought we were done with these guys?”
“No matter,” Tahu readied his blades of fire. “We’ve done this before.”
“These will be easier than before,” Ekimu said. “These are not supported by Umarak’s Shadow Traps.”
Then the beasts charged at the group of seven. Tahu slashed his swords through a Lava Beast before swinging at a Storm Beast but was instead shot by a bolt of electricity from the creature’s claws. Gali struck a Quake Beast in the chest, spearing all the way through. It shattered around her staff. A Lava Beast came from behind and swung at her but she ducked and kicked it away.
It stumbled into Lewa’s swords and broke into a million shards. He then spun around and destroyed two Storm Beasts. Pohatu swung his blade into a Lava Beast’s head before kicking a Quake Beast, causing it to fall backwards as the Toa of Stone charged at it and stabbed it.
To his right Onua brought his drill hammer down on the ground and shattered three Storm Beasts with juts of crystal. Behind him Kopaka unleashed a barrage of projectiles from his launcher and stopped and destroyed several beasts in their tracks.
Ekimu blocked the blades of a Lava Beast before he was blasted in the back by a Storm Beast. The Toa of Light fell to the ground and rolled over as the creature of shadow jumped on top of him and grabbed hold of the Mask of Creation.
“No!” he yelled.
In a flash of light, Agil swept down and grabbed hold of the beast’s mask and tore it off, causing the creature to stumble backwards. Quickly Kopaka spun around and shattered it with his ice blade.
“Thanks,” Ekimu said, the Uniter of Ice helping him to his feet.
“The battle’s not over yet,” the Toa replied grimly.
He readied his hammer again. “Far from it.”
To their left Pohatu surveyed the battlefield before his blue eyes rested on one of the high hieroglyphic pillars in the midst of the struggle. Cracking his neck, the Toa of Stone bolted forward. As he approached, he caused a pillar to shoot up under his feet, launching him into the air and right on top of the ruin.
Tahu looked up at his fellow Toa. “Pohatu, what are you doing?”
“Putting a quick end to this.”
Calling upon his Elemental power, the Uniter of Stone’s hands glowed bright green as energy swirled around them. Finding his footing on the ruin, he readied for a strike.
“See you around,” he muttered.
Drawing his fist back, he slammed it into the top the pillar. A massive earthquake shook the ruin as it rode down into the ground. The tremor was so violent it caused his fellow Toa to lose their footing as all around them the beasts shattered into pieces and their masks fragmented.
After the quake subsided, the Uniters regrouped as Pohatu jumped down from the pillar.
“You could warn us the next time you do that,” Tahu groaned.
“That would take away the surprise,” the Toa of Stone replied.
A voice from behind them. “You think you’ve won. Far from it.”
They turned to see Umarak standing there, the glowing box in his hand.
“Give up, Umarak! We’ve decimated your forces and we could do it again! Hand over the Mask of Ultimate Power!” Ekimu yelled as they readied their weapons again.
“I will die before I hand you the Mask!” the Destroyer spat. “Makuta will rise again this day!”
“Not if we can help it!” Gali replied.
“Then come and get me,” the giant smiled before turning towards the volcano. Suddenly he leaped high into the air, landing on the mountain before repeating his jump, scaling upwards.
The group watched from below in awe.
“Well that’s not fair,” Lewa crossed his arms.
“Quick! We must follow him before he uses the pieces of the Forbidden Mask to open the portal to the Shadow Realm!”
Together, the seven Toa and Agil, Creature of Light, ran forward towards the base of the volcano, the end of their quest just within their reach.
High above Umarak the Destroyer landed on the peak of the black mountain. He looked over the edge to see a hollow within the top, a large purple crystal glowing in the center surrounded by rocks. The giant jumped down into the crater and walked to the crystal which was burning with energy.
“Makuta!” he pronounced. “I have brought the pieces to your Forbidden Mask!”
Suddenly the energy shimmered as a transparent figure appeared in front of the crystal.
“Excellent, my Destroyer,” Makuta, Master of Shadows said, his red eyes glowing in his purple form. “Now, the pieces of the Mask will open a portal between our worlds, and I will be free once again.”
Umarak held up the box as it flipped open and the six golden pieces floated out of it and took six places around the flaming crystal. They glowed as the energy licked them, the volcano trembling slightly.
“The end is near, Ekimu,” the Mask Hoarder muttered as he disappeared back into the void.
In the Realm of Shadow, Makuta turned away from to crystal wall and walked across the room and out onto a balcony. He came to the railing and looked out over the courtyard below where dozens of Lava, Quake and Storm Beasts, Shadow Traps and darkly glowing Islanders were gathered, looking up at him with dull eyes.
“Today, we will cross over into Okoto. We will destroy them, and I will take my rightful place among the gods. Ekimu’s tyranny will come to a swift and just end, and there is nothing his pathetic Toa can do about it.
“Secrets have been kept, riddled in the dark, and now the Toa will never know their true potential as the sun sets over their beloved land and they will fall into the dark and never emerge. We will rule their world and they will never see the light again.”
Below there was an uproar of ragged cheering, causing the Mask Horader to smile.
“Now they can only watch as they fall.”
“How are we going to scale the volcano?” Kopaka asked, staring up at the spiked peak of the mountain.
“Climbing is obviously out,” Tahu replied.
“Hey guys,” Lewa said. “Remember?”
The Toa of Jungle pointed to his Mask of Power, which flashed silver.
“Oh right,” the Toa two replied in unison.
Pohatu rubbed his eyes. “Man you guys are slow.”
“Alright,” Ekimu suddenly stepped between them. “We haven’t any more time to lose. We have to stop Umarak from opening the portal to the Shadow Realm.”
Nodding, the six Toa and Ekimu readied to use their Masks of Speed to scale the mountain and have what was most likely going to be their final confrontation with Umarak, and maybe the final battle of Okoto.
Together, they activated their Masks, and in a blur of motion, disappeared up the jagged face of the black volcano.
The fragments of the Mask of Ultimate Power began to circle the flaming crystal as they each glowed with one of the six elemental forces of Okoto. As they circled, they drew nearer and nearer to the rock as with each pass, the crystal got slowly brighter.
Umarak the Destroyer watched as they slowly got closer and closer, anticipation in his blazing red eyes. Soon his master would be free, and a new age would begin on the island.
Suddenly he heard something move behind him and he turned to see the six Elemental Toa and Ekimu the Mask Maker standing with their weapons ready. Above them circled Agil, the Creature of Light.
“It’s over, Umarak!” Tahu called to the giant. “Give up!”
“You’re right,” the Destroyer said. “It is over. For you.”
He thrust his hand forward and a wave of pure shadow appeared and swallowed the seven up to their waists. Attempting to climb out, they found that it was effectively quicksand, only drawing them further in the more they struggled.
Ekimu raised his hammer over his head and swung it down on the darkness. In a blast of light, the shadows dissolved as the Toa and Umarak shielded their eyes.
Umarak snarled as he swung his arm upwards. At his command, several shadowy figures appeared. Each seemed to be a version of a Lava, Storm or Quake Beast, but were completely covered in black as their sickly green eyes blazed.
“Makuta will rise this day, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!” the Destroyer yelled.
As one, the two dozen Shadow Beasts charged forward the group of seven. As the first of them reached the Toa and unleashed a barrage of shadow attacks. The Toa blocked them with their weapons, but were quickly pushed back by the swiftness and rapid succession of the attacks.
Pohatu swung his blade at a Shadow Beast, expecting to destroy it when it disappeared as he dealt the blow.
“What-?”
Suddenly he was struck from behind by a blast of shadow as the beast reappeared. He rolled to a stop and quickly got up. He launched several rocks at the beast, but it disappeared and reappeared several times, dodging his attacks with ease.
“I can’t hit them!” he yelled to the others who were experiencing a similar problem.
Eventually, Gali managed sink her blade into one of them. In a blast of light it exploded, causing the Toa of Water to shield her eyes.
Her victory was short lived, however, as she was blasted from all sides by shadow from four different beasts. She was knocked to the ground as they surrounded her, ready for the final strike.
Around her the other Toa also fell to the power of the Shadow Beasts until only Ekimu was left. The remaining creatures soon had the Mask Maker cornered and were closing in quickly. He was out of options and out of time.
“Agil!” he called. “It’s time!”
The hawk screeched and flew directly for the Toa of Light. As he dove, he glowed brighter and brighter as Ekimu opened his arms to receive him. The Creature of Light collided with the Mask Maker as they exploded with a light that consumed the peak of the volcano and could be seen for miles around.
After the light faded, the Toa found that the Shadow Beasts that had been surrounding them were gone and Umarak had been knocked to the ground. The titan recovered and stood up, looking around for what had caused the explosion. His eyes fell on the far end of the crater, and for the first time, his blazing red eyes were filled with utter terror.
Standing there was Ekimu, Toa of Light, a pair of golden wings jutting from his back where he and Agil were united, energy surrounding them.
“Where there is shadow, there must be light,” the Mask Maker said, his eyes glowing brightly. “I am Ekimu, Toa of Light, guardian of Okoto, and you will not release Makuta.”
Umarak roared with an uncontrollable rage as he charged at the Toa. Ekimu readied his shield and hammer as the titan swung at him. The Toa of Light flipped out of the way of a wave of green ooze as he unleashed a barrage of light projectiles at the Destroyer. They struck him with brutal force, knocking him backwards.
Ekimu didn’t hesitate for a second and quickly charged at the titan and struck him with his weapon, smashing Umarak to the ground. The titan tried to get up but the Toa of Light unleashed a blinding blast and sent him flying across the crater and crashing into one of the walls. He landed with a thud on the ground and slowly tried to get up again.
“You won’t win, Ekimu,” he said weakly.
“Light always wins against shadow,” Ekimu replied, approaching the Destroyer.
“We’ll see about that,” Umarak muttered before chuckling.
Suddenly he shot up and unleashed a massive blast of shadow on the Toa. He barely had time to raise his shield when the darkness hit with the force of a cyclone, causing him to skid backwards. Ekimu attempted to push back against the blast but it was too strong. He strained as the shadows began to surround him.
“Ekimu!” he heard Tahu call.
Taking a deep breath, Ekimu closed his eyes, and focused.
“Come on Agil, let’s finish this.”
Drawing upon all his strength, Ekimu opened his eyes. Readying his hammer, he used his shield to redirect the blast of shadow and bring his hammer down on the stream. In a flash of light the Toa’s weapon shattered the attack and caused Umarak to stumble backwards.
Using his wings, Ekimu flew forward at the falling giant and swung his hammer upwards. Striking the Mask of Control, a massive blast of energy erupted and shot outwards, blasting the two opponents in opposite directions as the legendary Mask of Power clattered to the ground, reverted to its original state.
The Toa rushed to the side of Ekimu, who had also been reverted to his original Mask Maker form and had been separated from Agil, who was lying a short distance away. Helping Ekimu up, they also saw that Umarak had been returned to his previous form, now that he no longer bore the Mask of Control. He tried to get up, but quickly collapsed to the ground.
As Ekimu stood up, he looked to the crystal. “The fragments… of my brother’s Mask… we have to… get them...”
They looked to the crystal and saw that the six fragments of the Mask of Ultimate Power were now quickly circling the rock, closer than ever before.
“I’ve got it,” Kopaka said, running towards the crystal when suddenly a bolt of energy flew out and struck him, sending him flying back to the others.
Hearing a chuckling coming from their left, they saw Umarak looking up at them.
“It’s too late now, Toa. Makuta will be free.”
“Ready your weapons,” Ekimu said, taking up his shield and hammer again. “I fear he’s right.”
They watched as the pieces were consumed by the almost blinding light coming from the crystal as more bolts of energy shot out before there was a blast of light and sound. Slowly, a crude circle appeared in the light before spreading outwards.
The Toa’s grips on their weapons tightened as they saw a tall, armored figure appear on the other side of the opening, a figure that could only be Makuta himself. He chuckled soundlessly and approached the portal.
“Toa!” Ekimu suddenly shouted, as the noise from the energy had grown deafening. “If the portal can be opened with all six elements, it can be closed as well!”
The six glanced at each other and shrugged.
“It’s worth a shot!” Tahu called back.
Together, the six readied their weapons, each glowing with raw elemental energy.
“Fire!”
“Water!”
“Jungle!”
“Stone!”
“Earth!”
“And Ice!”
The six Uniters thrust their weapons forth and unleashed massive blasts of each of their elemental powers. The energy struck the portal dead on and consumed the opening. They strained as they were blinded by the intense light radiating from the crystal and deafened from the roar of absolute power.
Unable to give anymore, the Toa broke off their attack as the light now shone brighter than the sun itself, illuminating miles around them. Makuta was no where to be seen, and the roar of energy slowly died down.
“We did it!” the Toa cheered when a thunderous laughing surrounded them.
“No...” Ekimu whispered.
Suddenly the light disappeared as a shockwave of raw energy burst from the crystal and the portal flew wide open, knocking them all to the ground. The wave rolled from the top of the black volcano and across the entire island of Okoto, just as it had thousands of years before. Structures trembled as they were struck by the shockwave and villagers screamed as the sky grew even darker than it was before.
On top of the mountain, the six Toa and Ekimu watched as a massive figure stepped onto the black ground, adorned in black, gold and glowing orange armor, a large staff in his right hand while the six golden fragments of the Mask of Ultimate Power rotated in his left.
“After all these years,” he said, a tone of glee in his voice. “I have returned. The shadow has fallen. I am free. Free to rule Okoto. Free to rule the universe! I am Makuta, the Master of All!”
Characters[]
- Uniters
- Creatures
- Ikir
- Akida
- Uxar
- Ketar
- Terak
- Melum
- Umarak
- Shadow Traps
- Shadow Spawns
- Ekimu, the Mask Maker
- Makuta, the Mask Hoarder
- Protectors
- The Shadow Horde
- Kulta, the Skull Grinder
- Skull Basher
- Skull Slicer
- Skull Warriors
- Skull Spiders
- Bingzak
- Harvali
- Several Islanders
Reviews[]
- "Written as the second installment in The Dark Trilogy, Invader39’s Lost in the Dark claims the victory this month as the story with the greatest abundance of darkness since Pushing Back the Dark.
Seriously, someone get Invader a flashlight…
Situated in the gap between the 2015 animations right up until the end of Journey to One, Lost in the Dark serves as a dramatic retelling of the divisive 2016 storyline, expanding upon events seen in the television show whilst simultaneously enriching the wider Okotan backdrop with Invader’s own additions. Endeavoring to fix many of the television show’s shortcomings, this second installment in The Dark Trilogy launches out the gate in a bold new direction, ensuring an alternate ending to 2016 and leading right into the long-awaited Light in the Dark story, which is set for release sometime in the near future.
Capitalizing on the chance to make meaningful additions to the canon of Generation 2, this story is full of small allusions and in-jokes that make it a worthwhile endeavor to read. It’s got everything a downtrodden Generation 2 fanboy could possibly desire: implicit sexual tension between Skull Grinder and Ekimu, Gali hogging all the good lines, and the long-awaited Revenge of Skull Slicer. Read to the end and you might even find Pohatu’s single spoken line!" - ―Lost in the Dark's featured spotlight, written by BobTheDoctor27.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is Invader39's second story in the Nuvaverse.
- The story expands upon and changes some aspects of The Journey to One.
- Meanwhile, it ignores Escape From the Underworld and shows a different form of events.
- This is primarily due to Invader39 desiring to use Kulta in the story.
- Lost in the Dark is currently resting as the fortieth longest page on the wiki.
| The Dark Trilogy (v|e) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Story | Pushing Back the Dark | Lost in the Dark | Light in the Dark | ||
| Short Stories | Web of Shadows | ||
| Related | Lies in the Light | ||