On

This article was written by LoganWoerner. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.

On
Story
Setting	Daxia
Date Set	Concurrent with the Great Cataclysm

On is a story about the Artificial Toa Niha's beginnings.

Teaser

The island of Daxia. Known for its hostile climate and deceptive wildlife, few ever travel to the island. Those who do never return. The hidden secrets of the island are known to only a select few. They call themselves the Order of Mata Nui. For millennia, this Order has kept to the shadows, quietly carrying out the will of the Great Spirit Mata Nui.

But some organizations impede the Order's progress. Another organization, the Brotherhood of Makuta, has recently proven to be a traitorous lot.

The Brotherhood has recently poisoned the Great Spirit, causing the Matoran Universe to fall into chaos. A great earthquake has caused the deaths of thousands of innocent beings. 

Strangely, there has been no successful communication between Order headquarters and any Order member stationed north of the Southern Continent. The worst must be assumed.

Toa Helryx, the leader of the Order of Mata Nui, is running out of options, but a breakthrough in weapons technology may become very useful in the fight against the evil Brotherhood. The only thing stopping her is time. Nothing is certain, and everything is questionable.

Story

Prologue

Helryx's dark office seemed even darker today, even though the sun shone brighter than ever outside. What all had gone on in the past five months? It was all too much to remember. She didn't want to remember. There was a knock on the door. “Enter,” Helryx said clearly. The door opened, revealing Krakua, one of her best operatives. “It's a pleasure to see you, Krakua.”

”As it is to see you, Toa Helryx.”

Helryx motioned toward an empty chair across from her desk. “Sit down.” Once Krakua was seated, and after Helryx took the time to rub her brow, she spoke again. “Four months.”

”What?” Krakua asked.

”Four months. That's how long it's been since we've had any successful communication with anyone stationed north of Voya Nui. It's been four months since the earthquake.” Helryx sighed. She felt weary. “Have you learned anything else of the Brotherhood's plans?”

Krakua shook his head. “We lost contact with our field agents soon after we received their reports of the Makuta's treachery. We haven't heard anything from them since.”

Helryx closed her eyes. Her bones ached. Her soul ached. She may have slapped age in the face—she was nearly 100,000 years old—but she felt frail and ancient. With the Order nearly cut in half, everything was falling apart. “What about the AT model? Do you have the Toa stone?

The AT model is fully assembled. All we need to operate it is the Toa stone.”

”Good.” Helryx stood up. “Let's go to the development wing now.”

---

The island of Destral—once a symbol of power and protection, it's name now blackened for eternity. The inhabitants of this island—the legendary Makuta—poisoned the Great Spirit Mata Nui, causing a great earthquake that killed thousands. None of the Makuta thought that many of their own species would be counted in the death toll.

On the island, where the Brotherhood's headquarters once was, was an enormous pile of rubble. A green smoke rose from the wreckage. One would almost be able to hear dozens of voices screaming and howling, begging to escape.

The green cloud was a collection of dying souls. Dying Makuta souls.

A being rose from the rubble. Through the living fog, one would be able to make out the maroon and lime armor that he was wearing. If you were a Makuta, you would know that this being's name was Erevayx.

Erevayx walked straight into the cloud, and collected two of the Makuta souls. After collecting them he picked his way toward two lifeless shells. The shells of two once-great Makuta. He bent over the first shell. It's armor was ebony and crimson, and bore the legendary Mask of Shadows.

Erevayx held one soul near the shell, and whispered, "Goodbye, Teridax, for putting us in this mess." Erevayx then incinerated the screaming soul.

The second shell was massive, and was blazing red. "Goodbye, Miserix, for never seeing Teridax's treachery." He burned the second soul.

He turned to the cloud, and roared, "Goodbye, Brotherhood, for never giving me FREEDOM!

Burning. Screaming. Death.

But, not far away, on the island of Daxia, there was life. Or at least artificial life.

Chapter One - On

Niha's eyes flashed open, looking around, scanning her surroundings, taking in as much information that she could, so as to orient herself. She was upright, her back leaning against a vertical metal surface. It was cold. She tried to move, but she was secured in place by metal bands around her waist, wrists, and ankles. The room was bright, very bright, and white. Everything seemed very clean and organized. Springs, pistons, gears and wires were all sorted neatly in little metal trays, and everything looked glossy and streamlined. There were four beings in front of her. The tallest one, a black and silver being, stepped forward, and spoke.

“Artificial Toa Prototype 001, can you hear me?”

Maybe this being could help her out of her restraints. “Yes, I can hear you, but I would like it if you called me Niha. Will you please help me out?”

The being smiled. “Yes, Niha. I'm sorry about the bands. I didn't know what you'd do when I turned you on, so I kept you secured to this operating table.”

Niha was puzzled. “What I'd 'do', sir? What do you mean?”

“Well, this is the first time I've turned you on. You've only been assembled for a few days, now.”

“Assembled? Turned on? I don't understand, sir.” Niha was very confused. If a person is alive, they are“born” and they would “wake up”.

The being seemed uncomfortable. “First, Niha, you don't have to call me 'sir', you can call me Mersery. And before we discuss your creation, let's get you off this table.” Mersery waved his hand over Niha, and the metal bands opened up. “You can get off now.” Niha stepped off the table. Mersery motioned over to the other three beings. He pointed to the being that looked much like Mersery. “This is Vantelic. He helped me build you. He doesn't talk much, though.” He then walked over to a shorter being, who wore black and grey armor. “This is Krakua. He is one of the very few Toa in our Order.”

Toa? Order? Niha wanted to learn more. She opened her mouth to ask about it, but Mersery stopped her.

“You'll learn more about our world later.” He then put his arm around the third and final being, who looked female and wore blue armor. “This is Helryx. She's in charge. She is another Toa. She has requested to fill you in on who you are and what you're a part of now.”

Mersery went to the door, but stopped to call Vantelic and Krakua. “Come on. Helryx wants to speak to Niha alone.” Once the three males left, Helryx reached out for Niha's hand. Her grip was strong and reassuring.

“Your hand is cold. Do you know why?” Helryx asked.

“No.”

“Your hand is cold because you are not alive.”

This confused Niha very much. If she could think, feel and talk, how was she not alive? “What do you mean, ma'am?”

Helryx smiled sadly. “Watch this.” She pulled a knife from her belt, and poked a hole in her index finger. A crimson drop of something came out of the hole. “This is blood. All living things need it to survive. Now, I'm going to do the same thing to you. This will hurt, but only a little bit.” Helryx held Niha's hand out, and pricked her finger. Niha bit her lip as a small burning sensation ran up her arm. As soon as the feeling occurred, it disappeared. There was no crimson on her finger as there was on Helryx's. Niha was disappointed, but she still didn't understand.

“If I'm not alive, how can I see, and think, and talk?”

“Because we built you in a way so that you can. The only thing separating me from you is blood, though, so don't worry. Let's show you where you'll be learning and living around headquarters.”

“What? Headquart—”

“No questions right now,” Helryx interrupted, “you'll learn everything within a matter of weeks. Come on.”

Helryx lead her out of the room, and showed her around the entire building. There was the development wing, where Niha had just been. Helryx told her that it was where new technologies were made. Next was the training wing.

“This is where you'll spend the most time. Here you'll learn everything about the world, and how to combat it. No questions!” Niha shut her mouth. The next wing was the practice wing. It was much like the training wing, but Helryx said that full-fledged members had access to every weapon, vehicle, or mission simulation available.

The final wing was the dormitory, where everyone slept. Helryx showed Niha her room. It was small, with a bed, a map of the world, and a desk. She was glad she had a place to call her own, though. She already loved her room.

“Training starts tomorrow in the morning.” Helryx said. “In the development wing, room twenty.”

“Wait!” Niha shouted. Helryx looked surprised. “I mean, wait. Earlier you talked about the world. Can I see it?” Helryx's features were neutral, but Niha thought she saw a hint of a smile on her face.

“Follow me,” she said.

Niha followed her to the center of the building, called the Hub, and then to a pair of heavy metal doors. Two guards stood on either side of them.

“Niha and I are going outside for a moment. Please open the doors,” Helryx asked them.

“Yes, ma'am!” The guards said in unison. One of them entered a password into a key pad, and the large metal doors opened. Niha and Helryx walked through them, and stepped out onto the sandy ground. Niha looked around. The headquarters building was placed in a rocky valley between two sets of mountains. They were beautiful, Niha thought. She could just see the sun peeking over the hills, shining it's warm rays over everything.

“I like the world,” Niha said. “It's beautiful.”

“It isn't as beautiful as it once was, Niha,” Helryx said.

“How so?” Niha asked, wanting to hear more.

Helryx seemed to look weary. “The world used to be alive. I'm afraid that it's now dying.”

Niha couldn't grasp the concept. How could something so beautiful, so holy, so perfect, be dead? How could the world be lifeless? How? “It...it can't be! How can a world die? How is it possible?”

Helryx lowered her head. Niha could see she was obviously in pain. “I...don't know. I am unsure how a world can die, but I do know who is responsible.”

“Who?”

“There is an organization that was once a noble and powerful group of people called the Brotherhood of Makuta. They were responsible for creating the wildlife of the world, but that...has changed.

“No more than four months ago, the group proved to be traitorous. Somehow, some way, they caused a great earthquake that caused much damage, the extent of which we don't know. Now, the world's death is imminent.”

“How can we stop it?” Niha asked. A cold hand had closed around her, and she supposed that it was fear. The death of a world was unthinkable.

“I don't know that either, but our job is to find out.”

“I promise I will do my best to serve your Order, if that's what you want,” Niha stated, sure of her destiny now.

Helryx looked at Niha, no humor in her eyes, no look of reassurance. “There is no turning back if you choose to serve my Order, Niha. Are you willing to make that sacrifice? You will have no freedom, no mercy, and no break. You will be a slave to the will of Mata Nui.”

Niha didn't know who Mata Nui was, but she was sure that if Helryx believed that following his will would be for the best, it must be for the best. “I am willing.”

“Then be ready tomorrow morning for accelerated learning. It takes place in room twenty of the training wing.”

“I will.”

And she was there. She was there every morning for three weeks, learning about the history of the universe, about the history of the Order of Mata Nui, about the history and legends of Mata Nui, about the history of the Toa, and everything else. She learned about the Time Slip, the uprising of the League of Six Kingdoms, and the earthquake that fatally wounded the universe, which was called the “Great Apocalypse.” She learned about Lesovikk and the First Toa Team, she learned about Tren Krom, she learned about Artahka and Karzahni, and she learned about the Dark Hunters. She learned about Metru Nui, and Voya Nui, and Xia, and Destral, and Daxia, and Stelt. She learned about elemental powers in Matoran, Toa, and Turaga, and she learned about powerless, great, and noble Kanohi Masks. She learned about the Vortixx, the Skakdi, and the Zyglak. Niha learned about many other things as well, but they were not as important.

The one thing she hadn't learned about was combat and defense, which she was eager to learn. The day had come, and her excitement couldn't be contained. She was in courtyard twelve, the beginner's combat area. Eolas, the teacher, was going over hand to hand combat.

“Fighting is all about focus, knowing what your opponent is going to do as soon or before he does. Plan quickly, and if you are able to throw something in their face to startle and buy you time to deliver some elbow and knee strikes to sensitive areas.

“If you ever happen to be weaponless, and you end up on the wrong side of a bad guy's fist, don't consider yourself helpless. You may learn martial arts, if you like, but you don't need to know it to beat somebody twice the size of you. Instead of using a bunch of complicated blocks and punches, just focus on your more natural motor movements. Things that you can do without thinking about it. Things like pushing, walking, and simple punches.”

Niha was taking everything in. She was memorizing every word Eolas said.

One of her fellow trainees raised his hand. “What do you target?”

“Well,” the teacher said, “you need to aim for the head. Everything you throw at your opponent, aim for the head. Whether it's a punch or a push, either one will work more effectively when applying them to his head. If you want to get him on the ground, just give a good hard push, with both your hands, to his head. Any questions?”

No one answered, so Eolas clapped and said, “Okay! Let's take turns, and we'll have two of you fight at a time. Let's have Barom and Viosan fight first.

Niha watched each pair of members fight. They were sloppy, she thought, but she didn't voice it aloud. Maybe that's just how living beings worked. Maybe they couldn't remember things as well as she could. Maybe a brain wasn't as effective as a computer when it came to memory.

“Okay, let's have Gorand, and, let's see...Niha!”

Niha felt nervous. She walked up to Eolas, as did Gorand. He was huge.

“Fight!”

Gorand threw the first punch, which Niha ducked. She rolled between Gorand's legs and gave a shove to his back. The hulking Order member nearly lost his balance, but regained his footing just in time to receive a flying kick to his face. A metalic clunk! was heard, and Gorand was out cold.

Everyone was quiet. Niha was breathing hard.

“Niha,” Eolas said, “I think you'll be under the care of a new teacher from now on.”

Niha was worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Gorand wasn't a trainee. He's one of our best operatives. You did something very good.” He paused, then said, “It's time to meet Widsith.”

Chapter Two - Walk

Erevayx was sprawled out on the rubble that once had been Destral, where he had stayed for what felt like an eternity. His complete and utter rage that he felt had long passed, and he was questioning his very existence. He had killed many, if not all living Makuta in his anger toward Teridax.

And he had enjoyed it.

With what strength he still had, the crimson-armored Makuta pushed himself up to a sitting position, and his right forearm screamed in protest. Pain? Why was he feeling pain? His flesh and blood had long since evolved into pure energy, along with his pain receptors. When Erevayx looked down at the offending appendage, what he saw sickened him to his core. His forearm was inflamed, and it's color was a sickly shade of green-yellow. It was the unmistakable sign of the early stages of infection.

He remembered it all too well now. He was poisoned by his life's work: biotoxin.

In his mind, past events flashed before him. He saw his lab. He saw himself injecting a fluid into a struggling rahi. The memories were out of focus and hard to follow. He saw shaking, and he saw shelves crashing around him. He felt the pain again, of beakers and vials crashing around him.

He saw his forearm, in perfect detail, covered in toxic smoking liquid.

And he felt a pain greater than he had ever felt before. Erevayx was back in the rubble now, and he was strikken with grief. The poison must have messed with his very being. How long did he have to live? A virus this strong should have killed him by now. If he could survive this long, he must not have been too heavily infected. A searing wave of pain began in his wrist and traveled up his arm and into the rest of his body. He wanted to lie back down on the ground. The rubble was comforting. It would understand him. He wanted to sink back into unconsciousness, to fall into it's embrace. The pain would go away. No more hurting. No more toxin.

No.

He had to get up. If he let the darkness evelop him, he may never wake up. He lifted one shaky leg up and planted his foot firmly onto the ground, ignoring the flare of boiling pain. Erevayx then pushed himself up to a standing position, and took one step. He crashed back down to the earth, wishing he had never gotten up. His vision blurred, and the fog of death threatened to consume him. It would swallow him whole, and take away all of his pain.

No.

He heaved his body upward with all his might, barely hearing the bestial howl that escaped his lips. He was on fire, but his will was as unflinchingly cold as ice. It would extinguish the flames of agony, and his icy resolve would replace them. He stood up again, and moved his left leg forward, willing his body to stay upright. His foot landed heavily on the ground, and his leg wobbled dangerously, threatening to topple beneath his own weight.

No.

Erevayx would not let himself fall again. He moved his right leg forward, and planted his foot more firmly into the ground. Pain, again, was threatening to melt the ice that was his resolve.

No.

It became a chant. Left leg. No. Right leg. No. Left leg. No. Right. No. Left. No.

Again.

No. Walk. No. Walk. No. Walk. No. His body had submitted to his mind, as he had practiced all of his life. He would walk, and he would be in control.

He would keep his sanity.

In the distance, near Destral's shoreline, Erevayx could see a small being—probably a Toa Hagah— dragging a set of empty Makuta armor out of the rubble. A wisp of green energy circled and surrounded the Toa, almost looking eager to enter the armor.

So he missed a few. Limping forward, Erevayx felt a sudden urge to eliminate the Toa and the Makuta energy, but thought better of it. Why did he desire to murder his kin and a servant? The two may become useful in future, he thought.

Remember the others, something whispered to him. You can do it again.

Erevayx was afraid. Why was he thinking these things? He was not evil. It would be easy, his mind told himself.

The mental argument Erevayx was having came to a stop as the green-black smoke in the distance entered the dead Makuta shell, and, with a jolt, brought the shell to life. Erevayx could see that it was the shell of Makuta Serrakaan, who had been a feared assassin, even among the ranks of the Brotherhood. Any urge to murder such a powerful Makuta was extinguished immediately. Erevayx would not be capable of defeating Serrakaan in his weakened state.

Erevayx had nearly reached the Toa and Makuta's location when they spotted him. The two of them exchanged a look, and seemed to come to some sort of agreement.

The Toa stepped forward, giving an almost imperceptible courtsey after reaching Erevayx. She was obviously a female, the curvature of her form, illustrated in white and blue, gave it away. This was Serrakaan's Toa Hagah of Lightning, Kemlar. Her bright, intelligent eyes roved over him, most certainly trying to decipher what he wanted.

"Your excellency, is your armor in working order?" Erevayx liked this one. She knew her place, as she should. Of course, that didn't mean he'd give her the benefit of knowing.

"I would not be able to inhabit this suit of armor if it wasn't in perfect condition." He leaned forward, speaking quieter, "Look first, fool. Then you can speak." The Toa politely nodded, unfazed by his belittlement of her. She then courtseyed, then spoke once more.

"My master tells me he is displeased by your murder of the Brotherhood. He also knows that you are in fact injured." A cool rage overtook Erevayx, a red haze blurring his vision, but he resisted, and continued to listen to the Toa of Lightning. "He also says he could kill you here and now, without taking a step, but he is merciful."

Kill her, his mind told him again. It would be easy, the voice said.

And this time, he listened.

With a snarl, he backhanded the Toa, sending her crashing to the ground. This servant did not, in fact, know her place. He would kill her without a thought, without feeling, and without pity. He took a step forward, but did not get far. Serrakaan was there, his large clawed hand around his neck.

Your arrogance will do you no good, fool.

Serrakaan's voice did not come from behind his fanged mask, it came from within Erevayx's own mind. He whispered in a low growl, one that would have come from a Muaka warning an invader to back away. Serrakaan used his other hand to grab his right forearm; the one that gave away Erevayx's infection.

Your own work will be your destruction.

Erevayx's arm glowed, and it seared with pain. He tried to hold in his agonized roar, but it quickly escaped his lips. His whole being was on fire. He felt sick, wave after wave of pain pummeling his mind and body with merciless torture. Serrakaan let go of him, and Erevayx crumpled to the ground. Serrakaan, the Hand of Fear, had crushed Erevayx's will in one blow.

I have increased the amount of poison in your body, but you will not die soon.

Erevayx, curled up in a ball, was, to his disbelief, able to get a strangled "Why!" out of his mouth, horrified by what Serrakaan had just done. He was in pain. Great pain.

No. He was pain. The Makuta, towering over Erevayx, did not smile, but an air of satisfaction was displayed by his body language. The Toa of Lightning just watched on, expressionless. Her torso was adorned with three long, bloody scratches, dealt by Erevayx himself. He hated her.

I have slowed down your biotoxin's effects drastically. You have only one year to live. I am quite displeased that you murdered my master, Makuta Miserix. And you have angered me. You injured my loyal servant, who only relayed my own opinion. He paused.

You are a fool, Makuta Erevayx. You will receive no pity from me, nor will you from my servant.

He left Erevayx on the ground, and helped Kemlar onto her feet. Erevayx was humiliated and in pain. He struggled to push out the pain, to submit his body to his mind. He could only struggle. The voice in his mind was stronger now, and was clearer. More persuasive. You don't need to fight against me. The pain will make you stronger. Erevayx continued to struggle, fighting against his own mind and body. Submit to the pain. Submit to me. I am Adversary, your companion. Erevayx stopped struggling, curious. The pain was extreme, but dulled.

I will make you stronger, more powerful. In time, you will be able to use your weakness as your greatest strength.

This "Adversary" was interrupted by Serrakaan, who had some news. Erevayx could only look, his vision blurred and red with pain and hatred.

We're moving to Daxia. It is barren, mountainous, and devoid of life. We will start anew there. Get up.

And Erevayx did get up. He lifted himself up, and this time, his stride was steady. He had submitted to his pain.

Adversary was his companion.

Chapter Three - A New Trainer

This chapter was written by BobTheDoctor27.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

The dark armored Vortixx inhaled slowly and withheld a lungful of air, then exhaled at the same rate. After about a minute or two of focusing on his breathing, he felt his tense muscles slacken once more. A deep tiredness rolled over him, like a warm, gentle wave from a sapphire-blue ocean. He imagined water swirling at his waist, licking at his chest and soothing his discomfort.

He lived for moments like this. Moments where the world was silent and he was left at peace to turn inwardly. Moments where he could reflect over a long and barbarous life.

The Vortixx had indeed been lingering around for a long time. Lately he had begun to feel the steep toll of time weighing down on his old, weary bones. There was no retirement plan saved away in his line of work, which irritated him considerably. But duty won out selfish desires. Retirement was still a far-off horizon and he was yet to buy a boat in which he could sail out and meet the distant skyline.

He prized whatever time he was given in solitude above all else. He had made many mistakes that would haunt him well into the afterlife, but he had also committed many noble acts in his time. He liked to think that his own personal virtue was greater than his wrongdoings. It was self-judgment. As he grew older and older, however, memories became muddled with dreams, the illusory images in his mind both tangible and fragile, as if they were crafted from wisps of smoke.

The creaking of a wooden door shattered the Vortixx’s concentration. Irritated, he let out a low grunt and peeled open one eye to check the skylight above his head. It was late afternoon, but the Twin Suns barely shone. The Great Apocalypse had damaged them, plunging the entire Matoran Universe into gloom. There were now no more than six hours of cloudy sunlight a day and eighteen hours of pitch-black darkness without the Twin Moons to pierce the night. When he realized it must already be time for him to meet his newest student, he closed it again, listening out for her footsteps.

“I have been expecting you, Toa,” he murmured, his creaky voice twisting and lingering through the thick air like smoke. “Come. Sit with me.”

There was a distinct moment of hesitation, then the metallic sound of footfall on the stone floor. The slender figure of a Toa of Water edged timidly into view. Wide, innocent emerald eyes scanned the room carefully, like a little lost Hydruka that had wandered too far from its herder. Nervously, she crept forwards then sat down opposite him. She took one careful glance at his posture then tried to mimic his position, not wanting to loiter her gaze on him for too long.

“My name is Widsith,” murmured the Vortixx in his softest tone. It was important for him to do the talking upon first contact with a student.

The inquisitive eyes of his latest apprentice roved around the chamber curiously. The mechanical lenses in her eyes zoomed in and out as she adjusted to the setting. Widsith was utilitarian by nature. This was his place of work as well as his home. He’d gone to tremendous lengths to make sure that it revealed nothing about himself. It would be fascinating to see what conclusions Niha could draw from this environment. He imagined Mersery squealing with delight at the statistics buzzing around in this Toa’s core processor.

Her faceplate, modeled after a Kanohi Tryna, caught a glimmer of light as she glanced at the floor. She had not made eye contact with him yet, which was interesting. It was like she was resisting him.

“My name is Niha,” she responded weakly. Her voice was delicate and riddled with anxiety. Its pitch squeaked like little, unoiled pistons in the back of her throat.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Niha,” continued the Vortixx, closing his eyes once more. “I am not a conventional trainer. One thing I want to get straight: I'm not a very clear-cut guy.”

He felt a pair of fluttering eyes stare at him. He opened his own eyes again and met her gaze, exactly how he had imagined it in his head. She looked away instantly.

“You might not be filled with confidence when you hear your trainer say this, but I don’t believe that there is any proper way to teach a student to fight. We learn from experiences and life choices, not from well-polished reactions and rehearsed swordplay. But, nevertheless, I suppose wasting my time doesn't matter to some people a lot further up the totem pole than myself.”

The artificial Toa’s jaw spasmed. Widsith interpreted that as an exasperated gulp.

“Believe it or not, working for the Order of Mata Nui is no walk along the Northern Continent coastline,” continued the shady Vortixx bitterly. “There will be times when you have to make hard decisions in the name of Mata Nui. Do you know who Mata Nui is?”

The Toa blinked, flustered. “Yes.”

“Good,” grunted Widsith. “Mata Nui is everything around us. He is the air that we breathe and the ground we stand on. He contains us and protects us. He gives us purpose.”

Niha pursed her lips and looked at the far wall, trying to come to terms with the newly-discovered fact that the Great Spirit had been incarnated into every structure in the Matoran Universe.

“But Mata Nui has been hurt,” continued the Vortixx. “Much like you, Mata Nui is a robot.”

That caught her attention.

“There are those who seek to overthrow him, and the actions of those few have plunged the universe into dark and turbulent times.”

“I see,” muttered the blue-armored student, processing the information away.

“We operate in the shadows of this world.” Widsith extended a hand and gestured around the darkened chamber. “We are a covert organization of battle-hardened warriors. Secrecy is our greatest tool, yet it is conversely our greatest weakness. We ride our rookies hard so as to prevent any unnecessary setbacks. This organization was constructed like a fortress. No single crack in its side can be counted small. You will need to undergo thorough training before I allow you to participate in your first mission. Is that understood?”

He was met with a blank stare.

“Is that understood?” he repeated.

“Did you know that you are missing an eye?” inquired the Toa of Water naïvely tilting her head. “Most species in this Universe were created with two eyeballs. Your left one is missing. Were you aware of that?”

The Vortixx stared back, stuck between disgust and anger. His mouth hinged open to let rip an onslaught of verbal abuse at this disobedient student only to stop suddenly. Gentle green eyes stared back at him.

“Mersery programmed you, didn’t he?”

The Tryna-wearer hesitated then nodded. It must be a buzzword.

“I thought as much,” chuckled the Vortixx. “He can be awkward like that too… I think it’s a Mersion trait.”

He reached up and tapped the scar that ran across his empty eyehole.

“I got this while I was in the Dark Hunters,” he explained with a heavy, nostalgic sigh, remembering the days when the Twin Suns actually afforded the world with some light. “I was tasked with eliminating a Toa of Psionics. I figured it would be an easy kill. Those Psionics-types don’t tend to adopt combat tactics. I figured I’d linger around before moving. She found out and hypnotized me into stabbing myself in the eye as punishment. Do you see a lesson to be learnt from that experience?”

Niha pondered the question then shook her head.

“Do not hesitate to follow orders,” he stated, as if reciting a quote from a reputable writer. “If you keep your head down and do as you are told without delay, then you will go far in this world. Do you think you can do that?”

The mechanical Toa tilted her head again, this time confident enough to pose her own question.

“Why are people constantly asking me if I want to do things?” inquired the cybernetic Toa woozily.

Widsith cracked a wolfish smile.

“I’m not giving you a choice,” he chuckled darkly. “You’re in the big-league now. If you slip up once then everything this organization has worked hard to achieve comes tumbling down. And it’ll be on your head.”

“Would that not hurt?”

“More than you can imagine.”

The Vortixx glanced over the sleek the mechanical Toa as she sat awkwardly before him. This was indeed an interesting prospect. It would be fascinating to test the physical limits of a Toa in such a high capacity. It unlocked many options for training with his other students, not to mention the implications of how an artificial soldier would revolutionize warfare.

A grave injustice had been dealt to the world, ending millions of lives for the benefit of only a handful. Conflict was inevitable at this point. The woe was universal.

He was part of an old generation, one who looked back with embitterment and mistrust at how things had been. Niha, on the other hand, was taking this war-ravaged world in for the first time, only just coming to terms with the hardship that he’d made a regular part of his own life. When he looked at her he just felt old. This marked a new stage in evolution. Another generation entirely. The ending of one era and the beginning of a new.

Perhaps it was time to retire soon, after all.

The former Dark Hunter glanced the robotic Toa over one final time before closing his eyes once more and returning to his illusory world of solitude.

---

The Training Wing was a gigantic chamber, full of shouting, cheering, high-spirited thugs. It was exactly the kind of atmosphere that Niha needed to restore her vitality after her somewhat gloomy first impression of Widsith. This was a room full of people in a dangerous line of work, who might not live to see the next day. Every day was a celebration of sorts.

Widsith herded her forwards, wide-eyed and curious. Various contests took place between Order members. They were mostly games of physical combat – wrestling, swordplay, weightlifting and so on – though some tactical board games were also favored.

The artificial Toa turned her head to observe the nearest match. She watched carefully as a Steltian dockyarder worked hard to pin a Skakdi down and toss him out of the ring. You needed a quick eye to keep up with all the action—and as Niha soon found out, you also needed a stomach with which to swallow the sight. The skirmish was a lot more violent than she had expected at first glance. There were bloody faces and bruises adorning the features of both combatants.

“Why don’t they wear protective layers?” she asked, catching up with Widsith. He was surprisingly quick on his feet for an old-timer with a limp.

“They don’t believe in it,” he answered bluntly. “It’s a privilege that they can’t be afforded in the field.”

The artificial Toa glanced sympathetically at the Skakdi as his opponent’s fist connected with his jaw, cracking his toothy grin. He staggered backwards then laughed and complimented his opponent on a good swing. Only then did it occur to her that the Skakdi might actually be training the Steltian juggernaut.

“It was worse in the Dark Hunters,” countered the Vortixx dismissively. “They’d rather have cracked their skulls open than worn helmets.”

The master and his student weaved in and out of crowds for several minutes before reaching the opposite side of the hall. They approached another miniature arena, where a Toa of Fire and a large green, reptilian figure were jabbing at each other with spears. Niha wracked her data banks trying to think of a known combat form to compare this activity to. The closest match she could think of was fencing, only this version was a lot bloodier. The aim seemed to be to prick one’s opponent three times in order to win.

“They call this one the 'eye-baller',” stated Widsith in an informative grunt. “I’ll leave you to guess why.”

The pair lingered around, spectating the match. The green reptile was fitted with a complex breathing apparatus and clawed fingers. He was swift, but uncoordinated; strong, but imprecise.

His opponent, however, was something else entirely. He twirled and ducked and dodged as if practising a well-polished routine for each strike. It was a rally. The two warriors were caught in a constant state of movement. It was graceful—almost like a dance. Their footsteps were synchronous and fluid, a concept that was completely alien to the young Toa.

Growing tired, the reptile started swinging wildly, becoming more and more exasperated with each passing poke of his spear. The Toa of Fire evaded each of them synchronously, evading each blow with superior skill. His eyes were scanning his foe relentlessly for a weakness. It was ruthless.

In the end, the Toa of Fire won the battle with a sudden jab that his enemy almost walked directly into. The green reptile’s chest retreated inwards as the spear honed in on his midsection. With a simple flick, the weapon swung upwards, grazing his chin. He grunted then threw down his spear and hung his head in shame and frustration.

There was a short cheer from the crowd as the arena cleared. The Toa of Fire smiled and thrust his spear into the air, striking a victorious pose. Widsith chuckled aloud then beckoned for him to come over. Obediently, the Toa came forwards.

“Niha, this is Toa Sellith, one of my most esteemed students,” he announced decisively. It was a statement of fact as much as it was an introduction. “I have been training him for fifteen years.”

As far as first impressions went, the robotic Toa wasn’t sure what to make of the stranger. He had a confident flare and a dominating figure. His body was toned and muscular. Clearly he was at peak physical condition.

But there was something deeper than that. While his eyes shone with victory, she sensed something sinister lurking behind his charming demeanor; There was a killer’s coldness as well. She sensed doubt and angst deep beneath the façade.

He extended a fist for her to clank. “A pleasure to meet you, water-maiden,” he declared with a wink.

The gesture confused Niha. Was it some kind of attack? Under normal circumstances she would have flinched back or returned with a punch of her own. But there was something comforting about this Toa. Maybe it was his smile, or the twinkling in his deep, perceptive blue eyes.

Awkwardly, she mimicked the gesture and extended her own fist. He clanked his knuckles against hers. The Tryna-wearer’s eyes widened as she felt a spark. There was certainly a strong flare in this Toa. She had felt it in that brief instance of contact. A magnetic crackle. A sort of brotherly bond.

“So, a reliable source tells me that you’re the newest recruit?” inquired Sellith.

Niha blinked. “That is true.”

“It wasn’t exactly a triumph of deduction,” he muttered jauntily.

The artificial Toa tilted her head and turned to Widsith, who was standing proud, glancing admiringly at the Toa of Fire before them. His eyes were hazy and distant, reminiscing back to the days when he’d handed the Toa his first spear and taught him how to grip it properly. This was quite the turn-around.

“You handled yourself well out there,” he noted approvingly.

“Indeed,” nodded the crimson-armored Toa with a smirk. “If there’s one thing you taught me, it was how to prance around an arena like an exotic Rahi.”

“Strange, I thought I managed to drill in some respect for your elders,” chuckled the Vortixx. “Either way, Sellith here is lined up for a promising career as a full-ranked member of the Order of Mata Nui.”

“He may be an old Mahi in the run-up to having its fur sheered, but this guy can get you where you need to go,” grinned the Huna-wearer.

The synthetic Toa tilted her head and re-examined the pair of warriors before her. They were engaging in humorous memories and reminiscing over times long-since past. Yet they joked in such a light-hearted manner. It was completely alien to her, and equally hard to resist joining in. She felt the emotional urge flowing through her circuitry. But, at the same time, she felt excluded. These memories were not her own. It felt wrong and intrusive to join in. She was the artificial third wheel.

After several more minutes of congratulations and jesting, Widsith regained control of himself and bid his farewell to the Toa of Fire, returning to the sobering matter at hand. He led Niha into the combat arena and motioned for another stranger to approach. This one was a Toa clad in brown armor, but clearly not one in the traditional sense. There was something odd about this figure.

The Toa of Stone was female.

Niha blinked and looked closer. Sure enough, the stranger was of medium height and slim physique, sporting a clearly female form beneath her armor. She had dark eyes. The way she moved and the tendons in her wrists spoke of serious gym time.

“This is Toa Merall,” announced Widsith. “She one of the most capable warriors I have ever had the pleasure of training. She is beyond expert-qualified on every kind of close-quarters combat you can think of. Scares the hell out of me, certainly.”

Niha stared at the stranger uncertainly, feeling very intimidated indeed.

“I would like to conduct an experiment,” stated the Vortixx certainly, stepping back and exiting the ring, leaving the unnerved Toa alone with this dark and brutish stranger. “Merall has been trained to locate a target’s weaknesses and to exploit them in a combat situation. If I am to gain any understanding of your limitations then it is integral that I observe your technique under more extreme circumstances. You may begin.”

Niha’s mouth hinged open as Merall sprang into life. With footsteps like earthquakes, the female Toa of Stone flexed her shoulders and adopted the fluid, well-rehearsed motion of a Doom Viper preparing to charge.

The Tryna-wearer tried to swallow, but to no avail.

Chapter Four - The Tiger and the Hummingbird

As the Toa of Stone advanced towards Niha, a frantic feeling was steadily growing inside of her. Her core processor was working on overtime as she searched her memory banks for previous experiences that she could draw from, anything that would help her fight back. She found nothing, so she fell back to the age-old tactic that was engrained even into her artificial brain: get away. In any other circumstance, Niha would have thought her choice to either go on the offensive or escape was much like the primal fight-or-flight instincts of her biological counterparts, the Toa, but in this situation, there was no time for thoughtful musing, there was only the battle, the need to end it, with minimal injury.

All of this whirred through Niha's brain in a split-second, but that split-second was costly; Merall was already only a few meters away, ready to strike. Niha prepared for a painful blow as the Toa of Stone's fist flew forward, but the punch never came; Niha had narrowly avoided the overhead blow with a quick dodge to her left. Merall quickly regained her footing and prepared for another strike, this time aiming for Niha's head. Niha quickly readied herself to dodge again, this time to her right. As she lunged to the side, she felt arms quickly embracing her waist. Niha realized that Merall's uppercut was just a bluff, and instead Merall had tackled her while she was off balance. As they fell, Niha twisted her body so that she hit the ground next to her opponent, instead of underneath, where she would surely be defeated. Niha kicked and struggled, but Merall's grip was too strong. Even with one arm raised to finally punch Niha, the muscular female Toa had Niha pinned to the ground. Merall positioned herself over Niha; the artificial Toa's attempts to not be underneath Merall were futile. This is going to hurt. Bad, Niha thought.

Merall brought her fist down, and Niha heard the metalic klunk! it made when it connected with her faceplate. Niha cried out in pain. It blinded her for a few seconds, but that didn't keep her from fighting back. Merall's grip had loosened after the punch, and Niha's limbs flailed about. Her foot hit something, and her opponent fell with an oof'! Niha got up. She looked down at Merall who was slow to get up. Niha hesitated for one moment, then swung her leg in a sideways arc toward Merall. Niha's moment of hesitation was crucial, and it costed her; Merall had time to register that Niha had gone on the offensive, and the Toa of Stone grabbed Niha's leg before it made contact and threw her far, using the momentum from Niha's kick against her. Niha felt like she was soaring for a few moments and then hit the steel wall of the chamber, landing on the dusty floor hard. Niha pushed herself up, her creaking legs painfully supporting her weight; they were threatening to fail, ready at any moment to topple beneath her. She leaned against the wall, wishing the pain would be over. But Merall, always on the offensive, always ready to throw the next punch, had already reached Niha, and the spry young robot had to keep moving, lest she be pounded into scrap metal.

Niha decided to go on the defensive again, this time diverting Merall's moves rather than avoiding entirely; she would redirect them, rather than dodge them. The artificial Toa pushed herself off the wall, and was ready to fight again. Merall threw a punch, and Niha slapped the arm away—or at least that was what she hoped she would do. Merall was just too strong; there was too much force behind the punch to even slightly change it's original course. Niha was rewarded a gut-wrenching punch in the stomach.

Trying to deflect Merall's attacks was not a good idea. Niha would have to find a different strategy.

Merall advanced again, but this time, when the Toa of Stone threw a punch, her target was gone. Niha had evaded Merall's attack. Niha again dodged her opponent's punch, this time one aimed for her head. Again, no contact. Over and over, Merall's punches, kicks, and lunges never found their target. Niha waited, her photoreceptors analyzing the situation, until the time was right to strike.

Merall did not get angry when she fought, Niha observed, even when situations like this occurred, when she failed to make contact with her opponent. Niha's mechanical, automatic movements were faster than Merall's, and it was tiring the Toa of Stone, if only slightly. Niha calculated that if she went on like this for about three minutes, Merall would be tired enough to be defeated. If only Niha could shorten the time. But how?

Niha decided to evade her opponent for a length of time, then sneak in an attack of her own every so often. Her first offensive move would be a kick.

Niha used the momentum from her last move to jump high. She spun twice in the air, then swung her left foot at Merall's exposed face. A dull crack sounded, which Niha deducted was the sound of her foot making contact. The Toa of Stone staggered backwards, but wasn't out for long. Niha saw a look of concentrated fury on Merall's face. Not blind rage, that Niha decided would affect one's skill negatively, but a focused anger, one that seemed to keep Merall sharp and alert. Niha decided to go on the defensive again and avoid Merall's attacks. The process went smoothly for about twenty seconds. Then things got dirty.

Niha was focused and calculating, analyzing each move Merall made and filing it away for later review, while at the same time trying to evade them. Niha's databanks were whirring with information, sweet, sweet information, giving her core processor a satisfying buzz. Niha found that she enjoyed the fight. Each move was a turn in a chess game, and Niha felt like she was the queen, triumphantly knocking over each of her opponent's pieces. It would only be a matter of time before she had Merall in check.

Or that is what Niha calculated.

Throughout the entire battle, Merall's dark eyes showed no emotion, only the fight. Niha could not find any outside appearances that could lead Niha to confidently deduct that her opponent was feeling at all uncertain or wary. Most of the time, Niha had learned, when an organism was in a situation that was not going well for it, the external features of that organism would show signs that meant fear. Not so with Merall. And soon, Niha would learn why.

As if a switch was flipped, Merall went into overdrive. All of the Toa's previous attacks seemed futile when compared to the flying kicks and lunges she flawlessly executed now. Niha was using all of her computing power just to sort out the entire situation. Niha now could confidently deduct who was the winner of this fight, and why: Merall had been holding back this entire time. The Toa of Stone was in control; Merall was the queen, and Niha could only think one thing: checkmate.

When the thundering Toa of Stone barrelled into her, Niha felt no pain, at first. She was in awe of the pure force that was behind the tackle. It took all of the air out of Niha's filters, and left her gasping on the ground. But Merall didn't stop there. As Niha struggled to get oxygen back into her system, Merall brought a rock-hard fist down on Niha's head, leaving her lying on the ground, dizzy and confused, pain incarnate, absorbing each blow, submitting to the punishment she received. She could feel a blow to her stomach, which made her frantic. She opened her eyes, and Merall had a wild look on her eyes.

Niha tried to get up, to get away, any possible means to escape the pain, but Merall—no, her opponent—but her opponent kept her pinned to the ground. She felt something on her face crack, and then her view was blurred and fuzzy. She saw Merall raise her fist, and Niha readied herself for the finishing blow. “Stop!”

Niha couldn't see, but the blow never came. She heard through her audio receptors, buzzing with static, a conversation going on. Niha couldn't make out the words, but it seemed like her trainer—no, her savior—was lecturing someone, Merall most likely, in a heated tone. Then Niha felt woozy, so she let herself power down so her core processor could assess the damage done.

Niha knew that this fight was just for training, but she felt that she would not be on good terms with her fellow Toa of Stone.

And with that thought, things went black.

Chapter Five - Flying Lessons

The lair of Makuta Veneferous was located in the mouth of an active volcanic crater in the southwest portion of the Southern Continent. Just from this one fact, one could confidently say that this Makuta's reputation preceded him.

Erevayx thought otherwise. As he stood before the spineless squid, revulsion and disgust welled within him. All that Veneferous ever did was sit in his black throne and bask in his own filth, just as he was now.

“So you never saw through Teridax's lies, did you? Now, because of it, our race is decimated, and you two come here begging me for help. Why would I help you? You both are fools.”

Serrakaan did not seem angry, but Erevayx knew otherwise. He spoke only by telepathy, and right now he allowed everyone to hear what he had to say.

"We are no fools. You, Erevayx and I are the lone survivors of our species. We can still carry out what Teridax intended, albeit in a different way."

“Do you think I supported what Teridax was doing?” Veneferous looked incredulous. “He was a stupid fool.”

"It doesn't look like you tried to stop him, even though you seem to be the only one who knew his scheme. You obviously found some merit in his plan."

“You clever fox,” Veneferous chuckled, “you always were quiet, but you sure do know how to think. I did not try to stop him, because on the off chance that he did succeed, things would have went well for us. We would rule, the Matoran would fear us even more, and that blind fool, Miserix, would be banished forever. Teridax and I both despised your leader.”

"Do not insult Makuta Miserix. He was a good leader."

“Oh, I know he was. I just despised him.” Veneferous shifted in his chair, obviously to make himself more comfortable than he already was. “I will be blunt with you. I will go with you only because it suits me, and I see some potential in this 'relocation' business. Do you have any way of defending the island?”

Erevayx thought it was time to speak up. The fool knew they had no defenses.

“Veneferous, my friend,” Erevayx began, “I think you already know that we have no means of defense. To put it nicely, you will supply us with some, or I will personally smear your royal face across the wall.” Veneferous remained calm, but his demeanor became more serious. A fight was just waiting to happen.

But just then someone spoke; Makuta Serrakaan's Toa Hagah. Her small voice was quiet, but clear. “I don't mean to be rude, Lord Veneferous, but I think my friend Erevayx meant to ask nicely. We have no defenses because Destral was destroyed. Would you be gracious enough to bring some servants along with you?”

Veneferous looked intrigued. “You are bold, young Toa, but I like you. But remember to only speak when you are asked to. That is the mark of a true Toa Hagah.” There was a pause, and then Veneferous spoke again. “I will bring two thousand Visorak and twelve Rahkshi with me, to keep defenses up. I am only doing this because it pleases me to do so, not because Erevayx 'meant to ask nicely'. Isn't this Toa cute?”

Serrakaan looked as grave as ever. "We will leave tomorrow before the sun rises."

“I will be ready,” Veneferous replied.

---

It had been three weeks since Niha's fight with Merall, and she had gone through several beatdowns similar to that one since. Niha had improved, slightly, especially during her sparring sessions with Sellith. He was always ready to help her when her form wasn't correct, or if she had made a mistake.

“The good thing about you is that I won't have to teach you this again,” he had said. “You can remember everything I tell you, right?”

Niha had nodded her head slowly, readying herself for the next fight, but Sellith shook his head, and rested his hand on her shoulder. “No more,” he had said. “I'm sure our old master won't mind if we end our session early today.” Niha had looked up at him, eyes wide.

“But that's against the schedule.”

Sellith had smiled, and lifted Niha's chin with his closed hand. “Hey. Keep your chin up. We'll get back to work tomorrow.”

That had been yesterday, and now, in Mersery's lab, Niha was replaying the memory within her databanks, pondering about it as the Mersion scientist went about his lab, tinkering with his experiments. The experience with Sellith had made her circuits buzz, but she didn't know why. There was no emotion in her code that was quite like this one, but it was mostly happy. She felt confusion, too, but that still was not exactly what she was feeling.

“What are you thinking about, Niha?” Mersery had caught her off guard, and she started in surprise. “You seem to be a bit out of it today.”

For some reason, Niha's core processor was telling her to keep the truth from the scientist. That was strange, and she felt a bit strange by this first impulse. She decided to tell the truth, but only in part.

“I was just thinking about a training session I had yesterday,” she said, “I feel very happy about it.”

“Happy?” Mersery asked. That was strange, Niha thought. She didn't try to say happy. She couldn't find the word. The feeling was too complicated to express.

“I don't mean to say, happy, Mersery, but I don't know what to say,” Niha said, frustrated. “I'm not happy, though. I think I'm mad now.”

“Why are you mad? You've been in here the whole day, watching me work! You've learned much today.” “I'm not mad at today,” Niha said, “I'm mad at my databanks. I can't find the right word for how I feel.”

Mersery sat down next to Niha, and grasped her knee comfortingly. “Niha,” he said, “feeling is a hard thing to describe, and you're very new to it. I think you might want to take a break from all this thinking. Niha, I am a thinker, but when I get frustrated during my work, I take a break.”

Niha was puzzled. “You can stop thinking? When I try to stop, I just start thinking about something new. I never stop thinking, Mersery.”

Mersery laughed. It was a sad laugh, Niha thought, with a lot of age and wisdom behind it. “Oh, Niha, you make me smile. I never stop thinking, either. When I say 'take a break from thinking', I mean that I stop thinking about the difficult questions. How do I put this? I guess I could say that I think about something easier.”

“Oh. That makes more sense. I do that too,” Niha said. Her voice seemed smaller than normal, as if she had been muted. She felt small, and the world seemed big.

Mersery stood up, stretching. “Since you're here, Niha, why don't I show you some of your powers?”

Niha got up. “Okay.” Mersery led her over to a wall lined with bunches of high-tech equipment, one of which was a large plug.

“Okay, Niha, I need you to stand with your back to the plug. I'm going to unlock your weapons system.”

Niha stood patiently in front of the plug as Mersery pried open a panel in the middle of her back, and inserted the plug. It felt cold, but not unpleasantly so. The Mersion then flipped a switch on the wall, causing Niha's servo motors to hum with energy. She felt super-charged. “What are you doing now?” Niha asked as Mersery typed on a keypad.

“I'm entering some code to unlock your weapons system,” Mersery replied. “Okay, done.”

And as he said it, Niha felt motors whir inside that she hadn't before. Her vision flickered, then went completely black.

“Mersery, I can't see.”

“Just wait a second.”

Niha did what he told her. Wait. And soon, her vision flickered back into view, but it was tinted with a blue hue. Soon after she could see again, information came in and out of view as she looked from place to place. She focused on Mersery, and information was visible.

Mersery:

Mersion scientist; member of the Order of Mata Nui; specializes in neurology and biology...

The information went on and on. Niha liked it though. “I see words,” she said.

“Yes. That's your Heads-up Display, or HUD. It tells you everything you need to know about your opponent, and how to beat them. Let's take a look at your other tools.”

“Okay,” Niha said.

“I'm about to show you how to use your cutting lasers. Point your left arm at that metal plate on the wall.”

Niha did what she was told. Her HUD screen went red, and new text appeared.

Would you like to activate cutting lasers?

As soon as Niha thought “yes”, a brilliant green beam of light shot out of a apparatus on her wrist, and cut the metal plate in half. But it didn't stop there. The beam was melting through the wall.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” Mersery shouted. He seemed frantic. Niha thought “stop” and the beam disappeared. The Mersion scientist walked over to Niha. Strangely, he had an eccentric look on his face. “I guess I should have thought better of that,” he chuckled, “but that was amazing! Let's see if I can get your wristblades to work.”

Niha thought “wristblades”, and a sharp spike shot out from each forearm. It would have impaled Mersery if he hadn't gotten out of the way. “Whoa!” he shouted. Niha needed to keep her weapons under control. “Maybe I should tell you about your weapons when I'm at a safe distance.” He paused, but then said, in awe, “You are amazing! Let's take a look at another gadget.”

Niha was starting to get a little worried. She had already damaged the wall, and now she had almost killed Mersery. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I don't want to break anything.”

Mersery seemed unfazed. He was still smiling, but he was also breathing hard. “Of course it's a good idea! You need to learn how to use these things!” Niha was starting to worry that her mentor was a little too excited about her hardware. But he was her superior, and she would obey him. Mersery typed in some new code, and then some new text appeared on her HUD:

Activate running assist?

Niha didn't know what that was, but she thought “yes”. Nothing happened, for a second, but then she felt her legs vibrate, and the sound of rockets gave Niha a sinking feeling. Uh-oh, she thought. Then she was lifted off the ground, and she felt weightless for a few moments. That was until she saw the wall speeding toward her very fast. There was an impact, and she felt her shoulder armor warp painfully, and she cried out. It wouldn't be heard, though, because the rumble of falling debris was louder. The dust cleared, and Niha could hear Mersery calling her.

“Niha? Niha, are you okay?”

Niha pushed herself up, and winced. Her shoulders hurt like crazy, but she would live. “I'm okay.”

“Good.” Mersery put Niha's arm around his shoulder, and helped her away from the debris. “I guess...that wasn't a good idea. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” Niha said. She was about to say something else, but just then an Order member—Johmak, Niha remembered—rushed in, and looked very serious.

“Mersery. You need to come with me.”

Mersery was puzzled. “What's wrong?”

Johmak seemed hesitant to answer, but she did after a few seconds. “It's bad. Three Makuta have come with an army of Visorak. They are about to attack.”

Mersery looked solemn. “Niha. Come with me. It looks like you'll be having to use those weapons sooner than I thought.”

Chapter Six - Uninvited Guests

Erevayx sat at a desk tweaking his biotoxin, as he always did. He had nearly completed the formula; it only needed a few more changes, and it would be ready to use. The black liquid would transform any organism into a powerful, more aggressive version of their previous selves, making them a sort of “super-soldier”, in a sense. He could only imagine how much stronger the Brotherhood could have been, if only Makuta Teridax had listened to him. Erevayx had known that his fellow Makuta was up to something, and he knew that far too few of Teridax's plans had ever come to fruition. His plan to control the universe was not an exception, and the Brotherhood had been extinguished because of it.

The island of Daxia was faintly visible through one of the vast windows of the Brotherhood Airship Makuta Veneferous provided; the untouched location was the perfect place to reform the Brotherhood. The hot climate and ferocious Rahi would ward off any potential explorers, and the mountain terrain would keep the Brotherhood's activities hidden. Yes, there were more surviving Makuta, if Erevayx's calculations were correct. He knew that Makuta Krika was off somewhere on the Southern Continent, and other stragglers who managed to survive the Apocalypse were probably off somewhere near the southern island chains. Karabak would have been a nice addition to the New Brotherhood, but he had been banished from the Matoran Universe long ago. Tazzuk would also have been nice to team up with, but unfortunately, he was probably dead. He lived on the Northern Continent, which probably was damaged much more than Destral had been. Hopefully, there would be enough Makuta to reform the Brotherhood; there was strength in numbers, and a small number of Makuta would logically be weaker.

Erevayx searched the small airship interior for his other allies. Veneferous was standing at one of the airship's large windows, viewing the island of Daxia, now much closer, it's gentle mountains barely visible. Serrakaan was...where was Serrakaan? Then he saw him, hiding beneath his cloak. Erevayx viewed this as cowardice, but he knew that the tall, silent Makuta had always had an air about him that seemed darker and more sinister than the others. And then Kemlar...

Kemlar had been a bit of a mystery to him ever since she had come to serve the Brotherhood. She had arrived, alone, in a sailboat without a sail, bloody, battered, and bruised, and Serrakaan took her in. She had been obedient, efficient, and just a bit outspoken. She was likable, but something was off. She was the only person who Erevayx could test his biotoxin on. That was for another day, but he looked forward to the moment every day.

The slender Toa of Lightning was sitting at a table, absentmindedly playing with her hair. Her fingers weaved in and out of the thick white hair, almost like snakes. When she thought no one was looking, she always had a defeated look about her, as if a slight change to her backstory could have changed the outcome of her life drastically. Erevayx felt pity for her for the most minute of moments, but then his heart became hard once again. She was beneath him, and her petty trials were meaningless to him.

Kemlar snapped out of her aimless trance and looked quite alarmed. She got up out of her chair and dove for the airship floor in one fluid motion, yelling “get down!” as she did so. Erevayx, out of pure instinct, did as she said, as did the other two Makuta, and just in time. A large blast of white-hot energy shot straight through the airship passenger suite, incinerating the table Kemlar had just been sitting at. The beam was about as big aroud as a castle door, blowing a hole in the airship.

“We're going down,” Kemlar said, catching her breath. “Daxia must not be as baren as we previously thought.”

Niha followed Mersery closely as he weaved in an out of the many halls and corridors of the Order of Mata Nui headquarters. He seemed more purposeful in his movements, less eccentric than the Mersion scientist Niha knew. This situation was serious; Mersery's eyes gave it away.

Niha had been taught and had read about the Makuta, but they had never seemed more real, or more fearsome than they did now. Armored shells housing pure energy, the dark beings used to protect the Matoran and provide them with wildlife. Now, they had rebelled against Mata Nui, and were a force to be reckoned with. Helryx had told her that the Order had been working on weapons made specifically to immobilize Makuta, but the technology was new and only recently tested. Several weapons and turrets had already been installed, but not enough to fend off an army of this size.

Niha checked her HUD, and she saw that she had hundreds of unanswered questions whirling through her brain. Niha struggled against her impulse to ask them. They weren't essential to the fight, and they would only distract Mersery from his duty. Niha decided to follow hers, which was to follow orders.

“Niha, here is the door to the infantry deployment bay. Widsith will be near the exit; you can't miss him.” Mersery had a sad look on his face, as if he didn't expect to see Niha again. “Niha, whatever you do, do in the name of the Order. Do not hesitate to kill, and, Mata Nui forbid it, if you get captured, reveal no secrets. Is that understood?”

“I have processed the data.” Niha then looked up at his mentor, afraid. “Do you think that I'm going to die, Mersery?”

The Mersion put his hand on his forehead, obviously stressed. “I don't know what I think. Just go on.”

“Yes, sir.”

Niha then entered the deployment bay, and quickly ran over to where Widsith, Sellith, and Merall were standing. She followed the trio into a transport, and a weightless feeling came over her as they took off. They were preparing for battle: getting armor on, choosing a weapon, going over battle tactics. It was all so strange for Niha. She was made of armor, she didn't need to wear any; all of her weapons were stored inside of her; and unless she was learning something new, she didn't need to “go over” anything. It made her feel like...well, she still didn't know what she was feeling. It wasn't the time or the place to ponder.

“Niha. I've heard you have had a bit of playtime with Mersery. What did you learn?” Widsith looked like he was in a good humor. That was strange. He was acting in a joking manner. Maybe she should try her hand at a joke.

“I learned how not to use my head's-up display.”

Widsith and Sellith both laughed. A pleasurable sensation came over Niha. She liked it.

“Mersery's good at teaching people how not to do things, all right,” Sellith said.

Widsith also managed to say something. “I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Niha.”

“I don't.” Niha replied meekly. She looked over at Merall, who was as solemn as ever. She had not laughed, but Niha guessed that the Toa of Stone liked to keep calm before a battle. She was loosening up, stretching, anything to prepare herself for the coming fight. She was intimidating, Niha thought, but Merall was an ally. Even though she first met the Toa of Stone when she was ready to pound Niha to a pulp, Merall was an ally.

Niha felt the impact of the transport hitting the ground, and Niha was caught off balance.

“Okay, ladies, it's time to squash some spiders.” Widsith seemed to be enjoying the fight before it had begun. The clinking, chittering sound of a thousand Visorak could be heard outside the transport. Then the doors opened. Niha's photoreceptors adjusted to the light quickly, and she saw a live Visorak horde for the first time. “Let's go!”

All four of them charged into the swarm of Visorak. Widsith charged head-on, using only his armored fists. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he smashed a Roporak to a pulp, crushing its shell. Sellith swung his mace, hitting two Keelerak in one fluid motion. Merall wielded her axe and shield, cleaving a rhotuka spinner in two before it had the chance to become energy.

All of them seemed so sure of themselves. They were the superior defenders here. Several other Order members were trapped in electric Keelerak cages, unable to move. Many others had already died, but some still fought on. Niha ran into battle, rhotuka spinners whizzing by. She attempted at attack, but she was too busy controling her HUD.

Activate wrist-mounted lasers?

“No.”

Activate wristblades?

“No.”

Activate running assist?

“No.”

She was so busy with her HUD that she didn't see a Vohtarak charge. She turned just in time to grab its legs and keep it from pinning her to the ground. The red and orange Visorak hissed, the underside facing Niha, it's sharp pinchers snapping, wriggling, trying to kill whatever was underneath it.

There was a forceful blow against the Visorak's carapace, and the beast fell limp. The Vohtarak was dead, and Niha pushed the body aside, revealing Sellith. He was breathing hard, and he had a wild look in his eyes.

“Hey. Keep your head in the game. It's not that hard.”

Then he was gone, off fighting again. The chaos was unbearable. So much was going on at once, but Sellith was right. She needed to concentrate. Maybe if she said “yes” to some of the HUD options during battle, the results would be better.

She saw a Keelerak two hundred meters away. In the chaos, Niha felt as if it was just herself and the Visorak. That Keelerak was hers. She was destined to destroy it, if destiny existed. She advanced toward the jungle green Visorak, her breathing quickening.

Activate running assist? her HUD asked.

“Yes.” She braced for something bad to happen, but nothing did. She advanced toward the Keelerak at a rapid pace, the dusty ground that was just in front of her speeding behind her a split-second afterward. The Visorak noticed her now. It's perceptive red eyes were intelligent and calculating, just like Niha herself. It launched a Rhotuka spinner, and it was quickly racing forward, ready to hit its target any second now. The Visorak was in striking distance now, but Niha felt the urge to leap. She did so, and the Rhotuka spinner was close.

Activate combat assist?

“Yes.” Niha's left forearm opened up revealing small rockets. They ignited, and Niha brought the arm into a puch, and it was thrown forward toward the Rhotuka. Her fist made contact, and because of her speed, she broke the spinner before it energized. She brought her fist down, making contact with the shell of the Keelerak. There was a crunching sensation as her rocket-propelled fist broke the thick green carapace of the Visorak, and then, the soft insides of the spider-Rahi were obliterated, killing the mighty beast instantly. Her closed hand then hit the ground, bringing the Rahi with it. It was over; the Visorak was dead.

Niha pulled her arm out of the dead animal, covered with a thin coat of slime and gore. Niha felt nothing; she just observed. There was a smoking hole in the Keelerak where it's spinner would have been launched, and a sickening green slime oozed out of the opening. Niha used the back of her hand to clean some of the gore off of her viewscreen, but it just smeared and made a larger mess. She wasn't accustomed to speaking to herself, but she felt the need to now.

“Why is fighting so messy?”

“Beause we're dealing with a messy problem.” Niha jumped at the sound of Merall's deep, clear voice. Niha was so caught up with the Visorak that she had forgotten about her surroundings. There were more Visorak, and there was more fighting. Merall hadn't even got messy yet, and Niha was already covered in slime. “Come on.” Merall was gone before Niha could reply. The fight had moved over to the thin strip of jungle near the shoreline, so the baren ground further inland was now deserted.

Niha sprinted toward the sparse forest of palm trees and other tropical trees, and found the battle. Several Order members were engaged in combat with the different breeds of Visorak, but there were other creatures deployed as well. Niha found twelve Rahkshi in the peppered around the thousands-strong Visorak swarm, engaged with several respectable members of the Order. Widsith had taken on two at a time, tearing the Kraata out of a Rahkshi of chain lightning in the palm of his hand, all while in combat with another Rahkshi, one of Anger, Niha deduced. Tobduk was fighting against a Rahkshi of poison, leaping away from patches of infected ground and hacking at his opponent simultaneously. Merall's axe was a blur; Niha only saw a disk of protosteel flinging Visorak to and fro, cleaving a Rahkshi's head in two as she did so. Operatives piloting mobile canons blasted tight groupings of Visorak to smithereens.

Niha accepted the HUD's request to use the cutting lasers; she aimed at a Suukorak who was ready to strike down an Order operative trapped in it's electrical field, and fired. Once it was dead, Niha stepped into the cage—she had previously learned she was invulnerable to electrical damage—and rescued the trapped operative, disrupting the energy cage.

Slowly, very slowly, the Visorak horde seemed smaller. The swarm seemed to be shrinking back toward the shore, almost on command. The airships that had earlier been high in the sky deploying troops were now close to the ocean, ready to take the Rahi and Rahkshi back. Were they retreating? Yes, it seemed so. Many Order members had fallen. The only ones left defending the west side of Daxia wereTobduk, Johmak, Widsith, Merall, Sellith, and herself. It was strange. It seemed like a setup.

Niha soon realised that it was.

The three Makuta responsible for the invasion appeared before her eyes, and so did...a Toa? The Toa was blue and white—the color scheme of a Toa of Lightning—and had thick white hair. She wielded a sharp spike in her left hand, and a shield in her left. The tallest Makuta—Makuta Serrakaan, her databanks told her— was black and silver, and wore a dark cloak, which he threw on the ground. He held a large scythe in his right hand. There was also a scarlet and acidic green armored Makuta, who seemed deformed. Because of this, her HUD did no recognize him. The beginnings of infection showed around his neck and chest, and sharp unnatural claws protruded from his fingers. The third and final Makuta—Veneferous—wore white and maroon armor, and held a scepter-like weapon.

The fight begun.

Serrakaan advanced toward Widsith, who was more than ready to engage in combat. Makuta Veneferous attacked Sellith, who was ready, and Merall took on the green and red Makuta. From the exchange that the two had, Niha found out that the Makuta's name was “Erevayx”. That left Niha with the Toa. She must be a Toa Hagah who still didn't know the Makuta's schemes.

The Toa lunged, her spike narrowly missing Niha's shoulder. Niha activated combat assist and unsheathed her wristblades. She punched with her left hand, rockets blazing, and the Toa grabbed her forearm, the wristblade just centimeters from her great Rau. The Toa must be strong; the rockets added a lot of thrust to Niha's punches, and it would take a lot of strength to stop. Niha decided not to think about it, and kicked the Toa's legs from underneath her. The Toa was silent. She didn't make a sound when she hit the ground. As soon as she made contact, she lifted herself right back up. She threw a punch, and Niha did not catch it. It sent Niha staggering several meters away. Niha saw the Toa putting the spike in its sheath, and she put her arms out. A blue-white ball of electricity was growing in her hands. It seemed as if the Toa was forming the ball of energy in her palms, almost like clay. Then she thrust her arms forward, lunging. A beam of electricity rocketed toward Niha, hitting her square in the chest. The energy carried a lot of force behind it, but Niha didn't feel a thing. Good thing the Toa was a Toa of Lightning. Niha was not affected.

The Toa put her arms down, letting them hang. She seemed astonished. “How did you do that?”

Veneferous's voice could be heard. He was in the air. “Retreat everyone!” Serrakaan had already flown away, and Veneferous followed. Erevayx stayed behind, though. That was strange. Then Niha saw the lime and maroon Makuta soar over to the Toa of Lightning and plunge a syringe into her neck. The traitorous Makuta then flew away.

The Toa of Lightning fell to the ground, obviously in great pain. Her hands seemed plastered to her neck. Niha ran over to the Toa, and tried to help. The Toa lashed out, and screamed.

“Make it stop!” Niha looked into the Toa's eyes, and they were red. Her armor was slowly dulling, and her Great Rau was growing fangs. Jet black wings sprouted out of her back. She was no longer conscious, but the Toa writhed on the ground.

Tobduk and Merall picked up the Toa and took her away. Niha just stood where she was, frozen, a cold, clammy feeling coming over her. It didn't last long. Widsith and Sellith came from behind her, her mentor putting a hand on her right shoulder, and the young Toa of Fire moved to stand in front of her.

“You did great, Niha,” Sellith said. “I saw you fighting those Visorak. Pretty wicked, huh?”

Niha smiled.

“You might wanna work on your execution, though,” Widsith added. “You're a bit messy.”

Niha was indeed covered in slime and muck, “Yeah, I agree. I must work on my technique.”

Sellith winked. “Let's go train some more. There's still a lot of daylight left.”

Chapter Seven - Shadow Interrogation

It had been six weeks since the Makuta attack had occurred. Niha was still a bit shaky in her form and technique, but her information storage chip had been continually filled with new experiences and tricks to use in battle. She had gotten used to all of her weapons and internal hardware, and her HUD didn't distract her from the real world anymore. Niha learned to ignore certain prompts and suggestions made by her HUD, while also remembering when to accept some of it's requests. Her training sessions with Widsith, Sellith and Merall had been going well – she had beaten Sellith once in hand-to-hand combat, although her sparring sessions had been less successful. Niha had found that her performances without weapons far outclassed her performances with them. No matter how hard Niha tried to emulate her other teamates while using meelee weapons, every tool just seemed awkward and unwieldy in her hands. She decided she would stick to her own two hands and her internal weaponry only. Widsith had questioned her decission, but had not denied her. Niha also had enjoyed her time spent in Mersery's lab. Her Mersian mentor had taught her how to assist him in his experiments, all of which Niha enjoyed. She performed calculations that would have been difficcult for regular beings, which made Mersery's tasks around the lab go by much faster. Mersery also let Niha bisect a few rahi. Niha was amazed at the complexity that went into the life processes of a living thing, and it made her wonder at how the Great Spirit could ever have created such wonders.

No matter how fun or exciting training with Widsith or performing experiments with Mersery was, Niha found that she felt the most happy out in nature, out by Daxia's shore, in the hot tropical greenery by the foot of the island's great mountains. That's where she was now, sitting in a tree she had previously named the Thinking Tree, where she processed her memories and experiences. When Niha had asked Mersery why there were names, he had told her that people gave names to things that had meaning to them. The Thinking Tree was the first tree Niha had ever climbed, so she gave it a name after coming to it several times. Now, sitting in the Thinking Tree, she looked out to the shore to see the view.

The shoreline was still several kio away, but it was easy to see because of how high she was. The titanium blue of the ocean waters struck Niha's photoreceptors with some considerable force; some adjustments had to be made before she could view it without looking away. Many birds flew about to and from the shore, some even coming to rest on the very branch on which Niha was perched. A brilliant green bird approached her, a questioning look in his beady eyes. Niha put a hand out, and the rahi confidently hopped on. Bringing the bird closer to her mask, she could see the many colors that were etched in just one of the hundreds of feathers on him. While Niha was made of circuitry and protosteel, each manufactured part of her one solid color, this bird was created with millions – no, billions of cells, it's organic machinery working flawlessly together to stay alive. The bird was a wonder of creation, while Niha was a product of the world. But still...

Although Niha was a machine, no more than just a few dozen kilos of metal and plastic, she still felt that there was something more to herself. Why could she feel, and how? Although Niha was unable to express some of the things that she felt, the feelings were still there. Why did she prefer some tasks over others, if not because she was living? How much different was she from this bird, really? Niha was made of different materials than the living, but she still served the same purpose, she was sure. Or did she?

The bird on her hand suddenly flew away, startled by the buzzing of Niha's communicator. Niha activated her HUD, and it showed that Widsith needed her.

“Yes?” Niha asked.

”Niha, where are you?” the digitized voice of her combat instructor blared through her communicator.

“I'm over on the north side of the mountain range, near the shore. Do you need me?”

“Yes. We're going to do some questioning back at the base. When can you be back?” Niha calculated the distance she was from the base and how fast she could get back.

“I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Widsith replied, ”Be there. Widsith out.”

Niha leapt out of the Thinking Tree and sprinted toward the base. Thinking could be done later; she now had a task at hand.

Back at the base, Niha met Widsith outside the Order prison. Niha had never been there, as it was forbidden for any trainee to enter without permission from a full-fledged member of the Order. It was located underground, directly beneath the center of the headquarters building. Niha felt odd here. She wasn't particularly afraid of the prison, it just had a sort of fearsome aura about it, as if any who entered would never come back out.

“This place isn't for those with weak stomachs, Niha. This place holds the worst of the worst, beings we don't even allow the Toa to hold in their prisons.” Widsith was very grim, his jaw taut, muscles tensed. Niha swallowed. It was an involuntary motion that had no purpose in a machine like herself, yet it spoke volumes. Widsith didn't seem to notice.

“Let's go,” he said, “the interrogation's about to begin.” Widsith approached the prison doors and placed his hand on a scanner to the right of them. There was the sound of heavy objects moving against each other from behind the doors, and then the entrance to the prison opened. Widsith entered, and Niha followed him down a long staircase, scanning the cold stone environment for any useful data. Once at the bottom of the staircase, Widsith slowed, checking something. “The cell number is A30, so it's not that far down.”

Each cell in the prison had a thick armored wall with no means of looking inside. Whoever these criminals were, they were extremely dangerous. Buried under dozens of meters of earth, and guarded by the most secretive organization in the Matoran Universe, these thugs had no way to escape.

“We're here,” Widsith announced. Niha looked at the cell number, and it was clearly marked: A-30.

“Who are we interrogating?” Niha asked.

Widsith's brow was furrowed, and his mouth was set in a grim line. “Well, we're here, so let's just take a look.” He opened the door, gestured for Niha to come in, and then sat down. Niha remained upright, because her optical intake chip was still processing what her eyes saw.

It was the Toa of Lightning from the Brotherhood invasion, but she was no longer the same. Her previous white-and-blue color scheme had all but vanished, a sickening blue-grey replacing it. Her Great Rau was now deformed and rusty with decay. Wide, haunted pits where the eyeholes had been were occupied by two dim crimson lights. Four sharp fangs protruded from the mouth of her mask. Frail, bony apendages had grown from her back, with tattered leathery wings draped over them. She was curled up in a corner on the floor with no hope in her eyes. She had not even seemed to realize anyone had entered.

Niha took a seat next to her combat instructor, waiting to see what he would do.

“Toa Hagah,” Widsith said, loudly and with no feeling. The Toa of Lightning looked up, and her hopeless demeanor transformed into a stony one. Her emotionless gaze fell on Niha for a brief moment, and finally came to rest upon the one who spoke to her. Her stare was as cold as ice, with a hint of electricity behind it. Widsith grinned coldly, hungrily. Niha was scared by him in these moments. “You're a smart one, aren't you?” He said, no warmth behind his words. The Toa of Lightning only raised her eyebrow skeptically, knowingly. Her red eyes brightened and dimmed with an irregular rhythm, threatening to go out. After a pause, the prisoner spoke.

“Smarter than you, at least.” Her voice was low and had an edge of anger to it, but her cool reserve remained intact. Widsith's easy demeanor had not changed. He laughed softly, his deep voice omnipresent in the small room.

“You must be a great deal smarter than me to have a reason to be with the Brotherhood while still having a clear conscience,” he replied.

“I don't remember the last time I had a clear conscience,” the Toa Hagah replied bitterly, her gaze never dropping.

“Why did the Brotherhood invade our island?”

“We weren't invading, we were moving in,” the Toa said. “Our old base was destroyed.”

Widsith leaned in. The Toa stayed put. “How?”

“Why do you need to know?”

Widsith replied immediately. “I'm a part of a group who needs to know everything. Now how was your base destroyed?”

The Toa was quiet for a while, blankly staring into space. “I don't know.”

“I think you do, and I would like to know.” Widsith pulled a syringe out of his pack, making sure the Toa of Lightning could see it. Niha's eyes widened. “Niha, you must remember that our ideals are unlike the Matoran's. We serve the will of Mata Nui and no one else's. The Matoran's virtues are too costly to live by.” With that, he proceeded to insert the syringe into the Toa's arm, but she faded into a black mist. Niha sat looking, dumbfounded. “Decoy,” Widsith said.

The Toa had escaped.

If the Order had know where she went in the coming months, they would have looked for her longer.

Characters

• Helryx
• Krakua
• Erevayx
• Teridax
• Miserix
• Niha
• Mersery
• Vantelic
• Eolas
• Gorand
• Merall

Trivia

• The Toa stone mentioned in the prologue is what powers Niha.
• Erevayx is not infected with his own toxins near the beginning of On.
• Eolas' lecture on hand to hand combat was inspired from the how-to website, wikihow.com.
• Chapter Three was guest-written by BobTheDoctor27.
• Jman98 kindly created the banner for On.