Chapter 1

Gathered friends, listen again to our legend… of the Bionicle.

In the time before time, the Great Beings crafted our home, the mighty Mata Nui. We were given purpose within him, and so we found our days fulfilled. Matoran, Toa, Turaga, Rahi beasts, and the Brotherhood of Makuta, all working towards the same goal. But our happiness was not to last. When the Toa and Makuta successfully stopped an uprising that would destroy Mata Nui, an ambitious young Makuta named Teridax realized that overthrowing our guardian was very possible. He took over the Brotherhood, and twisted it to his own dark designs. After much hardship and sacrifice, Makuta Teridax was vanquished, and our new home of Spherus Magna was restored by Mata Nui. Now, Toa, Matoran, Agori, and Glatorian all live together in harmony, in these glorious Post-Teridax Ages.

As we expanded, so too did our need for guardians. Toa once again rose to be protectors, this time for matoran and agori alike. While praised as heroes by most, some still doubted, wondering where their true loyalties lied. It was into these uncertain times that new heroes were called to a land shrouded in suspicion…

It was early in the morning that high tide came to pass on the beaches of Nalda Nui. Few but the fishers were out at this time of day. The sun had barely began to lighten the sky, when a soft beeping broke the calm crashes of the waves. A lone cylinder came to rest on the sand. A seagull landed on its end, curiously tapping on it to see what could be found. The quiet of the morning was then shattered by a loud hiss and crack as the lid of the cannister launched forward. The terrified seagull took to the air, squawking in hysteria, as two red-plated hands protruded from the inside, and an equally red body of armor followed.

"Ugh, by the Great Beings," the female Toa of Fire groaned, stretching in an effort to relieve the soreness of her tissues and loosen her servos, "Cannister travel never gets any easier."

Gerin towered by Matoran and Agori standards, but in relation to her fellow Toa and Glatorian, she was quite average in height. Her armor, tools, and mask were all a matching cherry red, a shade or two brighter than most Toa of Fire. Her mask had many graceful slopes and edges that curled up and around her face, closely resembling tongues of flame. On her back, she carried a large shield and broadsword. Shrugging her shield onto her left arm and taking her blade in her right, went through several attacking and defending forms to fully shake out her knots. She hated being trapped like a rahi for hours on end, and was ready to get moving. Now the question was where she needed to go. Gerin's eyes followed the curve of the beach to her right, catching a glimpse of a small seaside village in the distance.

"If that's Ga-Mura," she muttered, "then Naka-Nui must be…" She looked westward, where a faint orange glow rested at the base of the mountains. If she was to make it by noon, she had better start walking. She grudgingly stowed her gear, and started plodding through the sand towards the city.

"We're nearly there," the Matoran told Jax. "The village is quite a sight to behold. We haven't been here long, but we have been making preparations for you and your bretheren's arrival."

"Thank you, Poka," Jax said, patting him on the shoulder, "I probably would have wandered the tunnels for a few more hours if you hadn't come along. Sometimes I wonder why I'm even an Onu-Matoran."

"You mean, Toa of Earth, don't you?" Poka asked tentatively.

"Yes, of course," Jax lightly slapped himself on his mask, being careful as usual to avoid the ocular insert he'd had installed when he had still been an archivist. It wasn't typical for any but Ko-matoran and Toa of Ice to have lenses in their masks, but Jax had done a lot of work that required a closer look at his specimens, and installing a telescopic and microscopic lens into his mask had been worth the judgemental looks he got in passing. He wondered if the asymmetry of his mask was also the reason for the slightly mismatched look of his toa armor. Sure, his plating was all uniform onyx of Earth, but the armor on his calves was ever so slightly mismatched, with his right being somewhat cubic and bulky while his left was smooth and sleek. At least his tools matched, twin silver claws that could lock together to form shovels on his hands. He liked the versatility of it.

"I'm still getting used to this whole Toa thing," Jax added sheepishly, "Do we have much further until we reach the village?"

No sooner than the words left his mouth, they rounded a corner and arrived at the gates. Guards shouted "The Toa of Earth approaches!" and the gates swung open.

"Welcome to Onu-Mura, honored Toa!" Poka proudly gestured to the grand underground village. Lights dimly lit up the high cavern, showing the efforts of years of mining and industry. All the matoran stopped and stared in awe as their own Toa had finally arrived. Shouts were raised, and Jax strode into their midst, doing his best to hide his mild unease. This was his life now, best to accept it.

Vueli walked with the grace of the plants she commanded. Her armor wasn't so flashy as other Toa, but she prefered it that way. Her mask was simply cut with symmetrical edges over each of her cheekbones, though she had yet to discover its power. She carried only a small combination shield and Kanoka disc launcher, as well as a large knife on her hip. Her disks and other belongings were stowed safely away in her back compartment, within easy access should she need them.

"These will be your quarters, Toa Vueli," the blue Agori said as she led the Toa of Plantlife into her new home, "When we heard we were receiving a Toa of Plantlife instead of water-"

"You must have been somewhat disappointed," she said kindly.

"Of course not!" The Agori responded, "We do very little more than fishing on the water here, and your powers will be a great help to us in many ways. Even on the water, the sea is so shallow it allows for a veritable forest of seaweed and airweed for you to control."

Vueli kept her expression neutral as she surveyed the spacious hut. It was built on the edge of the forest by the sea, and would be perfect for her experiments.

"Thank you for your kindness, little one," Vueli smiled, "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

The Agori bowed. "Please, call me Mauli. Though, I apologize as we cannot stay long. The Ceremony preparations are almost complete."

"CAN YOU FEEEEL THE PUUUULLL?!" Kenta boomed proudly, strutting around for the cheering crowd. He was loving the vibrant purple armor that he now had as a Toa. He had always liked the look, but his sharp, crisp edged armor and broad shoulder plates made him look much more intimidating. Even more so was his Toa tools. He tossed one of his metal fists, using his control of gravity to have it float high above him momentarily, before catching it. Any rahi dumb enough to challenge him would no doubt end up running away whimpering in no time.

Really, this Toa gig would be a breeze. The only difference between this and his professional Kohli career was now he was taller than his adoring fans. He grinned at the crowds when suddenly a head popped down from above him.

"Whatcha doing there, hotshot?"

A green masked Toa smiled back at Kenta. He floated down in front of him and stuck out his hand. "Enga, Toa of Air extraordinaire at your service!"

They bumped their fists together in the classic Toa Salute. Kenta could feel an aura of moxy radiating from the Toa of Air, almost as intense as his own.

"You play Kohli, leafblower?" Kenta asked.

"Not against a professional, not never!" Enga laughed, "Though, maybe I could with a little leafblowin and windflyin!"

"Can't do that stuck to the ground, can you?"

Enga looked at him quizzically, then noticed something. "My feet. They're landstuck!"

"I'm a Toa of Gravity," Kenta shrugged as Enga created a small, yet powerful, funnel of wind in an effort to lift off the ground, "I can make you sink like a stone… or lighter than air."

As he said this, Kenta halved the weight of the Toa of Air, who was now flung skyward by his own power. Rather than panic, however, Enga merely whooped at the sensation of such rapid acceleration, and proceeded to entertain the crowd with a series of aerial acrobatics. He flew around the square, a slender green blurr flashing between poles and towers. Before landing once more with a flourish. He propped himself on his staff and poked at Kenta.

"Can't do that with your fancy gravity, now can ya?"

Kenta threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Brother, I think we are going to be fine friends."

"Perhaps," Enga said slyly as he warmly embraced him in a one-armed hug, "But not nearly as fine as our two Sisters over there."

They both looked towards the edge of the square, where Gerin and Vueli sat away from the villagers milling about. They definitely seemed to be hitting it off. They were chatting up a storm and seemed glad that the other was there.

"I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear there would be another girl on the team," Vueli said, "So often there's only one of us."

"It's a conspiracy," Gerin grunted, "If they had a whole team of Sisters, then we'd never have problem with Unity, Duty, or Destiny."

"If only we had a Toa of Water," Vueli said, slightly downcast.

"Why's that?"

"Umm, nothing." she deflected, "I'd just rather be in the jungle with the Le-Matoran."

"Not just Matoran anymore, Sister," Gerin said pointedly.

Vueli coughed. "Of course. I mean, one of the Agori showed me to my house. A lovely young woman."

"Um, pardon me? Sorry I'm late ma'am."

The two Toa looked up, somewhat surprised. They hadn't noticed the Toa of Earth approach them.

"Who're you calling ma'am, brother?" Gerin asked, somewhat menacingly.

"I-I didn't mean any offense ma-SIR! Uh, Sir ma'am?"

The two female Toa glanced at each other as their brother tripped over his tongue.

"I think you're confused...uh?" Vueli said, looking expectantly at their nervous companion.

"Oh! I'm Jax."

"Brother Jax, pleased to meet you. I'm Vueli, Toa of Plantlife."

"Gerin," the Toa of Fire said flatly, "And I'm not our leader. Didn't you read your call letter?"

"Of course!" Jax said, somewhat sheepish, "I just assumed that…well. So, where is he?"

"He better show up soon" she said through pursed lips. "He's not making a good first impression being the last to arrive."

Senza marveled again at his passive abilities. He could feel the cold, he acknowledged that it was cold, yet...he just wasn't cold. Even here, buried in a snow drift on the side of Mount Yamashita with only vaguely heart-shaped mask protruding from the powder. Here, at least, he felt whole. Here, he felt complete. He gazed down on the festival grounds from his vantage point. Preparations appeared to be nearly over. Matoran and Agori alike were gathering in the stands of the coliseum. He could make out the shapes of his three brothers and two sisters down below. For perhaps the thousandth time today, he thought to himself...why him? He was no leader. He'd wanted to be one, once, but quickly realized he would not be well suited to the job. Still, he'd accepted his call. He was here.

So why wasn't he down there?

"Ahh...brooding are we? Very good, I believe all the most renowned Toa of Ice are known for this pastime."

Quickly, Senza stood up, scattering snow everywhere. He recognized the voice of a Turaga when he heard one.

"Apologies, Wise One," he said, bowing, "I did not mean for you to come seek me out."

The gray turaga waved his free hand. "No trouble at all, Toa. I may only wear a noble mask of sight now, but I could still find you easily enough. I knew where to look."

Senza said nothing, keeping his face as cold and smooth as the ice around him. However, inside, his emotions roiled. He felt glad, yet almost insulted that the Turaga had sought him out. Still, he should not have had to.

"Perhaps it is best if you stay up here, for the time being," The Turaga said.

Senza raised an eyebrow.

"You got my message about the little...display I thought up? You could make quite an entrance from up here."

Senza nodded in understanding. "Of course. That was my intention."

"Indeed," the Turaga said, noncommittally, "Well then, I'll let the rest know you're well. Shall I give them a message?"

Senza thought for a moment. "If it pleases you Turaga, tell them I want to see what they've got."

"Welcome Matoran, Glatorian, and Agori! Welcome citizens of Naka-Nui!" A roar echoed through the packed stadium. This was the day they had been waiting for, and the air swirled with excitement.

"It's not been easy," The announcer continued, "Since our founding, we've been in a constant struggle with rahi, rogues, and even the very land seemed against us at times. Thankfully, we've had our brave protectors, hardened by their trials on Bara Magna, to get us through it all." He gestured to a high-rise box, where a group of Glatorian and Agori sat. Standing and saluting, they waved back to the crowds and were met with thunderous applause. After a short time, it died down and the announcer resumed speaking.

"Once again, we thank you, and cannot hope to repay you, but now is your time to rest! You've earned it, and we will always remember you with fondness, but now is the age we have been waiting for! Now is the time our destiny comes to pass! Now is the time of Toa! Please welcome...the Toa Kyosen!"

The central gate to the coliseum opened, and the crowd began to cher anew, but quickly fell into a confused silence. No one was walking out.

"Up here, lads!"

With a rush of wind, Enga swooped down from above, clinging to an emerald green glider. He was lanky, even for a Toa of Air, and his mask, while aerodynamic, had many small divots, giving him the appearance of a spotted leaf. As he let go of his glider, the crowd gasped, then cheered as Enga flew by his own power, his glider now in the form of a staff in his right hand. Making one last swoop across the audience, he high-fived everyone in the front row, as one last crowd pleaser before his landing.

Then he hit a flagpole.

The crowd oohed and winced, and though there were more than a few snickers, Enga recovered well, managing to roll across the ground and spring up into a flashy bow.

"Enga, Toa of Air!"

The crowd clapped politely, and turned their attention back to the open gateway. Everyone knew Toa of Air were show-offs, so more likely than not, the rest of the team would enter the stadium with a little less bravado.

A fireball exploded midair, taking everyone aback. As the light faded, they were drawn to another entering the gate. Gerin strode in with all the confidence of a Kane-ra bull, and the menace of one too. Flames trailed from her as she drew her sword and began to slice the air. Her blade sparked and danced as she spun and thrusted, showing her perfect, deadly form. Not to be outdone by an airheaded buffoon, she performed one last spin and sent out a perfect ring of fire up around the audience, far enough to be harmless but close enough to give them a startle.

"Gerin, Toa of Fire!"

Everyone sat on the edge of their seat waiting for who would come next. Suddenly, the whole colosseum began to rumble, and everyone looked to the looming Mount Bakahatsu, next to the lava fields. They were surprised to see a clear sky instead of plumes of smoke, when the stadium shook again and a figure appeared in the center. He waved timidly and walked over to where his brother and sister waited.

"Jax, Toa of Earth!"

The crowd clapped politely, slightly underwhelmed but relieved nonetheless. The atmosphere grew sweet then, and all eyes turned to a patch of green, spreading out from where Jax had entered the stadium. The bud of a gargantuan waterlily gracefully spun up from the ground, and slowly twirled as the flower opened, revealing the turquoise and seagreen armor of a Toa of Plantlife. As graceful as her creation, she curtsied and slid down the flower to stand with the rest of her team.

"Vueli, Toa of Plantlife!"

This time, interspersed with the roaring cheers were a series of wolf whistles. Vueli paid them no mind, but Gerin began to smoke, albeit only slightly.

The cheering stopped as the crowd felt a strange force pulling them towards the open center of the colosseum. They panicked for a moment, when a familiar voice shouted from the edge.

"CAN YOU FEEL THE PULL?!" Kenta bounded into the arena, and was met by what could only be described as a roar of adoration. He'd been a Kohli star as a Matoran, and even here, they knew his name well enough to start chanting. Kenta performed a few tricks with his Kohli ball before kicking it into the crowd. Raising his arms in victory, he backed up to stand with his brothers and sisters, though still making sure to wave all the while.

"Kenta, Toa of Gravity!"

The crowd was nearly hysterical. It'd been a superb performance, and they were all glad to see that their protectors had their own senses of style. Yet...something seemed off. Then, a heckler voiced the unspoken question.

"Hey, where's the last one?"

The crowd murmured to each other, and a feeling of almost tiredness settled over the crowd. Seriously, what could top a Kohli star turned Toa?

Then the arena went dark.

A cry of surprise went up as the the emergency lightstones lit up what they could. The temperature seemed to plummet, and then light poured once more into the arena, as did the roar of an avalanche. Snow and ice fell from the sky, and the audience screamed in terror. Then, time seemed to stand still. Every snowflake stood suspended in the air, before slowly starting to spin and gather together. With a shriek, the snow fused together into a single crystal of ice at the center of the stadium. They could see something inside, but only just. Then, the crystal shattered, and a Toa of Ice stood tall in front of his team. Raising his hand, the shards of ice froze mid air once more, then rushed back to the feet of the Toa before exploding into a podium of ice, displaying the six Toa for all to see.

"And their leader, Senza! Toa of Ice!"

The crowd erupted into applause again, and the Toa saluted before booming out together, "Unity! Duty! Destiny!"

The crowd echoed the three virtues, and with a flick of his wrist and a swirl of snow, the Toa disappeared from the arena.

Kenta grumbled to himself as he sat down in the backstage lounge. "Ooh yeah. Pretty frozen water. Psh. Didn't even have a catch phrase."

Enga patted his shoulder sympathetically. "There there brother! You were terrific."

"I would like to apologize for being so late to arrive," Senza said as he closed the door, "I was observing the proceedings from above and...pondering some deep thoughts."

"Uh-huh, sure," Gerin snorted, "Whatever you call it, you weren't here, and then you just had the Turaga tell us to impress you? Teridax move, man."

"Sister," Vueli said sternly, "That is no way to speak to any of our brethren, let alone our leader. Show some respect."

Gerin glowered at the Toa of Ice. "Respect is earned. Not handed out just because he got lucky."

"Come on, at least give him a chance," Jax interjected.

"I think waiting for three hours before our introduction is enough of a chance, Jax," She shot back, "He probably doesn't even know our names."

Senza sighed. "They were listed off one after another less than a minute ago, but I'd had them memorized already. Vueli, Jax, Kenta, Enga, and as for you, Gerin, do we really have to do this?"

Gerin blinked, slightly taken aback. "What?"

"The whole fire-and-ice rivalry thing," Senza said matter-of-factly, "I'm no Kopaka, and you're certainly no Tahu. We don't have to be insufferable to each other just because our powers clash. I'd rather we all got along as brothers and sisters, in unity."

Gerin squirmed for a moment, clearly uneasy.

"You don't have to apologize."

"What, just cuz I'm a Toa of Fire you don't think I can apologize?" she snapped.

Kenta and Enga whispered back and forth. "Things are getting a little… heated, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah. Let's see if he can... cool things off."

Senza took a deep breath. "No, Sister. I am trying to say that your actions are understandable and I feel no need for you to apologize."

Gerin opened her mouth to continue, but then Vueli stepped in.

"You need to stop. We are supposed to be a team, a unified team. We were sent here to help these people, and we can't do that squabbling amongst ourselves like gukko birds."

She looked at Gerin. "I know you want to help, but you have to let our leader do just that: lead."

"Thank you, Vueli," Senza added.

Vueli nodded. "But, if I may, I don't think that it was proper for you to go off on your own and just...watch us. It feels like you're not sure if we can actually be a team."

Senza nodded. "Perhaps not, and I apologize, but for now, can we agree to work together? I'm willing to lead, but I can't order you to follow."

"You can count on me, sir!" Jax said.

"Why so uptight? Loosen up!" Kenta slapped his arm on Jax's shoulder. "I'm in."

Enga shrugged. "Why not? I already agreed to the whole Toa thing."

That elicited a glare from Gerin.

He threw up his arms. "Fine! I'm all for it. Whoop-dee-doo!"

Vueli smiled. "Of course you can count on me, brother."

Gerin folded her arms. "I already accepted the call to serve here. I'll follow you as long as you don't screw us over."

Senza sighed again, but with a smile this time. "I suppose, sister, that will have to do."