"There has never been a monster quite like a human.
The Legends whisper tale and song of some of the most formidable foes…those swathed in darkness and bathed in shadow. Rahkshi. Bohrok. Visorak—even the Makuta himself. The list goes on, stretching into the infinity.
But there has never been a monster quite like a human.
The night stirs its poisonous tendrils and creates more scum for breaking daylight to chase away. Yet despite our efforts as the bringers of the dawn, there is a monster that cannot be completely destroyed.
Truly, there has never been a monster quite like a human.
What more can be said about a human? It is a vessel of self-centeredness, and possesses a crushing need to survive even at the expense of everyone around it. Driven by green, lust, hatred and all other of the darkest sins, a human is possibly the most dangerous being ever to be created by the darkness.
And the fact that makes us all tremble…is that only a human can crush a human.
A human's true power does not lie in ethers, masks, toa-stones or even gifts from the shadows. All the same, the human's power is a terrible, devastating force that can be unleashed as they see fit. If a human were to be placed among us with our power over the elements, I shudder to see what the results would be.
And indeed, gathered friends. I have seen the results.
One week. It has been one week since the veil was torn, and the first human stepped through and onto our soil. Since then Mata Nui has been turned on its head. Rahi, Toa, Turaga and Matoran alike are not safe.
Not while the human walks among us."
Turaga Vakama had spoken all of these words in a low, grim voice whilst staring into the flames of the council fire, distantly. Now he looked up and examined everyone present with a serene gaze—Toa and Turaga alike.
The meeting had been called on such short notice that Toa Onua, Toa Pohatu, Turaga Whenua and Turaga Onewa had not yet arrived from their Koros far to the north. Gali, Nokama, Tahu, Lewa, Matau, Kopoaka, Matora and Nuju were all present, silent and grim. The council hut was large enough to hold six Turaga, but adding four other Toa Nuva made things rather cozy.
There were two more Toa on the way, which wouldn't help matters.
There was not much to be said until the others arrived. Gali realized this as well as everyone else, and while she stood there next to her brother Kopaka she allowed her mind to wander back to that day when the human had arrived…
She had been the first to see it, making her usual rounds on the shoreline of the bay. It had been alone, walking up the coast as though it were perfectly normal. Her insides had fluttered when she saw it…sickly things the humans were. Her axes had been in her fists before she could even think about it as the thing came towards her, speaking words she chose not to hear.
She did not remember swinging the axe, but could remember the human catching her blade as though it were nothing—stopping the blow with merely a palm.
She could remember the ugly thing's strange, contorting mask that shifted with its moods. She could remember standing there on the sand while the waters cried out to her, standing there struggling with the human..
And she could still see the red. The trickling red, the smell of the salt and the stain it had left on her hands, on her Toa tools…
Gali pulled herself from the shaky recollection and glanced down at the blade of her axe, which leaned against the wall of the hut. There was no more red on the tinted blue protodermis—for she had scrubbed and scrubbed at it until it was completely gone. None of the Toa knew what the strange substance that came from the human could have been, but Nokama had called it…blood.
Blood. Her hands had been covered in blood.
Kopaka looked over and saw his sister staring avidly at her palms. As was his custom, he said nothing about it but slipped it in the back of his mind for later study.
"The Toa of Stone approaches!" Everyone in the hut heard the Ta-Koro guard alerting everyone to this fact, "The Toa of Earth approaches!"
As the Matoran's amplified voice faded from the air, Pohatu, Onewa, Whenua and Onua entered the council hut.
"We apologize for being so late, it's a long journey this far south." Pohatu bobbed his head, greeting everyone present with this gesture.
"Welcome, brother." Gali said, a smile lighting up behind her mask as she quickly pounded fists with the Toa of Stone, "It is good that you could make it. And you too, Onua."
"We are needed, and therefore we will arrive." Onua said in his usual stoic manner, nodding at his sister before standing next to Lewa, "Greetings, Turaga."
"It is well that we are all here." Turaga Nokama said, looking around at everyone, "We can finally get started."
"Yes!" Lewa said, clapping his hands together, "Let's put our heads together and brainthink…how do we get rid of this humanling?"
"It is not simply a question of getting rid of it, Toa of Air." Onewa said, amused as he settled in between Nuju and Vakama, "This human is not a leaf that can be swept off the rug of a Matoran's home dwelling."
"From what I can tell, we aren't very sure what this human is much less what it isn't." Kopaka spoke up. The eyepiece of his mask lengthened and focused on the council fire. As usual, when the Toa of Ice did speak it was with a cool, quietly condescending tone, "If we are lacking even that information, how can we hope to return the island to its normal state?"
"There is only one way." Vakama put a gnarled index finger in the air, about to make a point, "A prophecy. This will—"
"A prophecy?" Tahu interrupted, eyes glittering behind his mask. He had been leaning against the far wall, but now came off of it as though this proposition angered him, "What are you talking about, Turaga…"
"I thought he made it very openclear, firespitter." Matau bit off in his clipped accent, frowning at the rude interruption, "A prophecy. Are you brainsad that you can't understand?"
"I understand perfectly, 'wise one'." Tahu said in a dangerous voice that was barely respectful, "But I don't understand how a prophecy can get us out of this mess."
Gali exchanged worried glances across the hut with Pohatu. This last week, the Toa of Fire had been on edge—even more than the rest of them. Out of all the Toa, he was the closest to snapping after realizing that the human was more powerful than he ever could have imagined. Now he stood there with his fists clenched at his side, ready to lock horns and tussle with the next person to contradict his point…
"Cool your fires, Toa." Whenua gave a snort, "We are all burning with a need to solve this problem, you are not the only one here. Hear Turaga Vakama out and stop interrupting like a foolish Rahi."
For one moment, Gali was sure that Tahu would draw his blades and step towards the small, old Turaga…but to her surprise Tahu's common sense got ahold of him and he ducked his head.
"Yes Turaga. I apologize. Please, continue."
Vakama got to his feet…obviously thinking this would be an impressive move, but because he was so short all it did was make him visible over the top of the council fire, "The same Legends that tell us about the terror of the humans, tells us of a way to get rid of them. Perhaps you heard me say the line…'Only a human can crush a human?'"
Blank nods from the Toa, some more curt than others.
"There is a Prophecy about six humans…six humans who become Toa. They come when the need is greatest, and cross blades with the peril that threatens to surround us. Sister Nokama knows a part of the ancient text, and has been able to translate it for us all."
All the Toa looked expectantly to the Turaga of water, who got to her feet as well and stood next to her brother. Her mask of translation shone in the flickering council fire as she clasped her gnarled hands behind her back and recited—
"When night surrounds they will bring the dawn
Six heroes, humans, from shadows spawned.
Breaking daylight and coming morn
Destinies unfold, their duties sworn.
Though darkness born they will darkness fight
As daybreak falls they will unite
The Darkest Hour, the Final Stand
Save heart and home from the Black One's hand
Come, six humans your power erect
Come to the land you are sworn to protect
Cast from the bleeding hand of fate
Unity! Duty! Destiny! For you daylight will wait."
There was another grim silence as Nokama let her words ring. Nuju was the first to break it, unleashing a string of whistles and chirps that Matoro had a hard time keeping up with.
"He…he says that it sounds like nonsense to him."
"Nuju, you know better than all of us the store set in prophecies." Whenua said, looking at his brother, "You were a Seer in the towers for Mata Nui's sake…"
Nuju rapped Matoro on the top of his mask, hard and let loose with another stream of whistles.
"Uhh…what he meant was that he cannot decipher what the words of the prophecy mean." Matoro corrected himself wincing and adjusting his mask, which had been skewed from the sharp blow, "All the talk about daylight, daybreak, light dark night and…"
"Can't you see?" Vakama said, his voice growing in pitch and volume as he waved his fire staff in the air, "Only a human can crush a human. The prophecy tells of six human Toa who will come to us in our time of darkest trial."
"I don't think this is a wise plan…" Tahu spoke again, folding his arms across his broad chest, "Summoning more humans to take care of the first one? I don't like it one bit."
The Toa of fire glowered at everyone present.
"What else do you propose, brother?" Pohatu asked, staring across the hut at the Toa, "How many more have to die? If you have another plan then by all means speak up!"
To no one's surprise, Tahu did not respond.
"You both have valid points." Onua said quietly, "Tahu is right in questioning the virtue of the humans, and Pohatu also is right—we don't have many alternatives."
"I'm with the firespitter." Lewa frowned, looking around at the others, "The humanlings have given us this painmess in the first place…why are we calling more?"
"Because—" Vakama repeated, "—The Legends say that—"
"'Only a human can crush a human.'" Tahu injected angrily, "Yes, we know. Come on now, Turaga. Legends? Stories? Can we really risk everything on the words of an ancient Matoran tale?"
"You should set more store in those legends, Toa of Fire." Nokama said in her gravelly voice, "You and your fellow Toa are standing here today because of them."
Tahu chose not to retaliate to this.
"I'm all for it." Pohatu said cheerfully, "Anything that'll get the fighting to stop, I'm for it. Onewa, what ARE the chances that these summoned humans will join the one we already have?"
"I wish we knew." Onewa glanced over at Vakama, shaking his head sadly, "I think…it will be up to them."
"As it should be." Whenua nodded his head.
"As it should be?" Tahu rounded on the Turaga of Earth, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Use your head, Tahu." Kopaka spoke up again, his voice dark and condescending, "There is always a choice between good and evil—a line, even. We can always choose which path we walk down. I would hope a human has that same ability."
"All this speaktalk about, 'born from the shadows' makes me truedoubt that." Matau commented.
"Humans are such eerie looking things." Matoro spoke up, repressing a shudder, "All their biomechanics underneath that strange flabby pink stuff…and armor like tanned Ashbear plating nothing that'll stop a skiv…"
"Humans certainly are different than us on the outside…" Nokama said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "But on the inside…is it possible that they are no different than we are?"
Everyone stared at Nokama as though she had suddenly grown two heads.
"Surely you jest, sister…" Vakama said in wonder…
"What about you, Gali?" Onua grunted, nodding at his sister, "You've been awfully quiet, do you have anything to add?"
"I've just been thinking," Gali said softly, her eyes soft, "And I just don't know. I agree with Tahu that we can't know if we can trust them, but like Kopaka said…there is a line. We don't know what side they will choose."
Gali's voice trailed off and she looked distraught. Kopaka made another mental note to speak to her before he would head north to Ko-Koro.
"We're waiting for Daylight to Break." Vakama said, seating himself once more, looking worn, "This is just a proposition, gathered friends. We will think it over before making any decisions…"
