A/N- I'M ALIVE! Ahem! Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long, but university's been pretty hardcore. I'll spare you the details, so straight on to the main event!

Btw I'm posting during reading week (Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians!), but that doesn't mean rapid fire updates. Just… studying.

…Lots of studying…

…yay…

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle.


Morning came, and Nokama woke up to the light of the twin Suns shining through her eyelids. Groaning, she turned over, slapping a paw over her face in an attempt to block it out. The water Hordika lay there for a few more moments, before her shoulders slumped. Ugh… I give up…

Forcing her legs upwards, Nokama wobbled slightly, still adjusting to being on four legs. A yawn built up in her chest, and before she could catch herself, Nokama stretched her front legs out in front of her, arcing her back and yawning loudly. Shaking herself, the blue Hordika made her way over to a nearby creek.

Leaning down, Nokama had just put her muzzle in, when…

"Nokama?"

The water Hordika let out a startled squawk, spinning around with her spinner raised, water dripping from her jaw as she snarled. She proceeded to aim her spinner at-!

"Ack! Don't shoot!"

"Onewa?!" Nokama gasped in surprise, before glaring at her stone brother. "Why in Mata Nui's name would you do that?!"

"Hey!" Onewa snapped back, though he warily eyed the still very active spinner whirring on her back. "I just wanted to check up on you!"

Nokama stared at Onewa for a moment, before sighing, "My apologies brother," the spinner powered down, neatly folding back between her hunched shoulders, "I have been… on edge… as of late."

Onewa sighed, coming up to his sister's side and rubbing against her. "It's… alright Nokama," he said, resting his head atop hers in comfort, "we've all been under stress these past couple eight-days, but we've managed to win before, and we will now."

Nokama was silent for a few seconds, before she smiled. "Thank you, brother." She said, before moving out from under him. "Come on, we should find the others."

Onewa smiled back, and the two trotted along in silence, enjoying the other's company…

"'Don't shoot!'? I believe that you have been around Emma for to long, Onewa. Her human terms are starting to rub off on you."

"…shut up…"


By the time that the twin Suns had fully rose over the horizon, the two Hordika had managed to find Whenua. The Hordika of Earth had burrowed into the dirt, so well hidden that Onewa had tripped over his larger brother's tail. That caused Whenua to wake with a start, yelping in surprise as he launched himself several feet into the air and flailing in a panic.

Needless to say, he had been thoroughly and utterly embarrassed, before shrugging it off. The three, after sharing a laugh, then went to find the last three of their group.

However, Matau, Nuju and Emma were nowhere to be seen. The trio decided to split up, with Nokama heading southwards, her brothers north.

Rounding a crumbling wall, Nokama picked up a scent. Though this sense was still new, she had figured out how to use it, and the blue Hordika recognized the airy scent, along with two fainter ones; a cold, mountain-y scent; and an organic, fabric-y scent. But when she called out for Matau, Nuju and Emma, there was no response.

Did something happen before they could sound the alarm? She wondered, panic beginning to settle in her stomach. Suddenly, some small twigs and pebbles bounced off her head. Startled and sail raising with stripes flushing dark blue in alarm, she looked up at the arch above her… to find a very embarrassed Matau looking down at her from what appeared to be… a nest?

"Um, yeah?" he called, tail twitching.

"What in the world are you doing up there when you are supposed be standing guard?!" Nokama asked - no, demanded - , raising a questioning eye ridge as her sail lowered and her tail tip twitched.

"I am standing watch-guard," Matau protested as he leaped down, landing on all fours and sail half raised, "…while I'm create-building this."

Nokama gave him a 'look', inviting him to try again. Sighing, Matau gave in with a bowed head and a lowered sail. "To tell you the truth, Nokama-sister, I really don't know. One moment I was guard-watching, the next I suddenly feel this urge to nest-make."

Nokama nodded in understanding, then the two heard something a little further away. What they found was Nuju holding a protesting Emma with his tail and front legs, his muzzle pushed into her un-ponytailed hair, hat knocked off the girl's head, and sniffing, picking dirt and twigs out of her striped hair.

"Let me go!" Emma growled, twisting in his grip. "I am not a cub! Back off!"

The icy Hordika however, ignored her, turning her back and proceeded to continue his cleaning. "Nuju!"

Evidently, like Matau, Nuju had also found himself victim to his new bestial instincts while he was supposed to be on guard.

"Nuju?" Nokama questioned, and said mutated Toa looked up. "Yes?" He asked, holding a now very embarrassed and furious girl in place.

"Uh, what exactly are you doing with Emma?" His sister asked, not sure what to make of what she was seeing.

Nuju's reply was simple. "Preening." He then turned back, and continued what he had been doing before, much to Emma annoyance.

Nokama blinked wide eyed, while Matau snorted. "You think nest-making was weird, try clean-preening!"

Emma growled, cheeks turning red with embarrassment, twisted in the Hordika's hold, looking up at Nuju and snarling, "Let. Me. Go!"

The icy Hordika rumbled, gently turning her back once again so he could access her almost waist long hair. He pulled out a small twig, turning and spitting it out into a small pile of rocks, stones and twigs.

The girl let out another growl, and then turned pleading eyes towards the blue and the green Hordika. "Uh, little help?"

Nokama sighed, but padded forwards. Much to Nuju's discretion, and Emma's eternal relief, the girl was pulled from his preening grip, and set free. Emma quickly grabbed her hair elastic and hat, making her way over to a sniggering Matau's side as she redid her ponytail and slapped her hat on.

Seeing that Matau was laughing at her icy friend, Emma frowned, then grinned. "I don't know about you Matau, but I think that nest-making is far worse then clean-preening!"

Nuju's hysterical laughter filled the air as the green and orange striped Hordika spluttered in shock. "How did you-?!"

"Come along all of you," Nokama chuckled, "it's time we head back to rejoin the others."


It wasn't long before the three Hordika and young human had gathered with the other two Toa Hordika. Once together, they all began to make their way towards the Great Temple.

"Did anyone see anything last night?" Nokama inquired.

"Nothing, lots of nothing." answered Whenua.

"Yep, boooring." droned Onewa.

"I don't know," said Nuju, "I found the sounds of the night fascinating." Emma elbowed him in the side, a grin on her face as she said, "Only you could find the sudden sound of a Gukko bird fascinating." The icy Hordika merely made a face at her.

Matau stopped and shook his head, sail lowering. "Riiiight. I wonder what's taking the Rahaga so long, I mean how hard is it to get directions?"

"Well, when they're to a creature that has not been seen since the time before time, hard." Nuju replied with annoyance, tail twitching.

"Really." Matau challenged. Nokama and Whenua told him to be patient and to take it easy, but the Air Hordika was not having any of it.

"'Take it easy'!" He scoffed, "I have absolutely no patience for looking like this!" he snarled as he bounded his way through the group. Emma sighed in exasperation, and the group chased after him.

"We've already wasted a whole night!" Exclaimed Matau. "The way I see it, the sooner we get to the-!"

The rest of his sentence was cut off when he and the others saw a sight that stopped them in their tracks - smoke bellowing out from the large structure before them.

"-the Great Temple." Matau finished in horror, sail lowering.

After overcoming their shared shock, the Toa and Emma is rushed toward the entrance, calling to the Rahaga. Inside, it was total destruction; rubble of all shapes and sizes littered the floor, and half destroyed platforms lined the walls.

"Fan out." said Emma automatically, and the group began to search the place.

"Emma?" Nokama inquired as the girl made her way over to a pile. When she got no response, Nokama then turned to the Hordika of Ice. "Nuju, can you see anything?"

Activating his scope, Nuju scanned the area, Matoran letters identified his fellow Hordika, but there was no sign of any of the Rahaga. Suddenly, some groaning echoed and Nuju zeroed in on the source - Norik.

"There he is! He's over there!" he pointed to the pile Emma had made her way over to, and had already begun to dig into. The others quickly gathered around the girl and, sure enough, there was Norik, coughing weakly from the pressure on his chest and unable to get himself out.

"He's trapped!" Onewa exclaimed.

"Stand back!" said Whenua, and he got right to work with his paws and new tool.

The others quickly helped to clear away some more of the rubble, and soon Norik was freed. "Norik, what happened?" Onewa asked the barely conscious Rahaga. "What should we do?"

"I wish Vakama was here." said Nokama sadly with a lowered sail, believing he'd know what to do.

The Rahaga coughed harshly. "He… was…" Norik moaned, and everyone's blood ran cold and the Hordikas' sails were raised in alarm.

"Oh no…" Emma breathed, realizing what had happened. Vakama, what have you done?


After Norik recovered his strength, he told the team about Vakama and the abduction of his fellow Rahaga.

"Vakama would never do such a thing!" Nokama proclaimed. "Right?"

The other Toa and Emma answered her with silence.

"You are correct, Nokama." said Norik, seeing the downed look on her face. "The Vakama you know would not. He's changed, just as you all will if we do not find Keetongu." He sighed. "I fear Vakama has given himself completely to the beast that lurks within us all. The ancient, the primal, the parts of ourselves we like to think progress has made us forget. Hordika is its name."

"I don't think I wanna be Hordika." Whenua whimpered as his sail lowered fearfully.

"It's not all bad Whenua," Norik comforted, "not if you don't allow it to be. Being Hordika grants you certain gifts."

Nokama thought about it; ever since their transformation, she and the other Toa had gained a connection to nature that they never had before. But then, what about Matau's nest making, or Nuju's preening? What about Vakama's new beast-like nature?

If all of those things are these 'gifts' being Hordika has granted us, she said to herself, I'd give it all up to be the Toa Metru of Water again any day. "Assuming you're right," she said aloud to Norik, "we must find Keetongu and rescue the Matoran before the beast overcomes us, too."

"Yes," Norik agreed, "but I must warn you, Vakama may already be beyond anything even Keetongu can do."

"Well, we have to try," Matau said determinedly. "We owe the fire-spitter that much…" his sail lowered as he said "and I was kind of hard on him."

"We were all hard on him, Matau," Emma corrected, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We were always worrying about how his actions affected us with no consideration about what he himself was going through."

"And, if you can't help him?" Norik asked, looking at Matau curiously.

"Leave that to me." Matau vowed darkly.

"So, back to searching." said Nuju, figuring that they were now back where they started - trying to find clues to the legendary Keetongu's whereabouts.

"We were able to translate much of the inscription before Vakama's attack." Norik corrected. "'Follow the falling tears to Ko-Metru until they reach the sky'." He pointed up and, sure enough, a rivulet of water-like protodermis flowed from one of the temple's eyes, making it look like it was crying. "It is there we will find Keetongu," Norik finished.

Emma, Matau, and Onewa took a closer look at the small stream the 'tears' made. "'Tears that reach the sky'?" questioned Matau as he dipped a paw in.

"It's not much of a plan, but it is one." said Onewa, and they joined the others in following the Trail of Falling Tears.


The group followed the trail for what felt like days and managed to cover quite a bit of ground. As much as he himself wanted to continue, Norik called for a break once they reached the entrance of the Onu-Metru archives.

Emma was all to happy to stop, and collapsed against Nokama's smooth hide with a sigh. The watery Hordika turned an amused eye towards her. "Tired?" She chuckled.

A soft snore was her answer, and Whenua's amused voice came from above. "I believe that our young friend has succumbed to sleep." He chuckled quietly, curling up beside his sister as the others did the same around them.

"I believe that we should do so as well, brother." Nokama chuckled, her tail twitching onto Emma's lap.

With that, both Hordika rested their heads, and they too succumbed to sleep's open arms.


Emma…

The girl groaned, half turning over and cuddling into Nokama's slumbering side.

Emma…

A bleary arctic blue eye blinked open, squinting at the lack of light. "…Eh?" When nothing happened, she grumbled, curling up tighter, now holding Nokama's tail like a teddy bear.

Emma… time to get up…

She growled, opening her eyes and fully intending to snap at whoever was talking to her. The words died in her throat as she stared at the red-gold ball of light that manifested before her. "…"

Hello Emma…

Though the voice had a younger and more echo-y edge to it, there was no mistaking who it was. "L-Lhikan?" Emma whispered in surprise.

The ball of light bobbed in agreement, before circling her head in an excited manner. The human giggled softly at the ball's actions, and watched curiously as it floated in front of her. Though the majority of her mind believed that she was dreaming, a small part of her said that this was real. Deciding to break the ice while not waking up the others, she asked quietly, "What are you doing here?"

Come… quickly…

The red and gold light shot off down one of the tunnels, leaving Emma to scramble after it while not disturbing the sleeping Hordika. "Hey, wait up!" She hissed.

As she darted after the ball, a pair of red-orange eyes watched her with sleepy curiosity. Now where is she going?


Emma followed the spirit, as she quickly realized that it resembled one of the 'manifestations' she had seen on Ghost Adventures. Other balls of light soon joined them, a few large and luminous like Lhikan's, others smaller and less bright, and a few large and dim. They varied in colours, ranging from orange-silver to blue-green, from black-purple to gold-sliver. Emma knew that these were spirits of past Bionicle, which only heightened her curiosity of where Lhikan was leading her.

They traveled deep into the archives, skirting around some sections while barreling straight through others. Emma wasn't sure of how long they had travelled, when a doorway loomed before her. She paused just inside the room, taking notice of what was inside. It was an old storage room, judging by the amount of dust on everything. Boxes were stacked neatly against the walls, illuminated by the ghostly glow of the spirit balls. But what truly caught her attention was the golden glow that emanated from one of the boxes that sat on the top of the small stack in the center of the room.

Taking one careful step after the other, Emma cautiously approached it. The spirits parted like the Red Sea for her, all except for Lhikan, who spun rapidly around the glow. Emma gasped in shock at what lay within the box, and reached down with shaking hands to pull out a glowing mask.

"The Mask of Light." She breathed in awe. Sure enough, held by her slim fingers was the Kanohi Avokhii, it's golden glow lighting up the room.

The spirit balls spun around excitedly, happy now that someone had found the legendary mask. The girl turned to Lhikan's spirit ball, asking, "Is this why you brought me here? To find this?"

The ball bobbed in agreement, whizzing around her head before darting towards the door. Taking the motion as a signal to follow, she jogged after him, the Avokhii clutched to her chest.

It was after several twists and turns that Emma noticed that one; the Avokhii had stopped glowing, and two; the other spirits had disappeared. "Hey Lhikan, where did…" her voice died off as she noticed that the Toa's spirit had disappeared as well.

"H-Hello?" She called out curiously, "Lhikan? Spirits? Where are you?" Something fell behind her with a loud bang, making her spin around and jump back in fear. A scaly limb suddenly wrapped around her mouth, stopping a scream from escaping as she was held against someone's chest.

"Hold still!" Came a familiar hiss as Emma froze, eyes widening as the form of a large Visorak scuttled past, followed by three more. She shivered, very thankful as she watched the spiders disappear around a corner.

"T-Thanks, Onewa." She whispered after the stony Hordika had removed his paw.

"No problem." He growled softly, tail twitching. "Mind explaining why you left us unattended?"

Emma nodded rapidly, holding up the Kanohi Avokhii in front of Onewa's muzzle. The Hordika's red-orange eyes went wide with surprise, sail raising as he spluttered out, "Where on Metru Nui did you find this?!"

"Shh!" Emma shushed, grabbing the mutated Toa's muzzle and listening. Hearing no sound of approaching Visorak, she whispered, "In a storage room. Now come on!" She climbed onto Onewa's back horse rider style, much to his discretion until she said, "We need to get to the others! Those Visorak were heading their way!"

Understanding flashed through his eyes. "Hold on tight then!" He warned, before bounding down the tunnel that the Visorak had gone down.


The dozen or so Visorak watched and waited. When the signal was given, they would spring all at once on the Toa Hordika, Rahaga, and human who were huddled together sleeping. Finally, the signal sounded and they pounced…

…only to find they were all realistic dummies made of rock and ice! Before they could react, the Visorak were struck down by Rhotuka spinners. Some were turned into frozen statues of ice, some sent into the wall by powerful jets of water and cyclones, and the rest fell victim to a minor crevasse that formed in minutes.

"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Matau laughed, tail spazzing in his mirth.

"They never saw it coming!" chuckled Onewa, eyes alit with laughter.

"Quickly, we must hurry!" Norik urged, the Avokhii clutched in his hand as he prodding the closest Hordika, Nuju, with his staff. "We don't have long until reinforcements arrive to finish the job!"

"Ow! Hey!" Emma yipped, "Someone stepped on my foot!"

"That was likely-probably me, Emma-friend. Sorry!" Matau apologized, recalling that he thought he felt something clothe-like under his paw.


The group, so far, managed to cover more ground and lost another squad of Visorak back at an old bridge. Now, at the border between Onu-Metru and Ko-Metru, they decided to take another quick rest. It was then the Toa Hordika noticed the twin full moons high above and a strange sensation seemed to take over.

"Look at the moons." Nokama said, entranced. A chorus of Kavinika wolf howls broke the silence of the tundra-like plain.

"Anybody else getting this strange feeling?" asked Nuju, tail twitching rapidly.

"I can feel it too." Whenua murmured with a strange gleam in his eyes.

A beat of silence passed, then the Toa Hordika let out some very primordial yet song-like howls, adding on to the sounds of the night. Norik and Emma watched and listened the whole time, amazed at the sight. Emma then felt the urge to join them, but immediately squashed the feeling, reminding herself of her urge to 'pounce'. The howling lasted for only a few minutes, and then one by one, the group quieted down.

"Boy, those full moons can really make one do thought-crazy things." commented Matau.

"Get real, Matau," Whenua said, tail twitching, "that's just a myth."

"Oh really?" leered Emma with a grin, unable to hold back. She leaped on him and the two wrestled on the ground, laughing. Nokama found herself unable to stop a laugh at the sight, tail spazzing slightly as she resisted the urge to join them. Whenua soon got Emma in a headlock, from which she managed to pull herself free, and chased after him a little before tackling him with a "Gotcha!"

After a little more rolling and tumbling like cubs, Emma had the Hordika of Earth's back pinned to the ground. "Ok, ok, I give up," laughed Whenua, and Emma got off with a grin. Everyone joined in the laughter and Norik smiled; the tension from the past few days seeming to just melt away a bit.


A day that felt like an eternity passed and the rocks of the mountains changed into frozen protodermis as the group journeyed into Ko-Metru. Soon, the trail of tears led them to a strange and wondrous sight. It was a tower of ice that did indeed make the tears look like they were reaching for the sky.

Matau, the first to get inside, called to the others, "Quick-hurry you guys! It's amazing! It's Keetongu!" However, when they reached the chamber, it was empty.

"You were saying?" asked Emma with a raised brow and slight shiver. It was cold!

"Ok, so I announced-spoke too soon!" Matau defended with a raised sail.

"Don't be so quick to judge you two." Norik laughed.

With a sigh, Matau joined the others as they approached a pool in the center of the cavern. They couldn't help but look on in awe at the sight around them.

"We are sorry to disturb your rest, noble one," Norik greeted, "but the duty of these heroes requires that they ask for your help." The team waited, but there was nothing but silence.

"Ok," said Matau, "well, we'd much-like to stay and talk-chat, but we gotta go."

Suddenly, the chamber rumbled and shook and, in the pool before them, a formation of ice pillars of different levels surfaced.

"Whoa, is everyone seeing this?" asked Onewa, sail half raised in disbelief.

When the rumbling stopped, everyone noticed that atop the structure sat a giant figure. A blue light ignited as it opened its only eye and looked upon the assembled group before it.

"Toa." the creature said in a thunderous voice.

"Keetongu," Norik greeted. The giant's eye fell upon Emma and he spoke in a language no one understood. Except for Norik, that is. "He wants you to come a little closer young one. Apparently, he's never seen a human, or a pure organic, before."

Reluctantly, the girl came up to the edge of the pool, and Keetongu looked her over from his post. After a moment, he finally nodded his approval, he spoke again and Norik translated, "He wishes to know why we have come."

Everyone, knowing this would take a little while, took seat on the ground and Nokama relayed their story about their mission, return to Metru Nui, Vakama's betrayal, and their journey to find him. "And, then we were chased by the Visorak, all of which is why we came here, and why we need your assistance. Will you help us get Vakama back?"

"No." replied Keetongu, causing a good number of the group to feel crestfallen.

"Well, thanks just the same," said Onewa as he began to get up, "we'll be goin' then."

Whenua, however, put a paw on his shoulder as Emma placed her (still broken) spear in front of him with an, "Oh no, we're not," and pointed with her finger toward Keetongu, who was speaking again.

"Keetongu cannot start a battle on your behalf," Norik translated, "but, he can aid those loyal to the Three Virtues. In fact, doing so is his sworn duty."

"So, he'll change us back into our handsome-good looking Toa-hero selves?" Matau asked with a small thrill, thinking that the nightmare was almost over.

But, Keetongu simply replied, "No."

Before anyone could ask, Norik immediately caught on to what the Rahi's game was. "Keetongu sees with one eye what we have missed with all of ours. If you are to save Vakama, you must use your new forms and abilities, not be rid of them."

"So, we've come all this way," said Matau, feeling his frustration building, shown by his raised sail and flushed stripes, "just to find out we didn't have to come all this way!"

"Keep it down!" Emma snapped at him, hands over her ears. "I'm standing right next to you, you know!"

Keetongu began making strange noises that was soon recognized as laughter. "He thinks it's funny, too." Norik laughed.

"Right…"Matau sarcastically agreed, then added under his breath, "That's what I was thinking."

Keetongu began to speak again, and Norik translated, "But, your story - and devotion to your friend - has touched Keetongu. He finds your quest worthwhile." Keetongu spoke again, holding out his hand.

"And…?" asked Emma curiously when Norik failed to interpret.

"And, he would like to offer us his help." the Rahaga deciphered.

The group looked at each other, then stood up, cried, "Unity!", and gathered in a circle to put their fists together.

"Norik?" Nokama invited.

"I'd be honoured." Norik said as he joined the circle.

"You too, big guy." encouraged Matau to Keetongu.

"I guess we're all in this together now," said Emma, and their newest ally reached and added his fist to the others. Now came the fun part - launching an attack on the Coliseum and getting the Toa of Fire back.

Easier said than done. Emma thought to herself, worried about what was to come.


A/N - And finished! For now, at least. I'm posting this at 1 in the morning, so there may or may not be a few errors.

So… the Kanohi Avokhii has been found, Keetongu has been found, and more bestial instincts. My oh my… XD

Anyways, I have nothing more to say, so until next time!