This is sometime further in the future... ooo...

ShadowBound

Book 1: Lost Hope

Changing Times

Chapter 2: The Unexpected Visitor

"Now class, see how they use the..." the teacher talked on. The class watched as the sea birds rose higher and higher into the sky. A petite Ta-Matoran female with large blue eyes watched with them from the fishing nets she was sitting on.

"Raia, stop daydreaming." Stearlor told the Ta-Matoran.

"Hm?" Raia sighed, glazed eyes turning towards him.

"We have work to do."

"Oh, sorry."

The small Ta-Matoran stood up and gathered the nets she had been sitting on in her slim arms.

"Honestly, if you want to be a fisherwoman, you have to stop daydreaming." the Ko-Matoran scolded.

"But, I don't want to be a fisherwoman!" she said, stomping onto the fishing boat. "I want to get off this island. I actually want to do something with my life, unlike you."

"I am doing something with my life."

"What're you doing with it then?"

"I'm being a fisherman."

Raia groaned. "That's not what I meant."

"I know it's not what you meant, but Raia, seriously, it's time to grow up. You finished school— and only Mata Nui knows how you managed that— and you have a job."

"But catching fish all day isn't... isn't good enough for me, Stearlor!"

"Stop complaining and go find Gruvence."

She puffed out her cheeks and sighed.

"Fine." she muttered, stomping off.

She was not really watching where she was going, she was too caught up in her argument with Stearlor.

Sometimes, I swear! He doesn't understand me at all. He thinks he can boss me around just because he took me into his home and took care of me and treated me better than he has ever treated another Matoran. One day soon, he'll—

"My, my, Raia," a familiar voice said, "you seem all steamed up about something. Mind telling me what, exactly?"

"Hi, Gruvence." Raia sighed, not looking at him.

"Well, lass, what's troubling you?"

"I know I should grow up, but it's so boring. And besides he's still young! He shouldn't boss me around just because he can—"

"Ah, Stearlor again."

Raia didn't even hear him, she was too caught up in her own rant. "He's such a pompous, annoying, stuck-up, moronic control freak! He's pretty much paranoid about everything."

"You know, you're pretty much talking about yourself, little one."

She sighed. "I know, Gruvence, but I just can't take it anymore!"

"You young ones." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Now, don't we have something to do?"

"Fishing, right."

She helped him to his feet and trudged along after him as they headed towards their fishing boat, the Wave Glider.

"I wish I could have gone to school." Raia said to him.

"School's for stupid Matoran, you ain't stupid, lass." Gruvence said, nodding his greetings to others.

"I am so!"

"No, you ain't. Take your brother, Asor, he's stupid."

"Asor's not stupid, he's the smartest in the class!"

"I ain't never gone to school," Gruvence said, "because I was clever."

"Being smart and being clever are two completely different things."

"They ain't no different than those Metru Nui folk are from each other."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"'Course it does. Them Metru Nui folk are all the same, none of them different from the other. All of them are mindless being controled by the Counsel. The Counsel's evil, you know."

"The Counsel's not evil, Gruvence, they're perfectly good. They were appointed by Mata Nui himself."

"Mata Nui went into hiding because the Counsel's evil. He fears them and he knows what they can do."

The two boarded the small fishing boat. Stearlor looked up at them upon their arrival.

"Stearlor, tell Gruvence that the Counsel's not evil!" Raia said to the Ko-Matoran.

"Oh, not this again." Stearlor groaned. "Gruvence, the Counsel's not evil. The Toa of the Counsel are of pure light."

"Them Toa have no say! Them Turaga have all the power and contro over everything. It was them who ordered the destruction of—"

"Gruvence!" Stearlor snarled. "That's enough."

"I'm sorry, lass, I know how it still affects you."

Raia didn't meet his eyes, her mind stuggling to forget what she had learned within her first week, those many years ago, living here.

The Turaga are the ones who wanted me and the other experiments to die after wanting to create me. They wanted me dead. They wanted to take not only my life, but the life of anyone else like me away. They didn't want any unnatural Matoran around. They closed down the island and bombed it. I was the only survivor.

†‡†

"Good catch today, Stearlor?" a Matoran asked when they returned at sunset.

"We hardly caught anything." Stearlor said. "The area's going dry. We might have to relocate to another part of the island."

"Voya Nui has always had these problems."

"I guess you're right. You planning on waiting a few days before going back out?"

"More than likely. What's wrong with Miss. Raia?"

"Gruvence brought up the... incident again."

"I can hear you, you know!" Raia threatened as she walked passed.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Home. Asor should have dinner done by now."

"Raia!"

"I'm going, Stearlor! I haven't eaten in over thirteen hours."

Stearlor cursed loudly, drawing attention to himself, as she walked away.

"I think I'll let her stay home tomorrow." Stearlor said. "Gruvence, what do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" Gruvence asked, sauntering off the fishing boat.

"Raia taking a day off. She needs a day or two to cool down."

"Won't bother me, much. You'll be the one doing all the heavy work."

"Well, I better get going." the Matoran said nervously, knowing Stearlor was bound to ask him for help. "Good fishing tomorrow!"

"Yeah, thanks!"

†‡†

Raia opened the door and announced, "I'm home! Mmm, smells delicious, Asor!"

Asor, a Rau masked Onu-Matoran, popped his head out of the kitchen.

"How was the catch today? Here, I'll pour you a fresh bowl."

"We hardly caught anything. The spot's gone dry again. Oh! Do you want to see what I found before I met up with Stearlor this morning?"

"Maybe the fish migrate, I'll check it out later. What did you find this time?"

"Asor, don't you think that we would know if the fish migrated by now? It'd be only logical that it would be the first think thought of. And you have to promise not to tell Stearlor, but I found this beautiful stone in the Ruins. I'm going to try and convince Perev to help me to try and get it."

"True, I'll have to look into it. Hey, wait! Why Perev? Isn't always too busy to help you? But why not ask me?"

"Yeah, but he owes me big time. It also helps to know that he doesn't have anything planned tomorrow. Besides, you have school tomorrow."

"And how did you find that out?"

"I simply asked everyone to cancel whatever work they had for him to allow me some one-on-one time with him."

"And now, everyone will think you two are going out."

"No they won't!"

"Raia, you said you wanted some one-on-one time with the one Matoran who would murder me in my sleep if you asked him to."

"Oh, now that's just silly, I would never ask him to murder you."

"You didn't get my point, did you?"

"Perev's my best friend, Asor. He's been so busy these past two years and we haven't been able to even talk to each other without him being distracted by something."

"If he's your best friend, what does that make me?"

"My little brother, of course!"

†‡†

Raia smiled as Perev door opened.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" she said. "Asor helped me to make you some breakfast, so don't be too shy to accept it!"

She held out a basket filled with fruit, breads, and smoked fish.

"Wha...?" Perev blinked. "Raia? What're you doing here? I wasn't expecting you here until later."

"Asor is at school and Stearlor is working and I was bored! Besides, I think we should get started right away, we haven't even said 'hi' to each other in, like, over two years!"

"It's been two years? Wow, I guess I've been really busy. We do have a lot to catch up on."

"So are you ready?"

"Ready? I thought—"

"Come on," she said, grabbing his wrist, "I know a great place to eat breakfast!"

Raia pulled him along until they reached a cliff not too far out of the fishing village, Perev protesting the whole way. Behind them, a path lead even further up the cliff and into the ruins.

"I have to admit, Raia," Perev said, "you do know the best spot to eat breakfast."

"Told you." she grinned.

"So how come we never came here before?"

"I didn't find it until yesterday."

"I see. And it's so near the Ruins, too."

"Want to go in them, Perev?"

"How about we finish breakfast first?"

The two shared their first meal that day laughing and talking about the past.

Within the hour, the two were walking along the path leading to the ruins. They continued to talk until they reached the entrance. It was easy to see above everything, even at the height of a Matoran, making it easier to see the tall being standing in the center of the Ruins.

The island had an unexpected visitor.

Song: The Older I Get

Artist: Skilet

Album: Comatose