The last of the boats arrived in the port village of Ga-Koro. The Matorans' homes stood upon impressive pillars made of wood. Many however lived in huge water lilies, floating tranquilly as they stare out to sea. The ports peace was interrupted as a fleet of ships arrived from the Island of Voya Nui in the West. The matorans' latest attempt to organise the archives deep below the island had left them with a confusing relic. A relic, they hoped, the Turaga would be able to make sense of. Once Toa guardians themselves the Turaga now stand as frail and elderly like matoran.
Long ago the Turaga had sacrificed their powers for the sake of the Matoran, who had been locked deep in the archives to be reconditioned to worship the vain-glorious Makuta Teridax. Ever since this event, the Matoran, having been rescued and evacuated by the Turaga in their Toa forms, have lived on the island of Mata Nui and fought off Makuta's continued plots for conquest. Little did they know, the current Toa would have a far greater challenge, where Gods themselves would have to be toppled to protect their people…
Nuparu was once again glad to reach his island home. The various beasts that had escaped the archives left Voya-Nui in a terrible mess, although the Matoran have acted tirelessly to return their cities to their former glory. He held the Tome in his hands, now blank every time he opened it. If anyone could make sense of this mystery, it would be the Turaga. Turaga Nokama, the former Toa of water resided in the great hall.
Further into the village Nuparu could see the place was bustling with life as Ga-koro's inhabitants got on with their lives. This was when Nuparu was at his most content. It might seem simple, but what the Matoran did in front of him was what he, and his brothers and sisters fought for. Turaga Nokama had fought alongside the Ga-Matoran to protect this village for a thousand years. However, with the discovery of the Matoran's original island home, Metru-Nui, the village of Ga-Koro was slowly being abandoned as its people moved for a more promising life.
Nuparu crossed the bridge to the great hall. As he did, he noticed the village astrologer Nixie rushing around looking excited. The sun had quickly set and she was ready to see what the future brings, for you see, she was obsessed with charting the heaven's fluctuations. She believed that the stars could tell the future, and as Nuparu was about to discover, she was not far wrong.
Two guards stood affront the gate, one nearly falling over as he struggled to keep awake. They saw Nuparu and became as sharp as a pencil, their backs as straight as possible; you don't want to look stupid in front of the great Toa now do you? Their actions amused Nuparu for a moment, but he had more important business to deal with. He entered the hall, opening wide its heavy wooden doors, partly struggling as the heavy book rested under his left arm.
A number of Matoran were speaking to the Turaga about the upcoming Kolhii match. It was the Bionicle's favourite sport. One of Nuparu's battle brothers, Toa Hewkii, was the reigning champion before he became the Toa of Rock. Nuparu suddenly realized he could hardly remember his old life as a Matoran, except for the fact that it was much more boring, and he remembered having to look up a lot more than now.
The Turaga eventually noticed Nuparu and ended the conversation, he couldn't quite tell what she said but the Matoran seemed disappointed.
"Well this is a face I don't see very often, aren't you meant to be clearing out the archives?" She joked.
"It's good to see you too Nokama." He was now struggling to hold the book despite his strength.
Nokama turned her head slightly and stared at the book.
"Here, lay that down over there". She waved her walking stick towards a small doorway. It lead to her private study, a rather small room with a few bookshelves and a simple wooden table and chairs. Nuparu ducked as the top spike on his Toa mask scratched a chip into the door frame.
"Oops." He whispered. Luckily Nokama had not noticed, not that she would have minded much. He was relieved to finally let go of the heavy tome.
"So what is this Nuparu? Have you found something interesting about our history? I assume this is the reason you have come to me?" Nuparu had been daydreaming most of the day and suddenly being bombarded with so many questions at once made his head hurt.
"Yes to all accounts but one". He finally answered. "I believe this book might contain something about our future."
"Have you shown Nixie? I'm sure she would be excited to see this."
"Not yet. Besides, I don't think I could handle her levels of excitement today, give me about a week to prepare." Nokama laughed under her breath. Nokama studied the book's cover for a while before opening it.
"What is this Nuparu, Not some sort of joke I hope?" The entire book was still blank.
"Funny story actually… The book wasn't blank when we discovered it." Nokama looked at Nuparu in shock as he continued. "The book glowed brightly, as if it was calling for someone. The pages just filled themselves when opened. They changed!" Nokama looked more concerned now.
"What did the book show you?" Nuparu could not forget the image if he wanted to, and he did want to. It still frightened him half a day later. He explained to her of the two Toa-like beings, shorter than Toa but taller than Matoran. The demon they stood against was the most horrific sight Nuparu could remember, and he had come face-to-face with a Piraka's backside. Don't ask, he prefers not to tell.
It was then that the book glowed once more. Its new contents was not of the demon however, but of Ta-Koro, the fire village.
"Perhaps it is telling us where you will discover the answers you seek. I am afraid I cannot help you, my brothers and I have never come across this book before."
Nuparu looked disappointed, but understood. It looked like Nuparu's journey was just beginning. Ta-Koro has had a troubled history. The village had finally been rebuilt after Makuta Teridax's deadliest warriors, the Rahkshi, laid waste to it and sank it into the Lava Lake it resides in.
Nuparu didn't imagine that he would find any answers there, but stranger things have happened. One of his brothers, the Toa of light Takanuva discovered his Toa mask in Ta-Koro, so further relics could lay dormant. A Toa mask (or Kanohi translated into Matoran) was the source of half a Toa's power. Without it a Toa is weakened and the elemental power's gifted to them become next to useless. Nuparu, the Toa of Earth, hoped he would never lose his, although he came very close when battling Piraka Hakaan, one of the savage warriors that tried to claim the island of Voya Nui.
It would usually take a few hours before he would reach Ta-koro. The whole island of Mata-Nui was over 150 Earth miles long, but Ta-Koro was just south of Nuparu's location. Luckily for him, Toa Lewa had shown him how to tame a Gukko Bird and he had become his main form of transport ever since. Nuparu whistled as loudly as he could, well, he whistled in Bionicle sense. To a human it would have sounded more like static. The Gukko steed came to him as requested and was ready to transport him to his destination.
***
The tunnels ahead carried with them no source of light. It mattered not, he had memorised every inch of the cave system. To forget any of it would have meant another beating. He couldn't run away with his people, he had to serve his new master or his entire tribe would be wiped out. He saw what his master was capable of, even though his past ventures had left him weak and unable to move under his own strength. It wasn't his strength, but his mind that was the most dangerous weapon. They say he was thousands of years old, and the methods of torture he would have learnt in that time made his new minion shudder.
He finally reached the inner chamber, where his master resided.
"You are late." A deep, booming voice hit the servant like a brick to the face.
"I beg your forgiveness my lord! But we have seen the future in the stars. Two more have appeared in the sky!"
This news angered his master, he knew too well what new stars meant, new Toa to meddle in his 'rightful' rule.
"But there's more. These stars were not like the others." For the first time in his long life, the master felt a sense of genuine fear."
"What was different about them!?" He turned to meet his servant face to face, a movement that hurt his shrivelled form greatly but he didn't care.
"One shone like Gold, and the other Silver."
The Master felt anger like never before. Everything was falling together. Long ago during the time of the first Bionicle, a time he barely remembered, he learnt of the coming of two warriors that would stand as giants above all before them.
"We are ready. Unleash your tribe and the experiments on them". He commanded sharply.
"But the experiments are not ready! They are unruly, say for their leaders. My tribe won't be able to control them." The servant feared for his life.
"You will do as I command, or you will join your brother…" He pointed his right arm, what was left of it anyway, towards the wall. The servant looked in horror as he saw his brother's impaled form on the wall. Red ooze was dripping from his mouth and a terrified look of fear was permanently sketched on his face. Body parts were left hanging from his robotic gut as all forms of fluids dripped out, staining the floor. The servant, for a moment, wished for the Toa to kill him there and then rather than live the life he lead.
***
Nuparu had fallen asleep atop his flying steed. The sky was still dark and the land below him still passed by. The sky was clear with not one cloud in site, a perfect night for Nixie's sky gazing. Back at Ga-koro she was still looking through her telescope. She was spend hours some nights just charting the stars' movements, hoping for a sign of the future from the Great Spirit Mata-Nui, whom her island home was named after. Nuparu looked at the stars and thought of Nixie, wandering if she had discovered anything if interest. It was to be their fate that they would notice the same event almost at the same time.
Far in the night's sky ahead of Nuparu, he could see two new stars forming. This may not seem that special but they were not like the others than shone around them. One glowed with a Gold light, while the other was of bright silver. Nuparu stared at them for a moment before looking once again at the book which had rested under his arm during the journey. There again was the painting of the two Bionicle, one Gold and the other Silver. Nuparu knew what new stars meant… new Toa.
He broke his gaze from the sky and looked down below; finally the fire village of Ta-Koro was below him. The Gukko bird made its descent and before he knew it Nuparu was standing on the walls of the village. Ta-Koro was not like any other village. Not only was it surrounded by a lake of lava, but it was also built like a fortress. The bridge was formed from separate pillars of rock that rose from the lava bed, and which could be sunk again in the event of an attack. The village had been attacked before, but that was by creatures that could fly.
Nuparu headed straight the Hall to meet with Turaga Vakama, the former Toa of fire. The village was quiet besides the flags waving in the breeze and the chatter of the guard; the night was still young. On his way to meet with Vakama, Nuparu came across one of his battle brothers speaking to the guards outside the hall. It was the Toa of fire, Toa Jaller. Nuparu and Jaller had not been Toa long, but they had already formed an unbreakable bond with each other. Before the selfish group of beast-like warriors, the Piraka, attacked the island of Voya-Nui, there were only six known Toa, one for each element. Nuparu and the six new Toa became guardians to defeat the Piraka and help protect Mata-Nui.
Jaller noticed him and bid farewell to the guards.
"Brother! What brings you out here? Last time I heard you were cleaning up the mess on Metru-Nui." Nuparu showed him the book.
"That's exactly what I'm here about. We've discovered something and we need answers." Nuparu told him of the book and its contents, or rather, lack of whenever it feels like it.
"That's incredible! We should take it to Vakama straight away! You know, it was always Takua getting himself in trouble and discovering the cool stuff before he became a Toa." Jaller spoke of best friend. He would always get into trouble and had even been banished from Ta-Koro in the past. However, he was destined to become one of the greatest Toa and help banish Makuta Teridax from Kini-Nui, a sacred temple in the centre of the island. Now Takanuva the Toa of Light, he travels where he is needed.
Jaller and Nuparu passed through the wooden doors of the Great hall and found it empty.
"Looks like we going to have to wake the Turaga up." Jaller said, turning towards Nuparu.
"I fear this can't wait till morning. We need to know now" Nuparu answered. True enough, Vokama was sleeping, a book nearly falling off of his bed. To think that such a great Toa, the leader of the former Toa now laid there a frail old man still confused Nuparu. Vakama was quick to respond after waking up, unlike many inhabitants of Mata-Nui. He was drawn in by the story Nuparu told him of the book, but unfortunately he was also unable to help him further.
"If what you say is true, then I fear the book is the only source you have on what it has warned you about." Vokama explained to them.
"But it refuses to show anything unless it wants." Nuparu was becoming frustrated with this journey. He felt that he was getting nowhere. a
"It refuses to show you anything unless it needs to." Vakama corrected him. "Look at it again." Nuparu opened the book and stared at the front page. Nothing happened. "Turn the page." Vakama advised. He turned, and turned, and turned but still no new image. He turned to page once more and finally got what he was looking for. This time the page was filled with text rather than a painting.
The answers you seek will be found in Le-Koro. Find the two and remove the Shadow.
Nuparu was relieved and annoyed at the same time. He finally knew what he had to do, but travelling to the Jungle village of Le-Koro meant another journey, he would have to wait till morning.
"Find the two. What do you think the books referring to?" Asked Jaller.
"On my way here I saw two new stars in the sky. I think it might mean two new Toa." Vakama puzzled for a moment.
"Then this is your task. Nuparu, Jaller, you must go to Le-Koro and find these new Toa. If this book is right then I fear Makuta might be returning."
The two Toa rested in the Great hall that night. Nuparu had the strange ability to rest soundly on pretty much anything, so he slept on the hard floor. I suppose years of living underground in the Earth village of Onu-koro prepare you for this sort of thing. Jaller and Nuparu bid goodbye to Vakama and made their way to Le-Koro atop Nuparu's Gukko Bird. The journey would be longer this time.
***
The damp cavern was rocked all around by screams and snarls of the most horrific kind. This batch was ready. The servant had been wrong, his master had perfected his venom and now his new warriors were ready to do his bidding. The Toa had never faced these foes before, similar ones perhaps but not these. They were blessed, or curst, with unbelievable speed and strength. They rivalled anything the master had made before, say for one creation…
Two bohrok, round-shaped Bionicle who could curl up into a ball to attack, were pulling a set of levels. The Toa had fought Bohrok in the past and defeated them. Makuta had once attempted to use them to 'clense' the island of the Toa but they were repelled. Now they live as scattered tribes, forced into the bidding of their new master. The levels were heavy but the Bohrok finally brought them down. A portion of the wall began to fall through the floor as crumbles of rock and clouds of dust fell away.
The warriors reacted to the sunlight with a screech. They were quickly silenced by their whip master who let out a scream far worse then any they could make. This one was the master's crowning jewel, unlike the others he also featured great intelligent and cunning. It would be he that would lead them to war.
"My brothers! What do you remember of the outside world? All is about to change. You are the master's greatest warriors! You are Bohrok and Vahki combined! Go out there and claim your world, in the name of Shadow!" All snarled and roared as the Bohrok cowered in fear in the corner. The master had perfected the ultimate hybrid warriors, formed from the bodies of Bohrok and the Vahki, ancient drones that guarded the island of Metru-Nui before Makuta wiped the Matoran's minds. The Toa were in for a shock, the Bahki were coming...
***
It had been a long journey but Jaller and Nuparu had finally reached Le-Koro. The great village stood above the ground. The Matoran's hut sat inside and against the great trees that made up the Jungle. The place had the characteristics of both an Earth Jungle and Forest. Great pillars and bridges supported the village and allowed the people to move about safe from the dangerous Rahi below. The Turaga of the Village, Turaga Matau was busy studying the book. Toa Lewa, one of the Toa of air, was fascinated by the new discovery. Jaller was searching the village for signs of the new Toa. The book had shown no more since Ta-Koro, but the text left from their still remained.
"I suppose we have no option then to either wait or begin searching for these Toa." Matau concluded.
"That could take weeks! I don't understand why it isn't being clearer. If the book knows the future then why can't it just tell us where they are?!" Nuparu was at his wits end. It took a lot to upset Nuparu but when he is, you can be damn sure you'll know about it.
"Calm is what we need in abundance in times like these Nuparu. You have no hope in finding these Toa if you do not relax. He knew Matau was right but that didn't calm him.
"How could this get any more confusing?" Nuparu wished he hadn't asked that. They were interrupted by a Matoran rushing through the large doors.
"The logging farm! It's been attacked!"