Right then, I abandoned this story a while ago, but the fact that I didn't finish it properly really bugged me. However, since I conveniently ended it on a cliffhanger, and Lumen happened to have a mask of time, I can wrap this up in the time-honoured tradition of an awful, but convenient, way to end a story. I tried to make it slightly more respectable however, and much is probably inspired by the ending of the 10th Doctor's run on Doctor Who. Does anyone in America seen that? But whatever, I'm just gonna get on with it. Here's my ending, my cheap way out, and look out for Lumen, Tennis and Varia in other stories (well Varia's not mine, so of course you'll see her in other stories. Go read them if you like the character, I highly recommend Rusty Red Raptor's work. Lumen and Tennis will pop up in mine, hopefully, although if anyone else wants to use them, just let me know.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle, it belongs to the Lego Company, but Lumen and Tennis are mine and Varia belongs to Rusty Red Raptor.
Where did it all go wrong?
The last dying rays of the sun splayed out over the shores of Metru Nui, and cast shadows from the lines of pale grey stones on the sand. Each one inscribed with Matoran Letters and symbols of one of the islands in the Matoran universe. An eternal tribute to the brave soldiers who fought in the Toa-Dark Hunter wars. Further down the beach, a row of stones the colour of granite marked out the fallen Hunters. Once, these graves would have been visited by hundreds of beings, but now they lay forlorn and untended, as the sun faded for the very last time, the last vestiges of power from the fallen giant of the Matoran Universe, Mata Nui. But there was still one last visitor come to pay his respects. He appeared to form from the shadows themselves as he appeared from the abandoned city, his armour black at night and a cloak swishing round his ankles. His armour was scratched and pockmarked, and carried a particularly nasty gash where the metal had been almost completely burned away, a dead grey colour now. He walked through the field of graves, not even glancing as he passed headstone after headstone, until at last he stopped and turned to the right, walking down the row, still without even glancing at the graves around him. His footsteps walked mechanically, because his eyes were dead. Once they had burned with fire, but the flames had long since been extinguished in his icy blue eyes, which now were dull. But his feet knew the path he was taking; they'd taken it so many times before. Finally, he stopped and turned before four graves. To anyone else who had visited, they would be just another headstone. But to him, they were the most important things he knew. They all marked the deaths of the few who had ever cared about him. He remembered it like it was yesterday. He had too, because every night he dreamed he was still in the plummeting lift shaft. They'd panicked. And that had wasted the last few seconds they'd had to save themselves. Lumen had managed to save himself from the same fate with his Crast, but it couldn't defend the others... and so only he'd survived. Well, with Lhikan dead, and the archives indeed taken, things hadn't lasted long for the Toa. Later on, there'd been an uprising against the Dark Hunters, which happily coincided with the Brotherhood/Dark Hunter wars turning against the Dark Hunters, forcing them to retreat. Eventually, Terridax had once again taken over the universe, and fate had played out its final battle all over again. Mata Nui had triumphed against the Makuta, and the Matoran had fled the dying robot. Only Lumen had stayed, forever haunting the graves of his friends who had perished because he hadn't come up with an escape plan. Tennis wouldn't have even gone if it wasn't for him... dry sobs and spasms wracked his body in his grief. If only he could go back and change things... but he could, couldn't he? He wore the Kanohi Vahi, mask of time, stolen so many years ago now. It was old and tarnished, but certainly still workable. But could he change time? What would happen to him? But Lumen didn't care now. He had nothing left, so even the risk of being trapped in a potential eternal paradox was not to deter him now. Of course, it would be so simple... all he had to do was stop himself getting the mask... Lumen laughed for the first time in many thousands of years, a dry croak of a chuckle, and then the Vahi glowed gold and he vanished.
The large, spherical room was still brightly lit, the white walls increasing the glare. Including the pedestal in the centre of the room, which was led up to by a thin walkway. Upon which rested the aim of his search. The Kanohi Vahi. But to get to it, he would have to get through the electrified force-field, crackling with power in case anyone was daft enough not to know what would happen. Oh, and the chasm surrounding the pedestal. And the spikes that filled it. Having no intention to become a well-done Toa kebab, Lumen was not going to attempt to actually try and get past those defences to reach the Vahi. He didn't need too, anyway. Because there were no other Shadow Toa. And therefore no-one was prepared for him. And no matter how hard you tried, you could not remove all shadow. Same as, no matter how dark things seemed, there would always be light. Both were inextinguishable. But the point being, in this room, the primary remaining shadow was underneath the Vahi. Where it blocked the light. And that was all he needed. Summoning a small amount of shadow energy, struggling to maintain it in the bright light, he concentrated on the Vahi, and, quite suddenly, it fell into its pedestal. As if it has passed through it. But it never hit the bottom. Instead, it dropped out of the shadow floating above Lumen's hands, cupped in anticipation of the falling mask. He caught it, and lifted it up to the light. It was a marvel of carving, despite its great age. It looked like a mask that could contain power over time. It felt like a mask that could contain power over time. He knew a piece of art when he saw it. His one weakness under the facade. No one could be an all-guns blazing action hero all the time. Anyone who believed different had never tried to be. Because whenever you thought you'd achieved what you were trying to do, someone always had to come along and ruin it, usually with as much style and class as you had, if not more. In fact, he could feel someone standing behind him right now...
"So this is how far you've fallen, Lumen? Theft?" asked the voice he had heard before. Except now it really was behind him. He whirled round, to face the psionics Toa who was leaning casually on the doorframe. An attitude so reminiscent of his own, irritatingly so. But what was even more irritating was the battalion of soldiers behind her, weapons raised and trained on his forehead. Lumen checked their weapons and with a gulp realised that they were sufficiently powerful to put a very large hole in his head. But all he had to do was slip the Vahi on and stop time to make a swift exit. But suddenly he realised it wasn't there. He spun round to look at the pedestal, horror-struck, and saw the Vahi sitting atop it once more. And for a second, he caught a glimpse of a black-armoured figure who stood beside it, a figure who looked an awful lot like... him? He was shocked beyond belief. So shocked that he never saw the psionics blast coming, and by the time he'd been knocked to the ground, it was far too late. The guards surrounded him and snapped suppressing cuffs on his wrists behind his back, then hauled him up and led him away, and Tarsi's smirking face followed him all the way. But Lumen didn't care. His mind was in freefall, how could this have happened? Why did it happen? And who was the being who'd replaced the Vahi back on the pedestal before vanishing? It all felt so wrong, like this was not how things were meant to be... he was going to take the Vahi and go back in time to the Dark Hunter Wars... wait, what? No, he was going to go back to Karda Nui to save his mentor, Krika... but what if something went wrong? It all made no sense... no sense at all... of course this was what was supposed to happen, this was what was happening, wasn't it? He didn't know how the mask had reappeared back on the pedestal, but next time... no, there wouldn't be a next time. Somehow, he knew that, as if someone had told him that, a long time ago... everything was so confusing...
Lumen watched as his younger self was dragged away, shocked and disbelieving. Then he looked down at himself. He could just see the white walls through his fingers. So this was how it was, fading slowly away as time corrected itself. So he still had time then. Time to repay his friends for costing them their lives... he vanished into the past once again.
Tennis and Varia wandered through the dark streets of Metru Nui, although they couldn't quite remember how they'd got there, almost like a dream. But neither of them would notice that, because this was just a routine night patrol. Little did they realise how much danger they were in, as Lariska stalked the night and was waiting for Toa to cross her path. But she would be cheated of her prey tonight. "Listen!" Varia hissed to Tennis, peering into the shadows. They could both hear the sound of footsteps, likely some stalking dark hunter. Varia motioned for Tennis to follow her and she began to creep after the footsteps, tracking them through the night. They twisted in a path round the buildings, sometimes doubling back on itself and pausing. In fact, Varia was almost beginning to suspect that it was trying to lead them away, let them follow it, when she finally saw it. It had stepped into the light of the two moons, and Varia and Tennis took in the Toa-like shape, the huge bat-like wings, and the ancient helmet. They tried to back away but the creature suddenly turned and gazed at them with piercing icy eyes, that glowed with a ghostly inner light in the darkness. It watched them for a few moments more before unfurling its wings, leaping high into the night sky and vanishing from sight. Varia and Tennis stared at the space where it had stood for a while longer before Tennis finally spoke. "What in Metru Nui was that?" he whispered. Varia didn't look at him, but replied softly
"I think... it was the Toa of Night."
"Did you... feel like..." Tennis began, but he stopped. It was absurd, but when the thing had looked at him, he felt like it was...
"familiar?" Varia asked him. He nodded mutely. "Yes..." she continued, frowning as she tried to pin down an idea flashing into view... but then it was gone.
Lumen flew away from them and vanished once again, safe in the knowledge that he'd kept them safe. But he wasn't done yet, even though he was even more transparent now. He had just a few more trips to make...
Tennis was on the night patrol again, keeping a lookout for Dark Hunters. But he didn't see the one sneaking across the rooftops behind him, pulling back the string on a bow loaded with a poisoned arrow. Just like the Dark Hunter didn't notice the bat-like shadow swoop over him and drop a single Cordak rocket. The explosion shattered the night's peace and Tennis spun round in time to see the dismembered body of the Dark Hunter fall around him. The arrow dropped and stuck into the pavement at the foot of the building. Tennis looked up at the building once the fall of masonry had ceased, and thought he saw a bat-winged figure... he blinked and it was gone. Looking round at the various pieces of Dark Hunter, and then back to the arrow, he looked at the sky warily, and hurriedly made his way back to the coliseum to report back to Lhikan.
Lumen was temporarily flummoxed. What on earth had happened to Varia? She'd disappeared at the end of the Dark Hunter Wars, and Lumen searched through time to find her, getting more frantic as he became steadily more transparent. But then, just as the era of the Toa Metru dawned, a few short days from his final stop, he found her in the city of legends once more. But he didn't speak to her. Instead, he found where she was staying and left her a note. He figured she'd find it of more use, and perhaps she'd even understand what had occurred.
Varia returned home from another frustrating day with the Toa Metru, having decided that it would be safe to leave them to go the coliseum on their own to present the Great Disks. Then she noticed the tablet on the desk. Odd... Varia picked up the paper. The words were faint, as if written by a spectral hand, and she couldn't make them out. However, at the bottom the writing was a bit clearer, and she could read the last few words: 'If you ever need help, just look for Lumen'. Varia stared blankly at the letter, struggling with a sudden surge of familiarity, but then it was gone again. Even more frustrated, she tossed the paper aside and went to bed.
And now... Lumen thought as he examined his hand, which was now almost completely invisible. My time is almost up. So now I can make one last trip...
Vakama's face was one of great anguish as his hero died in his arms. Lhikan gave him one last little smile and his heartlight went dark. Lhikan rose from his fallen body, a Toa once more, and turned to face Lumen. "Who are you?" he asked. Lumen gave him a sad little smile. "A fellow spirit, one that under different circumstances might have been one you knew. I thought perhaps you might want company on the walk to the afterlife."
"Company is much appreciated. Is the journey long?" Lhikan asked.
"I've never taken it. But I here it's worth it." Lumen said.
"Then let us go, brother." Lhikan said. "Because I know that Vakama won't let me down." Lumen nodded, and together, they left this world.
"It is strange brother, but I feel I do know you." Lhikan said. No answer. "Brother?" he repeated. Still nothing. He looked round. All he could see was white. And then, out of the mist, came his fallen brothers and sisters of the Toa Mangai.
"We're all here, brother." Naho said warmly. Even Nidhiki was there, although he stood apart from them.
"No... I was with another..." Lhikan said, although now he wasn't sure. Had there been someone there?
"You were all alone, Brother. We saw no-one." Another called; Lhikan couldn't tell which from here. He came closer.
"Oh..." Lhikan murmured.
"Come on brother, we're reunited once again! Be merry!" Nidhiki said.
"Yes." Lhikan nodded. "Back together again, at last." And as he ran to join his brothers and sisters, the last remnants of Lumen faded from existence, his debt finally repaid.
