NINE

Location Unknown, Spherus Magna

A shadowy figure walked towards a sphere half-buried in the ground. There used to be a swamp here, long destroyed by a cataclysmic event.

Of course, he remembered all of it. How everything had perfectly fit into place. How his greatest foes had proved to be his greatest minions. How he had swiftly eliminated his former brothers and sisters, who would have competed for power he had possessed, by bringing them here.

And one of his brothers had claimed something of Teridax's as his own. That was what the master of shadows was here to find.

He scanned the area, his eyes looking around. He knew what it was. The Kraahkan. The last piece.

But it was not here. But he felt the particles that had composed it lying around. He reached out to them, gathering them together and bringing them into one form. He placed it onto his face, feeling its power return to him. A pool of water was next to him- somehow, it was here- and the light was just enough to see his reflection.

There was a scar where he had wielded back his old armor with a Rahkshi of Heat Vision. The one-formidable plating was now pitted, scratched, and torn. His Staff's blades were dulled and broken.

But it was enough. He could repair it at a later date. It was much better than the old Maxilos frame he had used to escape this robot.

It was interesting how his brother had spread the lie that this was not the home of the Matoran, the Turaga, the Toa, the Skakdi, the Visorak… It appeared that he, too, was a liar, a deciever. Perhaps he believed it was for the best. But it did not matter.

Both of them were biding their time. Both of them were hiding from each other. But how dare Mata Nui welcome these invaders with open arms! How dare he protect them from his wrath!

That did matter.

He looked back at the pool. He was complete. He no longer needed to worry about being uncovered by the world above. He had recovered a small reservoir of energized protodermis. He had built a small army of Rahkshi. He was regaining power.

But he still had no agents. Ahkmou had declined his offer, claiming to be out of the Dark. Nektan was imprisoned by the Magna Nui lawkeepers with the assistance of the Invaders.

Someone was watching him. He knew it.

There were a pair of red eyes in the shadow. He tried to reach out to it, to ask it who it was, and sent out a telepathic scan of the watcher's mind.

But he could not make sense of it. It wasn't like another race's mind, with the same primal feelings but different languages. This was incomprehensible. It was maddening. It wasn't that up was down and down was up. It was that down was blue and up was taste. Good was triangle and wrong was cold. He could not describe anything else. He retreated his mind, and felt exhausted.

And then the feeling went away, leaving him alone.

Thold, Infinity's Sword, Spherus Magna

Rekon focused on driving the Quadwheel. "So once I get to forty bios-an-hour, that's when I try to keep my speed constant. That's what the limit says." He told Hervex. She had no formal instruction- her parents wouldn't be able to afford it, and all of her prize money had gone towards supporting her village of origin and herself- and she was being informally trained by him at her behest for basic life skills.

"There's different limits, right?" She asked.

"Right."

"Stop the Quadwheel. There's someone on the side of the road."

He pulled up to this traveler. He didn't recognize it as a local. It looked a lot like those pictures he saw of one of the offworlders' leaders. He would have thought it was just coincidence, but they had met Tuma, so he had decided that Fate had taken interest in them. He motioned for the traveler to hop in, and they did. Rekon took his commpad and started the translator app, typing in what phrase he thought would be translated to "destination?"

The traveler nodded, and wrote down something on a piece of paper. Rek scanned it with his camera, and it translated to "a port city across the sea".

Well, I guess that's where we were going, anyway. Rekon thought. "Vex, keep an eye on him. I'd rather him not shoot us with a plasma gun or something."

"Got it." She was ready to grab a dagger and disarm the traveler if he made any moves, even before Rekon had told her.

Cheenoh-ee Teedah, Infinity's Sword, Spherus Magna

The doctor continued with his diagnosis of Brasa 'Zolonaka, with Torak 'Vakon watching over the two. "There's no way you killed all of those Spartans." 'Vakon said.

"I was seeing how gullible you were." Said the other Sangheili as the doctor was checking the prosthetic arm's neural connection. "I did lose an arm to a Spartan and killed them with it, but that was just exaggeration. Lost my job as a Field Operative, now I'm a messenger."

"So, Sanghelios is gone?"

"Yep."

"How? Was it glassed by the Servants of the Abiding Truth?"

"Nope. Cortana's guardians destabilized the planet's core." He delivered the news in a matter-of-fact manner. "Entire planet's been destroyed. There would have been an asteroid field where it used to be, but considering it's been two million years, I don't exactly know what would have happened to it."

All four of 'Vakon's jaws dropped. "No…"

"Yeah. Also, I took a bit of brain damage that stopped me from being able to properly express emotion during that brawl with the demon."

"You know the human saying 'don't shoot the messenger'?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd love to ignore that and shoot you dead right now."

"Sorry." That was in the same tone.

Ga-Koro, Magna Nui, Spherus Magna

Thel 'Vadaam walked down a quiet alley. His Prophet's Bane was hidden under his cloak in case he needed it, but there was no one nearby. He exited on the other side, scanning for more threats. He knew there could be sleeper agents in the Swords of Sanghelios, waiting for him to reveal any weakness so they could slit his throat.

This frayed-cloth and dull-silver-colored heap in front of him was not one of them. Of course, the thing about sleeper agents is that you don't know who could be one of them, but this did not look like a Sangheili at all. It was either sleeping or dead. He took out his metal dagger, and poked it slightly.

It's orange eyes opened, and its mouth opened, revealing an unnervingly large amount of teeth. "Hello, wanderer." The thing moaned as it tried to get up, with screeching, rusted movements. "Alright, looks like I need help."

The Arbiter looked down, and extended a two-fingered hand. The thing grasped it with a rather weak strength. "Who are you?" Thel asked it.

"Vezon, Toa of Anarchy." The creature bowed the best as it could, holding out his hand. "Well, I'm not a Toa, evidently."

"How do you know my language?"

"I've seen a lot of things in my travels- not willingly, of course- across time, space, and several universes. What you up to?"

"I am going into exile to mourn my race's destruction." Thel told this 'Vezon'.

"Ouch."

"It hurts more than a simple wound."

"You think you're over-reacting? What's your name, anyway?"

"Thel 'Vadaam. Former Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios."

"Sounds important." Vezon said, trying to walk, but staggering, holding his chest.

"Are you alright?" Thel said, then noticed that behind the tattered robes was a gaping wound in Vezon's abdomen, where gears, wires, and other mechanical components could be seen visibly hanging out. "What happened to you?"

Vezon looked at him with a melancholic smile. "Lots of things."

"You need medical attention."

"They wouldn't give me it. Not after what I've done."

"Are you a criminal?"

"Some would go so far to say that I'm a villain." Vezon said. "I think I know someone who can help." Vezon said, picking up a staff or spear or something. "Come on, let's go."

"You make a move, and I'll stab you."

"Alrighty, now that you've vented- I know some people who could give you an anger management class, y'know- we should move."

Thel was conflicted. He didn't want to listen to this creature's blabbering, but he needed his help. "We don't have a vehicle."

"There's a UNSC Military base nearby. We can steal a what's-it-called. Puma? Chupa-thingy?"

"Warthog."

"Stop making up animals."

"But this plan of yours… were it so easy, it is still considered a crime against the Infinity. And I do not want to be a Criminal, for I have many enemies here."

"Eh."

"Are you mad?" Asked Thel.

"You just now figured it out, huh?" Said Vezon as he grabbed a pile of scrap and pressed it into the wound. "You have a welding torch?"

"No. And I do not think scrap will help you."

"I'm ancient, and my self-repair systems are kicking into gear."

"How ancient?"

"In a word? Very." Vezon started humming- no, it was a whistle- and a small, four-legged creature ran over to him. "Oh, hey, Fenrakk Junior. Who's a good little spider?" He patted it on the head as if it was a dog, then pointed to the scrap metal. It let out a stream of fire, wielding the metal shut. Vezon hoisted it onto his shoulder, where it remained perched, its legs clamping onto Vezon's body for stability.

"That is not a spider. It's number of legs are wrong."

"That's just a translation thing. Don't ask."

"Hmph. Let us find our transport."

Flora Nui, Spherus Magna

A fishing vessel sailed along with the breeze. The winds had agreed with their trajectory, so they used the sail instead of a motor to save fuel. The Island that they were near was once inhabited, but destroyed by Visorak. A Toa team was sent here to fight them off, but never came back.

One crewman looked out onto the beach with his binoculars. Something crimson- it looked like an Ash Bear- was running from a horde of visorak. "Captain, we have contact. Visorak on the starboard side." He said into his communicator.

"You may open fire."

The crewman grabbed his rail crossbow, grabbing the weapon and aiming down the scope. He got a visorak in his sight, then fired. The shot tore a hole in the the spider, along with the others behind it. He loaded another shot and fired again. "Bring us closer, we'll take the Ash Bear with us."

"Why?"

"Because it's not an Ash Bear. It's a Hordika. A Toa Hordika."

"And you want to bring it on board? Are you crazy?!"

"Maybe. Haven't checked with my psychologist yet."

"Fine. We better get paid well for this. Get the tranquilizer."

Thirosa looked behind him at his Visorak pursuers. They were shot and killed by a boat offshore. He knew the boat would try to shoot at him- after all, that's what all of the people who saw him did, as far as he knew.

He hid under the foliage, quivering with each shot and Visorak scream. He licked a his bleeding paw, then rubbed it in the dirt and brush, hoping that would stop it. It burned, so he just tried to ignore it and hope the blood would coagulate.

He tried to think of better times, but he had lost everything but the names. He knew he was born in Ta-Metru, was the apprentice of a Blacksmith, and met a Le-Matoran named Ultia. But that was all he knew, other than he was chosen to be a Toa and his team was sent here to fight off some Visorak all those years ago. He recalled seeing Gaika, his team's leader, die abruptly. Then just... pain as his bones and muscles and armor plating changed shape and broke and tore and reformed and fused into new things. He remembered that Floras killed Eteric and Frektir when they didn't give her the food she wanted because she couldn't hunt anymore without her back leg. Then she ate them and tried to kill him, but he had escaped. But those names and words meant nothing.

How long ago had that mission been? It was only a few months after their mutation, but… he didn't know how long ago their transformation had been. He never kept track, simply trying to survive. He remembered how his mind felt like it was slipping and falling apart until all that was left was fear and hunger. He was barely clinging on to what memories of his past life he had left.

Footsteps. Closer. Closer... Louder. Rusting.

He backed away, ready to pounce.

But he never got the opportunity. something hit him in the back, and he felt drowsy. He tumbled out of the bush, with several blue things looking at him. They lifted him onto some sort of boat, and his consciousness faded in and out as he felt the things wrapping him in some sort of rope. He knew they were going to kill them. He was their prey now, and they were bringing him back to their dens.

His eyes opened what felt like seconds later, but he was now on a boat, with something pinning down his paws, covering his muzzle, and holding down his body. He tried to move out of the restraints, fighting against them, but it wouldn't work. He tried to roar to scare the things away, but only a weak growl came out.

One of the things walked towards him, looking him in the eyes, staring him down. "Name."

Thirosa cocked his head.

"Your name. What is it?"

He tried to pronounce it, but it came out as several growls. "Theer.. Oh… sah."

"Kasi, run a search for that."

Another one of the things typed something in. "Okay, now we wait for thirty minutes for the search results to come in because I have Jogg as my provider."

The first one sighed. "You could just switch."

"Too expensive." After a short silence, he started to talk again. "Looks like there was a Toa team sent to Flora Nui to assist the locals with a Visorak problem."

"And we found the only survivor."

"Yep."

"Well, hopefully the Lawkeepers'll pay a hefty price for a Toa." The captain fired a tranquilizer at the Hordika, causing Thirosa's vision to blur and his eyelids to feel heavy.

Ga-Metru, Magna Nui, Spherus Magna

Ultia was looking for some fish to buy so she could cook herself dinner when some call came onto her portable terminal.

"Toa Ultia?" said the voice.

"That's me."

"This is Lawkeeper Joru. There's someone you need to see at Nokama Hospital. Room E4022."

"On my way there."

She entered that room several minutes later- thank the Great Spirit for her Kualsi- and saw some sort of creature restrained on a table. Several IVs were attached to it, and there were stitches from surgeries.

A Vahki with the Lawkeeper's emblem was looking at her. "Lawkeeper Joru. Good to meet you, toa."

"I didn't expect a Vahki."

"No one does. Our chief weapons are surprise, fear, and... well, never mind."

"And I see you have a sense of humor."

"Of course. It's essential for this job."

"So, who was I supposed to see?"

"Him," Joru said, pointing at the creature. "Some Ga-matoran fishers found him off the coast."

"What's his name?"

"Thirosa."

"Thirosa? As in-"

"The 'Thirosa' who was made a Toa twenty years ago and never returned? Yeah, that's him."

She walked up to her long-lost friend. "Hey. Everything's going to be alright. Trust me."

He looked at her with a certain amount of doubt and sadness in his eyes, as if he knew her face but couldn't remember who she was.

She dug out some candied fruit that was in her pocket and held it in front of him. He whimpered, bringing his head closer to his body. She reached out to comfort him, but he growled at her.

The bashful, humble Ta-Matoran she knew was gone, with this broken, paranoid hordika left in his place.

Joru gave her a small paper. "This was a transcript of a session between him and the local therapist."

"Thank you, Lawkeeper." She pocketed it(she'd read it later), and looked back at Thirosa. "Osa, I missed you so much."

He let out a small whimper of agreement.

"I counted the days that you were gone. Never stopped counting." She was choking up.

"Is… that… a… joke?" Thirosa asked her, struggling to pronounce the words.

"No. See?" She brought out her Pad, showing him the calendar and how many boxes were colored red.

"Then… why did… you not… res... cue… me?" Thirosa asked.

She tried to think of an answer. "I… I wanted to. I sent so many requests for a Flora Nui rescue mission to Spherus Prima's Military Division, but none were ever accepted.

"Liar!" He screamed, and she backed away in fear. "Liar! You... didn't care! Left… me… and my… friends to die!" He was in tears, struggling to escape from his restraints. "YOU LET... THEM TURN... ME INTO THIS!"

"I'm sorry…" She could barely hold her tears in.

A beam hit Thirosa, and he jolted in what seemed like pain and surprise, then became limp, his eyes shut.

"I'll increase his anesthetic dose." Joru said. "Sorry about that, Toa. I normally don't like using my Staff of Pacification, but I was afraid he'd break his restraints and maybe maul you to death- he may be malnutritioned, but he's still a hordika. I'm honestly surprised his mind's as intact as it is."

She nodded, and headed to the waiting room. When she sat down, she took out the transcript, reading it, hoping it would reveal something she would be able to use to help him. But she found out nothing but pain. She crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the trash. Tears suffocated her vision, and her mind was flooded with emotions. Why didn't you rescue me? was the only thing that echoed through her mind.

She had failed her friend, and he had paid the price.

It was her fault.

It was all her fault.

Location Unknown, Spherus Magna

Makuta Teridax watched as the blue and orange figures conversed. How pathetic. They made it too easy to manipulate. They had no idea that his fingers had reached into their minds, controlling their every movement.

He had left a part of himself inside the galaxy during his brother's exploration that he was using as a proxy. That part of himself was now controlling this "Empress" and "Warden Eternal".

The feeling of being watched he experienced in the ruins of Karda Nui returned. He looked behind him, and saw two red eyes. "Reveal yourself!"

It seemed to respond to his command, forming a humanoid shadow. Its eyes were gone.

"Who are you?"

"I have been called many names. But I am existence. I am perseverance." It said.

"Stop speaking in riddles."

"Sop speaking in such infantile tongues."

He tried to cause it to dissipate, but to no avail. "How are you immune to my control? I am the master of shadows, Makuta Teridax!"

"I am shadow." It said. "I serve no master."

"What is the purpose of your visit?"

"There is no purpose other than I was supposed to do this."

"Says who?"

The being didn't respond. "You may believe you have the Empress hooked on your strings, but your arrogance shall be your undoing, as it was millennia ago."

"I have taken steps to prevent that."

"Have you? Then why do you continue your childish infighting?"

"I was a god once. I will be again."

"There are beings in this universe that you cannot understand. There are creatures that betray the laws of reality because they choose to. There are horrors beyond your imagination. What will being a god do when you can do nothing?"

"And I take it you are one of those?"

"I was born on a world in the same manner that the entity that caused yours to split into three was born in. I was born in the same manner as your former creators, your former scientist-kings, were born in."

"Are you a Great Being?"

"No. But the ones you call 'Great' have been sleeping for centuries. You were part of a plan to heal your world, yet you, in your ambitions, did not realize it. What will their reaction be to the creature that ended their plan, Teridax?"

"Begone."

"I shall leave when I want to, Makuta. I am far beyond your ability to reason that looking into my mind would leave you a gibbering wreck. Your intellect, your plans upon plans, are nothing compared to me."

"Are you an ally of the Warden Eternal? Of the Invaders?"

"Yes. But also an enemy. That is my existence." It faded away. "But remember, Teridax," The voice boomed. "I am everywhere. I will be watching. And I will be waiting."

A Vorahk walked over to Teridax. "Father, the Invaders' settlement is becoming less and less vulnerable. It is only a matter of time before our attacks will be useless."

Teridax thought for a while. "Wake the Bohrok hives not under the thrall of the Queens. Take a small army of Rahkshi with you and assault their tumor."

"Yes, father."