And more on the searching and all. Don't worry, it will pick up later on.

Disclaimer: Don't own Bionicle and don't make money off of this at all.

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Gali watched as Pohatu and Onua left for the morning before slowly climbing down the old ladder. She was determined to at least see Takanuva before the guys went to talk to him. It was more of a restlessness that drove her than an actual need to see her brother. The Toa of Water had stayed in the barn loft for the entire week, and now felt immediate relief to be outside in the forest. She limped over to a tree and leaned on it, breathing a bit hard. If she was going to find Takanuva's new home, she would need some sort of staff or crutch. Her broken leg really was getting bothersome. It's a pity I still do not have my powers, she thought.

As she glanced around, Gali noticed a large branch, tossed up against the barn. She pulled a few of the twigs off, and looked it over. It was sturdy enough, and at a good height for her. Satisfied, the Toa of Water went off toward where Pohatu had searched before, leaning heavily on her new staff.

Takanuva stepped out onto the porch of the farmhouse and stretched. He found that he enjoyed early mornings, when the bright sun rose majestically in a sky full of color, greeting the brand new day with its warmth and light. Still dressed in a borrowed pair of pajama pants and an old T-shirt, he set off toward the woods. Sunlight filtering through the trees created a dappled look, and heavy dew was still settled on everything here. The Toa of Light sighed happily as he silently made his way through the dank ferns and tangled undergrowth. The snap of a broken branch startled him, and he whirled around. There, near the small river with the rope swing, he saw a glint of what looked armor in the distance. Takanuva silently ducked behind a tree and peered out. All he could see was a distant figure, wandering through. The stranger hadn't spotted him yet, and walked oddly. Takanuva had just decided to leave when he heard a high-pitched cry of surprise and a loud splash. Without a second thought, he raced over to the river, where he and the Carpenter boys had been swimming. He stopped short when he reached the water. A young woman was calmly pulling herself out of the weak current. She had long, brown hair, and wore very familiar silver-blue armor.

"Gali?" Takanuva asked cautiously.

She looked up, startled. "Takanuva, is that you?" she asked then smiled.

"Gali! I thought I'd never see any of you again!" Takanuva exclaimed as he reached down to help her up. She accepted his outstretched hand and stood on her good foot. "Did you hurt your foot?" he asked, alarmed.

"Oh, it's all right, I injured it a while ago," Gali said. She impulsively hugged Takanuva. "It's really good to see you," she said warmly.

Takanuva grinned back. "Here, I'll help you walk. You can come have breakfast with me and the people I've met,"

"No thank you, I already ate," Gali said quickly. "Why don't we just talk out here?" She was apprehensive about anyone knowing about her or her brothers. She had quickly learned that the owner of the barn didn't want anyone in his barn (he didn't know that she, Pohatu, and Onua had adopted it as their home), and she didn't want anyone but the Toa knowing about it.

"Sure, uh, hey, have you seen any of the others?" Takanuva asked.

"Yes. Pohatu, Onua, and I are staying in an old barn, back that way," she gestured.

"Could you show me?" Takanuva asked a bit shyly.

"Sure," Gali said. The two slowly set off, Gali leaning on her brother's arm for support. Takanuva was glad that his bright blond hair was long enough to cover his ears, because he was sure that they were now neon red. They came to the old barn quickly, to Takanuva's relief.

"Pohatu and Onua have jobs in the village, well, it's actually more like a small city, the people here call it a town, and so they aren't here right now. If you come here an hour before sunset, they'll be back, and we can have a small celebratory feast," Gali said as she hobbled around to the back of the barn. Takanuva hurried to catch up, but he had been surprised at the sight of the old, dilapidated building. The wooden walls were old and warped, the roof sagged and probably had many small leaks in it, and the door hinges were rusted and broken. At the back of the barn, Gali lifted away an old, rotting board and eased her way through the small hole. Takanuva followed and paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Dust flecks floated in the air. Gali slowly climbed the rickety ladder to the loft. The Toa of Light and Toa of Water looked around in silence at the dirty loft, where old, musty hay was piled into makeshift beds and covered with dirty, rough horse blankets.

"This is where you live?" Takanuva asked.

"It's not that bad," Gali replied. "How did you get to stay at that house?"

So Takanuva told her the story, how the little boys had found him in the forest, how they had immediately taken him in, how he was almost like part of their family now. He told her about kind-hearted Rose Carpenter, who kept the house neat as a pin (a phrase Takanuva had picked up during his stay with the Carpenters), about Jacob Carpenter, who worked at a bakery in town and occasionally brought home some of the leftover cakes and cookies, about Jake and his daredevil antics, about Isaac's enthusiasm and Timmy's love of books, and even of little Chris, who had just learned Takanuva's name.

"Wow," Gali said. "I'm surprised they don't find you suspicious."

Takanuva nodded. "They've hardly asked about where I came from. I think that they would like you guys."

Gali thought about it for a moment. "How about we talk to Onua and Pohatu about it, tonight?" she replied.

Takanuva nodded. "Will you be all right here? I should probably go back, but I can tell them that I've got to do something, or-"

"I'll be fine," Gali said.

Takanuva hesitated for a moment, but climbed down the ladder. He hated the thought of leaving his sister here alone, especially with an injured leg, but he didn't want his new surrogate family to worry. With a last glance up at the loft, Takanuva ducked out of the barn's side, replaced the loose board, and slipped into the sunlit forest.