"Well..." Nokama said quietly. "Here we are." Her orange eyes were fixed on the vast temple ahead of her, fingers trembling slightly as she thought about their reason for being there. Just what awaited them when they would get inside? Would Tahu and Kopaka really be there? Would they even be alive? What if Vakama had killed them by now?"

"I don't like this." Matau remarked, standing beside Nokama and draping his arms protectively around Hlahlu. "We shouldn't' have wandercome here; it's all just a dangertrap."

"We have to find the boys, Matau." Nokama replied firmly, loosely clenching and relaxing her hands in an attempt to make her fingers stop shivering. "And if this is where they are, then we have to save them before Vakama-"

"Does what, Sister?" Matau cut in, frowning at her. "Kills them? Gives them to Roodaka?"

Nokama frowned back. "Before Vakama does anything else he will regret. You aren't afraid of facing him, are you?"

The feathered Hordika stared at her incredulously. "I'm not fearscared of Vakama, but if he does anything to Hlahlu..."

The Matoran shook her head nervously. "I don't understand... I thought Toa Vakama was nice..."

"He was." Nokama explained quietly, shaking her head as she thought about it. "But Roodaka did horrible things to him and he... he lost his way."

Matau scoffed openly at that. "More like he lost his mind. He allyjoined Roodaka and is out to get us!"

"He's not himself!" Nokama defended sharply. "But we have to keep hoping he'll come back to his senses and realize what he's doing!" She started walking towards the Great Temple, her pace brisk and strides purposeful as she commented. "Stay out here if you want, Matau, but just so you know, the temple will be safer than outside is; Hlahlu's safety is up to you."

She didn't look back as she heard Matau sputter, nor when she heard the sounds of her Brother and Hlahlu following her. No, she focused only on what was ahead of them, knowing that delaying would only draw out the inevitable discovery of Tahu's fate. Not only that, but it would reveal just where Vakama's loyalty truly stood, something Nokama had been puzzling over since Tahu was kidnapped. Something wasn't adding up; a few things weren't, in fact. After all, if Vakama was still allied with Roodaka, why wasn't there a higher Visorak count, and why only try to take one person? Not only that, but Vakama was never good at trickery before; choosing the Great Temple of all places was too suspicious to even be convinced it was a trap in the first place. In the end, it came down to one crucial thing;

Just how far had Roodaka pushed him, and how likely did Vakama push back?

Soon, Nokama, Matau, and Hlahlu, were standing outside the temple doors, tension thick in the air as they stared at the one thing between them and discerning the truth. Matau shuddered. "Are you eversure you don't want to talk this over first?"

Nokama frowned again, though she didn't bother sparing him any glances. "I'm sure, Matau. Whether or not the boys are in there, we have to investigate. If they're inside-"

"If they aren't, we'll have come for nothing." Matau grumped. "And then we'll have to figure out what to do next."

Hlahlu shivered and shook her head, clinging to the feathered Toa's arm. "I... I want to go in... It... it's safe in there... It's always been safe in the Great Temple..."

Nokama nodded a little, wisely not bringing up the fact that it had been raided by the Visorak. "She's right, Matau; very few things would even dare to try and cross the threshold once we were inside." She reached out as she said this, webbed hands pressing against one of the vast doors. "We will be safe." When Matau didn't reply, Nokama nodded once as though to solidify the matter, and pushed the door.

The sound of rusty hinges squealing in protest shook the otherwise silent air, resounding through the temple's vast foyer like a summoning bell, declaring the arrival of long lost travellers or restless wanderers seeking aid.

The sight before them broke Nokama's heart.

Bits of floor lay strewn about, cracks and gouges betraying the battle, and the damage caused by the quake. Pillars once decorated with elaborate carvings detailing great heroes in the past lay in ruin or stood crumbling, defaced by time and circumstance that couldn't be stopped. Dust greyed the damp, somewhat musty air, giving everything an eerie, haunted, and otherworldly look.

And yet, somehow, things seemed as though they had been touched by a gentle and caring hand, as if someone had recently tried cleaning up or restoring it. The floor was, while cracked, somewhat clean looking, like a rushed attempt at tidiness had been made. There were no scorch marks to betray the raid, no indications that Visorak had really been there.

Matau grimaced as he looked around. "Yeesh, it's worse than I thoughtfigured... Are you still sure about this?"

Nokama ignored him as she walked inside, studying everything around them with scrutiny, memories from years past flickering through her mind. Images from happier days, when she would come to the Great Temple to study and just think.

"It's changed..."

The Toa of Water blinked and looked over at Hlahlu. "How do you mean?"

"It's grey... bleak... hope is leaving..." She shook her head nervously as she explored the entry hall, her orange eyes wide. "The golden glow fades... Unity fled from this place, Duty gone... It has no purpose. Void, hollow... a shell with no memory of what belonged..." She looked back at the Toa, her expression unnervingly blank. "It should be broken..."

Matau gaped at her. "Wh-what? What are you talking about?"

"The temple is useless to us." Hlahlu replied, sounding half as though she believed it, and half like it wasn't even a conscious thing to say. "The Toa are going to fall one way or another... no more heroes for the Matoran... no need to remember what history forsake..."

"Can you even hear yourself, Hlahlu?" Nokama asked, highly unnerved by what the Matoran said. "What would make you say such a thing?"

"The horde will prevail..." Hlahlu assured absently. "Cannot stop them. The Toa are broken and separated, no longer following what made them powerful... Funny how a spider can break the will of someone so strong... How a few strings can be pulled and make a person unravel... History always repeats; like mother, like son. Threatened with lies, rewarded with treason. He will die before it ends. He will outlive his usefulness, and he will die..." Hlahlu shook her head and closed her eyes, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. "In the end, only darkness can survive... just give up; it will make everything easier."

Nokama and Matau stared at her in horrified confusion. The Hlahlu they knew would never have said anything like that. Of all the Matoran they could assume something like that from, she was the last. Through the whole of the disappearances up until her own, Hlahlu had been as sure and adamant as ever that the Toa would succeed, and now this? It didn't make sense.

Finally, Matau found his voice. "That's just sillytalk, Hlahlu. Why don't we explore a bit? Maybe you'll feel better." He walked over to her as he spoke, putting an arm around her and setting off. "I bet you'll want to spotsee the Toa-Hero Suva; that's always cool to look at."

Deciding to leave Matau to his own devices, Nokama watched as the pair left before setting off down a different hallway, intent on trying to find any sign of Tahu, Kopaka, or Vakama. She knew it wouldn't take massively long either; she knew the Great Temple like the back of her hand, and every hard-to-spot corner it held like the nails on her fingers. If anyone had a chance at tracking down the boys, it would be her.

Progress moved along at a moderate pace, though even with making good speed, Nokama had very little luck in finding any signs of the boys. Had Vakama tricked her? Were the young Toa alive still? Was she being hunted even now, as she searched? How was she to know for certain? Would she ever know, or would she be killed or dragged off before she could learn the truth?

A shudder ran through her as the female Hordika shook her head. This wasn't the time for her to question the predicament. Regardless of her situation, she would discover what had become of Kopaka and Tahu, in spite of any tricks or mind games Vakama may have been trying to play. There was no room for failure, not after what Vakama had said.

The soft echo of voices made Nokama pause, straining to try and hear what was being said.

"What in Mata Nui's name did you do down here?"

"What did I do...? Found shiny rocks."

"You broke a hole in the floor, just to find shiny rocks. Seriously?"

"Well I couldn't find any stairs."

Nokama blinked as she listened. That definitely sounded like Tahu, and it wasn't hard to guess that the other voice belonged to Kopaka. What confused her wasn't their voices however; it was how casual the conversation was. Bewildered and unsure just what was going on, Nokama moved closer, following the banter until she could actually see who was talking. Sure enough, Kopaka and Tahu were easily visible, the latter sitting on the floor and trying to pull webbing off of himself. A boy no older than four or five was easily visible as well, happily petting the ebony carapace of a surprisingly docile Visorak. Nokama recognized the toddler at once as Jaller, Mihkoro's first and only son. Blinking a couple times more, the perplexed Water Hordika finally seemed to remember that she did, in fact, have a voice. "... Boys?"

All eyes were on her in a heartbeat, an awkward silence following after that was only broken by Jaller cheering. "Auntie Noka!"

Kopaka smiled calmly as the Hordika's expression grew even more confused. "Glad to see you made it safely. I trust that Matau and... Hlahlu was it? ... got here safely as well?"

Nokama nodded slowly, studying each of the boys, and the Visorak, in turn. "We did... Is Vakama not with you?"

Tahu shook his head. "Haven't seen him since he caught me. He's probably finding everyone else and figuring out ways to get them here."

"But... what was the threat for?" She inquired. "Was it a lie?"

"Essentially." Kopaka explained. "He had to convince you to come somehow." He paused before adding. "Tahu, Jaller, and I, were just trying to find information about Keetongu; would you like to help?"

By this point, the Hordika was too lost to even know where to begin, though finally she found a reply. "Sure, but first you need to tell me exactly what's going on."

Kopaka merely smiled. "Naturally."