A/N - Hi! I'm back! And I am so sorry this took so long!
One thing I'd like to note for this book is that now I'm going to be focusing on all the characters, not just my OC and what happens to her. You saw some of that in the last book, but this time if it's not related to Emma, and it is important to the plot… it's included! I'm doing that because 1, it will make some things more understandable later on, 2, because the novel this is based on, Voyage of Fear, isn't that well known (unless you read MM's work) to more modern fans, and 3… well, these scenes may also be linked to Emma because of what's going to happen after them. (No, I'm not being lazy to just rewrite new scenes based on them. Nope, not at all…)
Another thing is that I'm now in university again. Which is why this took so long to get out (partly). Thankfully, it's a somewhat easier course load this time around, but that's only because of the disaster of my last terms online. Yup, we're online again. Sigh… I am so looking forwards to the winter term! We're in-person! And only those who are legitimately vaccinated will be allowed on campus (with acceptable exceptions), and anyone unvaccinated will be banned. Not even a negative test will allow them on campus. Take that anti-vaxxers!
…I've also been dealing with mental health issues. I have only left my house about 20 times in the past year-and-a-half… serious cabin fever's set in. It's not been fun. And I'm somewhat mostly an introvert! And a night owl! But I am CRAVING early morning train rides and 9 am classes on campus if it means I'm on campus!
Ahem! Anyways, onto the chapter! Not too sure about it honestly (which is another reason it took so long) but here you go! Oh, and happy early Halloween! Have a safe trick-or-treat night!
Addition: Seriously please review this. I don't know if I did good enough on this and really would appreciate some feedback. Thank you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, only my OC Emma and little portions of the plot. Credit to MakutaMutran for letting me use his novelizations of the overall canon as the basis for my plot (as in what's going on canonically). Also, don't own the movie 'Legends of Metru Nui', or the novel 'Voyage of Fear'. That's LEGO's. Please note that I have added some creative liberty to this chapter, so if it isn't in the canon in any way (ie. pretty much the majority if not all of this chapter), it's MINE. No stealy.
Warning: There are some trigger moments ahead, including mentions of loss and abuse. Please be aware that you have been warned if easily triggered.
It was quiet as the Vahki Transport drifted through the river, the seven passengers exhausted despite having rested after their long day. They had been drifting for several hours, the Toa of Air at the controls having been working hard to keep the modified transport steady. It was not designed for floating nor navigating these narrow passages.
"l hate this." The Toa of Stone muttered for the umpteenth time. "l really do–"
While the other Toa only glanced at him, Emma groaned loudly. "We know Onewa."
The Stone Toa glared at the girl, not impressed that she interrupted his complaining. "Do you?" He almost growled.
The human girl gave him a side-eyed glare. "Let's recount: your home is in ruins, we've only got six Matoran out of so many safe, the rest of the Matoran are imprisoned, and as you've said many times, we're 'running away'." She ignored the glowering from him as she did hand quotes. "Not to mention we're riding on a vehicle that's not even supposed to float, and is only floating thanks to the six pods we have." Emma let out her own groan when she finished listing it all off, and flopped on her back. "Great, now I'm feeling depressed."
Nokama reached over and patted her leg, the closest body part she could reach of the girl from where she was sitting. "I'll admit, we're all getting a little stir-crazy." She commented.
Whenua glanced at his Toa sister. "Do you have any suggestions?"
She nodded. "Yes. Matau!" She raised her voice to get her air brother's attention. "Can you take us to a shore area?"
The green armoured Toa grumbled. "Oh, sure. Try to maneuver-steer a vehicle-transport not meant to float!" He jerked the steering before he shouted back, "Give me a moment-click!"
Everyone else yelped as the vessel jerked to the side, before Matau was able to 'beach' the transport on a shallow, flat rock. "This shore enough for you, Nokama-sister?" His voice was lined with sarcasm.
The Water Toa glared at him, unimpressed. "Brother, take a nap. Your sarcastic and snippy tone indicates that you need rest."
Matau grumbled, not happy, but he still settled down in the seat. He was pretty wiped…
"So, what now?" Onewa asked, sitting up and looking around.
At that, the Toa of Water sighed. "Honestly I'm not sure, but Matau needed the rest."
Emma sat up, and winced as her stomach complained. "How about food? I don't think I've eaten in at least twelve hours."
Whenua glanced at the girl, raising a brow. "You're hungry already?"
The girl groaned, flopping back. "I'm a fully organic human." She threw out her arms in exaggeration. "I need to eat more frequently!"
A container was set next to her. "I packed up some dried jerky, just in case." The Toa of Earth said softly.
The human gave it the side eye, sitting back up as she grabbed it. "It's not spicy is it?"
Whenua shook his head, confused. "No. Jerky from Onu-Metru is actually considered more 'bland' and tough…"
Vakama suddenly chuckled, realization dawning. "You had some Ta-Metru jerky when you were in my apartment."
Nuju actually winced. "That likely hurt…"
Emma huffed around her first bite of jerky, happy it wasn't spicy, before swallowing. "You don't say?" She glared, before focusing on eating. No offence to the Toa of Ice, but she was crabby on an empty stomach. She grumbled a little. "A warning would've been nice…" she mumbled, ripping into the jerky piece.
Wisely, the human girl was let eat in peace while the Toa talked quietly amongst themselves, also keeping their voices low so as to not disturb Matau. Said Toa of Air was snoring like a train, flopped in the driver's seat and out like a light.
Emma felt full after a bit, and put the jerky container to the side with a soft sigh. She glanced at the quietly speaking Toa, before looking at the water. The cave was actually not that dark, lit by small lightstones embedded into the walls, so she could see down somewhat into the water. Well, not water… she could see it was still that silvery liquid that was like water, but not. Curious, she poked it, before pulling her finger back. It was almost exactly like H2O, but not…
"Oh, Emma be careful-!" Nokama winced as the girl leaned too far over, falling in with a squawk and splash. The human surfaced after a second, spitting out the liquid. "Ack!"
Nokama leaned over to the edge and reached down, swiftly pulling the girl back onto the craft. "And this is why we have railings." She chuckled softly, though her original worry leaked through into her voice.
The human's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, even as she whined a little. "It's like water… but not… wet…" she mumbled, her clothes soaked from the liquid.
"It's liquid protodermis. It does contain some water and is pretty much harmless." Nokama explained, using her control over water to help pull the fluid out of the fibres of the clothes. "You would find it a little bit denser than pure water, but not much of a difference."
"Besides being basically a liquid metal." Onewa noted offhandedly.
The girl nodded… before blanching. "'Liquid metal'?!" She squawked, before she yanked off her jacket and shirt, tossing them aside and leaving her only in her sports bra and shorts, frantically inspecting her skin. "Oh no! I'm not burned am I-?! Crap! I got some in my mouth-!" She panicked, her mind flashing with images of molten metal and iron poisoning, her mind not even registering Nokama's words.
The Toa of Water had reached for Emma when the girl had started panicking, only to freeze as the girl ripped her shirt off. It wasn't the fact she had ripped off most of her upper 'armour', however…
All along the young human's back were small, long, pale, and thin scars. Some were randomly placed, others were along a parallel…
"Spirits…" Nokama felt her heart stop. She had taken medical classes, just like all students in Ga-Metru before becoming a teacher… volunteered at a Matorling Care Center… spirits above these scars looked like faint knife and whip marks!
Nuju noticed her pale mask. "Nokama…?" He followed her gaze, and his visible eye widened seeing the marks on the panicking girl's skin. "Mata Nui…"
The other Toa – minus the snoring Matau – took notice, and also went similarly pale. Those were scars…
After a few clicks of her panicking, Emma jumped when she felt metal fingers gently trace… no!
The girl scrambled away, and lunged for her shirt, pale. Screw metal poisoning! She had to hide them!
The thirteen year old yelped as she was grabbed and pulled back, and she kicked her legs, thrashing. "No! Let me go! Let me go!" She started crying, scared. "I have to hide them!"
Vakama just pulled Emma close, his heart breaking as she cried. "Emma…"
"Brother, hold her still please." Nokama asked softly, gently reaching out and touching the girl's back. The Toa of Water's hands glowed faintly as she felt along the scars, the human flinching and crying at each touch.
The Ga-Toa's worry grew as she 'felt' into the young teen's thin hide. Some of the longer scars were deep into her flesh, and several years old…
Nokama felt very ill. Emma… had been abused. As a child.
Emma felt so scared as Nokama felt along her back, flinching at the touches. Stupid stupid stupid! She cried to herself, hating herself for not thinking her actions through. They see them! What I have to hide! T-They'll hate me!
She started crying every louder, even as she felt Vakama tighten his grip. "Emma…" the Toa murmured softly, but the girl flinched in terror. Oh no! He was upset! He was going to punish her too!
The human curled into a ball, the fetal position, in a futile attempt to protect herself. She forced herself to stop crying, fearful that her crying would only make it worse, leaving only choked whimpers to escape her throat. The girl trembled, frightened, and fearing the inevitable…
But instead of the feared beating, the Fire Toa just held her close, gently rubbing her back with a gentle, warm hand, as the Water Toa's hands pulled away. "Oh little gi…" Vakama murmured softly, his tone filled with pity and heartbreak.
Emma felt tears stream as she was held close, not feeling any pain or anger… she… wasn't in trouble…
"Here…" the girl looked up a little as she felt her jacket be wrapped around her back, covering them. She grasped the fabric with shaky fingers, feeling Whenua gently rest his hand on the back of her head. "It's going to be alright Emma… I promise…" he said softly.
The thirteen year old just hid her face into Vakama's chest, tears streaming. She felt so scared and confused… but just curled into more of a ball. Did they really care…? About a single, pointless human girl like her…?
Emma closed her eyes, just resting her head against Vakama's chest. His heartbeat was so strong and calming… Maybe… she could be safe… with them…
Vakama adjusted his grip on Emma as the girl fell asleep, feeling her maskless face tucked into his chest. He hadn't seen her that frightened, not even when they had almost died a few times on their journey so far…
No, he had. When they were hitching a ride on the Vahki convoy. Was that event… linked to…?
"She's badly traumatized…" Nokama said softly, taking Emma's shirt from Nuju, who had retrieved it. "I've seen this on Matorlings who have been placed or raised in bad homes… they'll repress the trauma, but the pain will slowly build… and then be released when triggered a certain way." She had her Fire Brother carefully roll Emma over, and then removed the jacket gently so she could put the girl's shirt back on her. "When she panicked and ripped her coverings off, she triggered herself by exposing her scars. She had repressed her terror by hiding them…" the Water Toa felt sick as she finished, saying softly, "she feared… that we were going to hurt her the moment she realized they were exposed."
Whenua gently stroked Emma's head, her hat in his other hand. "But… she knows we wouldn't…" he looked at the others, trying to find someone to agree with him. "Right…?" It was almost like a plea.
"No… not in that moment…" Nokama sighed, finishing getting the girl's shirt on without ripping it more than it already was, and stroked the golden-blonde and blue-striped hair out of the way. "Also…" she sighed. "I once worked with a young Ta-Matorling who was abused by his uncle… he trusted the adult until the adult hurt him. This kind of trauma… Emma was betrayed by someone she closely loved."
Vakama looked up fast, eyes wide, and holding the human girl close. "Was that Matorling named… Takua?" He asked, wondering if just maybe, possibly…
His sister looked at him, a little surprised, before sighing. "Yes… he was the last child I worked with before I…" she looked away, sad… "before I stopped volunteering at the Matorling Care Centre…" she still felt regret for leaving the centre, but she couldn't stand being there anymore… there had been so much pain and the crying Matorlings…
"Sister… is something wrong?" Onewa asked, trying and failing to hide his concern.
"It's… not something I wish to share." Nokama answered, taking a deep breath. "Let's get Emma inside… she needs to rest."
The other Toa made reluctant, but soft sounds of agreement, and the Toa of Water took Emma into her arms, carrying the human child inside. The four of them watched her go, concerned greatly.
Nokama let out a soft sigh as she lay the girl down on the bench inside, gently stroking her soft, organic face. "Oh little one…" her heart broke for her, before the Water Toa sat next to the human. A few tears fell as some painful memories rose up, and she pulled something out of her subspace. It was a locket, and she opened it after a moment of just staring at it. Inside one half was a picture of her as a Matoran… with a small bundle in her arms, a tiny blue mask poking out of the blanket. A tear slid down her Rau as she lightly stroked the image of the infant, her little Haili…
"Sister?" Nokama jumped, startled at Nuju's voice, and snapped the locket shut. "B-Brother!" She forced her voice down as Emma stirred a little. "Y-You scared me…"
"Apologies. I was merely bringing in this… cloth armour." The Ice Toa held up Emma's jacket. "Not very protective…" he noted absently.
Nokama took a breath, tucking the locket away and standing. "Oh, her… jacket… I believe. Thank you Nuju." She took the light blue jacket and lay it over the sleeping girl.
A white armoured hand rested on her shoulder. "Sister, what's wrong?"
The Water Toa didn't look at him. "There's nothing wrong, Nuju…"
The Toa of Ice sighed. "Yes, there is, sister." He looked her in the eye as she turned to him, mouth open to retort. But Nuju cut her off. "Nokama, I saw my foster mother react the same when she was grieving…" he squeezed her shoulder, "you don't have to tell the others, but you need to tell someone…"
The Toa of Water just looked away, not responding. Nuju watched her for a moment, then turned away…
"I had a daughter."
The Toa of Ice looked back at Nokama, eyes wide behind his mask. "Sister…"
The Water Toa's shoulders trembled, and she croaked out, "I loved her father… but my family didn't want me to become lifemates with a miner, or even be courted by him." She pulled her locket back out, opening it to reveal her holding her infant on one half… and a picture of her and an Onu-Matoran with a grey mask on the other half, the male's hand on her stomach. "Then, I fell pregnant… my father became enraged and tried to lock me away, tried to drive my courter away… so I disowned my family and left." Her hand started to tremble. "I got myself an apartment, and applied for maternity pay while I searched for a teaching position… but…" a sob escaped her as tears dripped off her mask, "I-I sent a message t-to Boras… but… b-but…" she started to cry softly, "b-but he had b-been killed-!" She buried her Kanohi into her hands, trying to stifle her cries.
Nuju gently wrapped his arms around Nokama in a gentle hug, holding her close as his sister sobbed into him. He rubbed her back, letting his soft side out as she needed his support. The Water Toa sobbed into his chest for a few clicks, letting out her long dormant heartache.
The Toa of Ice gently sat them both down, holding his sister close as her sobs slowly ebbed. "You don't have to tell me anymore sister… not if it's too painful."
Nokama nodded, sniffing softly. "T-Thank you…"
Nuju gently pressed his forehead against the top of her head. "Any time sister… any time."
The transport was making its way through the tunnels again hours later, their driver, Toa Matau, fully rested and focused on steering. The rest of the Toa were sitting outside, leaving Emma to rest inside the transport.
Nokama sat silently at the back, her feet over the edge and dipping into the liquid of the river. The other Toa gave her their space, leaving her be. They were still processing what happened earlier with Emma, thus there was total silence as they traveled.
Matau watched the tunnel ahead silently, having been informed of what happened. His knuckles whitened under his armour as his grip tightened, his jaw clenched. Emma… had been abused… how had he not noticed sooner? Those night-terrors she had… Why hadn't he made the connection?!
"Stupid." He muttered under his breath. "Stupid stupid stupid." He had been so focused on being a 'Hero' that he didn't focus on one small child who needed him. Even after he had started to care for her… Emma-friend…
On the deck, Whenua silently molded a rock he had found that was made of compressed earth, trying to clear his mind. He didn't know the human child very well, but seeing her so frightened and vulnerable… it hit him deep down. It reminded him of an old friend who he had known since childhood, who had once been so terrified of ussal crabs but then…
He let out a breath as he pressed the rock between his palms, pushing the memories of long ago back down. There was nothing he could do now.
The Earth Toa turned hearing sounds from inside the transport, and smiled softly as Emma emerged, the girl looking timid. "Rest well?" He asked softly, and the girl jumped a little. "Y-Yeah…" she mumbled, looking away. She had been more tired than she realized… she couldn't recall the last time she slept so soundly after…
The girl shivered, curling back.
Sighing, Whenua stood up, putting the earth in his subspace and going over to the timid human. "You're safe here Emma… we promise." He hugged her gently, and after her initial flinch, he felt her organic fingers timidly latch onto his armour. The large Toa gently stroked the back of her head, before leading her out fully.
Vakama was on his feet in an instant, pushing his thoughts back when he saw Whenua lead Emma over, and he hugged the girl tightly to him. "Oh little gi…"
The thirteen year old sniffed softly, hugging him back. "I-I'm s-sorry…" she mumbled, only for the Toa of Fire to tighten his grip. "No… none of this was your fault. Never your fault…" he pressed his forehead against the top of her head, making a soft sound as he did.
The girl blinked and tilted her head to stare at the Fire Toa, then she looked at the other Toa. Whenua smiled gently at her, nodding slightly. "You're our friend Emma… you're safe with us."
Tears started to trickle down the human's cheeks, before she covered her face, trying to wipe her tears away. Gentle metal hands pulled her hands down and wiped her tears away for her, while another pair rubbed her shoulders gently. Even still, the girl started to cry softly, the tears flowing freely as she was hugged.
For the first time in so long… she genuinely felt safe. Not safe… safe. With the Toa.
They really care… about me… Emma sniffled, burying her face into the armour of the Toa hugging her. If this was some weird coma/dream/thing… she never wanted to wake from it.
Silence filled the passage as Matau steered the craft through the liquid protodermis. On the open deck, Onewa was complaining again, with Nuju calmly placating him.
Emma listened silently from the back of the vehicle, letting her bare feet dip in the silvery liquid between two of the attached pods. Now that she knew it was harmless, it felt nice to dip her somewhat sore feet into the cool liquid. She let out a deep sigh as Onewa once again complained about their situation, and listened to Nuju's calm retort.
"Our city is shattered, brother, possibly beyond repair." The icy Toa was saying. "We are doing the only thing we can do; trying to find a place for the Matoran to begin again."
"And that's another thing." Onewa grumbled. "Vakama says, 'Sail through the Great Barrier,' and off we go. We don't even know where we're going!"
"We are sailing to someplace far from Metru Nui, filled with new challenges and a new chance at life." Nuju replied, keeping his cool as he gave a realistic answer. "The way will be long and filled with danger. We may not all survive to walk the surface of that land."
"And how do you know?" The Stone Toa's tone was skeptical, not anymore encouraged by the blunt answer. "Given you haven't 'read' the stars in almost an eight-day." His voice had a tone that, to the human, sounded borderline sarcastic.
"The same way I know that you will not stop complaining until our voyage is over." The Ice Toa stated without a waver. "l know everything."
Emma giggled a little to herself as Onewa spluttered, before gripping the railing tightly as the transport jerked to the side, barely avoiding a rocky wall. Above in the driver's seat Matau cursed, yanking the wheel sharply to the side. And whether he realized it or not, he muttered his thoughts under his breath. "'Be a Toa-hero', I said. 'See exciting new places! Quick-save others! Almost get crushed by a giant plant, trapped by a Rahi, and hard-stomped by Dark Hunters'!" He groaned. "What was I thinking…?"
The girl winced at that, hugging herself. Guilt was still squeezing her heart… This was her fault. If only she hadn't kept her trap shut…
No! If I had said anything, things could've been worse! She told herself, before lamenting. Or things could've been better… who am I kidding? I would've screwed up big time either way… The young human sighed to herself, recalling Lhikan's last words to her.
"We both knew… how this was meant to end… watch over them… over Vakama… for me…"
Emma took a breath, forcing herself to calm. She couldn't change the past… but she could ensure the future. The future that she knew. A future that Lhikan seemed to have known… she wouldn't let him down.
She sat back, quietly watching as the tunnel's sides faded into darkness behind them. As far as she knew, the trip to the island above would be smooth… it would be on the way back that things would go south. Right?
Vakama stood quietly at the bow of the vessel, watching for dangers ahead. Nokama stood beside him, looking with wonder at their surroundings. "Have you ever pondered who built all of this, Vakama?" She asked softly, feeling more alert after having rested for the first hours of their journey. "The Great Barrier, this tunnel…were there Matoran in the dim past who constructed these things, or did the Great Spirit Mata Nui? Could it even have been the Great Beings themselves who created them? And if so, where do they lead? To new islands? Or are they a different path to the islands in the south?"
The Toa of Fire didn't answer her, or even reply in any way. His sister turned to look at him, and saw a look in his eyes she had come to know all too well in their adventures together. No enemy could strike harder at Vakama… than when he struck at himself.
"We did all we could." The Toa of Water said gently. "We saved those we could save, Vakama, and one day we will save all the rest. Toa Lhikan would have been- no, he was proud of you."
The red armoured Toa started at the mention of the elder Fire Toa's name. Lhikan had been a hero of Metru Nui when these six Toa had been simple Matoran. Betrayed and ambushed, Lhikan had sacrificed his Toa power to bring the six new Toa, the Toa Metru, into being. Even a transformed Turaga, he had aided them in their fight against the Makuta, albeit mostly from the sidelines until the end. But it was his final memory of Lhikan which pained Vakama the most; the noble figure taking a bolt of darkness meant for him and perishing. "You're right, of course, Nokama." The Fire Toa said softly after a moment. "But I keep thinking Lhikan would have found a way to save the city from this cataclysm."
"He did." Nokama rested a hand on his shoulder. "He found us. Remember what he said? 'Save the heart of the city.' He knew the buildings and chutes and statues were not what mattered. It's the Matoran who gave life to Metru Nui, and the Matoran we must fight to save." Nokama smiled gently. "Any Ga-Matoran can tell you that you cannot sail a boat if you are looking behind all the time. You have to look ahead."
Vakama remained silent for a moment, his eyes darkening, before he said softly, "Then let's do that, starting with this battered Vahki transport. It needs a name."
He pulled out his mask-making tool and turned, swiftly seared a series of Matoran letters onto the side of the craft. When he was done, Nokama leaned over his shoulder to see what he had written. It was one simple name, but a powerful one:
Lhikan.
The voyage of the newly christened Lhikan had followed a pretty straight and level course so far. The tunnel widened as the group traveled further along, and with no turnoffs, there was no way to go astray…
Matau suddenly slowed the boat to a crawl, jerking everyone onboard. Up ahead, lit by the embedded lightstones, the tunnel forked in two directions. Both passages looked the same to the group: dark, creepy, and about as inviting as a horde of Lohrak.
"Which way?" The Toa of Air called down, asking no one in particular.
Nokama looked at Vakama. He was straining, but his visions of the future did not come on command. They appeared at random and he wasn't seeing anything now. "l don't know." He answered with a sigh. "I'm not getting a feeling about either direction."
"Too bad there are no carving-signs saying, 'This Way to Safe Spot'." Matau commented dryly. "l say we go left."
"Why's that?" Emma asked, curious as she looked up at him.
"Because we hardly ever go-voyage left." The Air Toa answered plainly, already turning the craft.
"That…That is the most ridiculous reason to choose a future path I have ever heard." Nuju snapped, taking a moment to wrap his head around the non-existent logic. "Is the course of our mission being decided by the Toa of Air's desire for variety?"
"l still say left." Matau repeated, smiling. "Because every time we go-travel right, we get ambushed-attacked." The transport was now edging into the left passage.
"Okay, I'm with Nuju." Emma commented, crossing her arms. "And for the record Matau, we have sometimes gone left. I think it would be safer if we stayed in the main tunnel and sent someone ahead."
Whenua looked at her with intrigue. "That… is actually a smart idea."
The girl shrugged. "I've watched enough TV to know that it's always safer to send a scout or two ahead."
"Oh… What's TV?"
Before the question could be answered, the transport jolted a little. It was not even halfway through the tunnel mouth when the liquid protodermis all around began to bubble and steam, the temperature shooting up in a split second. Onewa glanced over the side and blanched seeing that the transport was starting to melt. "Back up!" He shouted in panic. "Get us out of here!" He didn't even want to think about what might be happening to the Matoran spheres!
Up ahead, something suddenly breached the waves with a powerful roar. The group got a good glimpse of bright green eyes, a massive body, a mouth large enough to swallow the transport whole, and skin that radiated intense heat. Then the creature crashed back beneath the boiling liquid.
"Right. I definitely say right!" Matau muttered, throwing the craft into reverse and trying to keep a lid on his panic. Once it was out of the passage, he turned so hard he almost split the craft in two against some rocks and shot into the other tunnel. Because right now this tunnel looked safer than the one with the giant monster and boiling liquid!
"What was that?" Nuju asked, more stunned than he wanted to admit. Especially as he pried his fingers free from where they had dug slightly into the metal side of the craft.
"An illusion?" Nokama suggested, shaken. "Something to make us turn back?"
Onewa shook his head, looking over the side. "The damage to the transport is real. My guess is the rest was real as well."
"Okay… that's just wonderful." Emma commented humorlessly, extremely rattled. "So what else is down here and wanting to make a meal of us?" Okay, now she felt even worse vocalizing it!
"We'll just have to take turns as lookout, then." Vakama said, trying not to show how shaken he was. "If there are things like that in here, we will need to be on our guard."
The other Toa nodded in agreement, and then Nokama signaled to Matau to stop the craft. "l am going to check on the condition of the spheres. If they started to leak…" She didn't need to finish her thought. If the spheres leaked… the Matoran inside would drown.
The Toa of Water leaped over the side and into the liquid protodermis. It was warmer than she expected, far more than the ocean around Metru Nui had been. It was also surprisingly clear, almost like the purified protodermis that flowed through Ga-Metru. It was only after a moment that she realized there was a higher water content to it than there was in the Silver Sea.
She pushed her curiosity aside, and swam around the bottom of the transport, checking over each of the spheres. Apparently, they were well made, because it did not look like the brief immersion in the boiling protodermis had done much harm, or any. In contrast, one of the transport's legs had almost melted clean through and would need repairs, though the hull itself was intact.
Nokama was just about to go back to the surface when her eyes caught something gleaming on the tunnel bottom. Curious, she dove down for a closer look, only to jerk back startled.
It was a massive Rahi, quite dead, but not like anything she had ever seen before. Long and serpentlike, its body measured about 14-15 bios in length by her estimation. Its tail was even covered in sharp spikes, each of which measured a good 0.67 bios long. Even in death, the creature gave off an aura of amazing strength.
What was this creature? She thought in terrified awe as she swam rapidly up to the transport, no longer wishing to stay down there. And more importantly; what would have the power to kill it? Have we escaped the dangers of Metru Nui only to find something far worse?
That very thought rattled her even as she breached the surface. That boiling creature was one thing… if something could have easily killed the one below, then they could all be in grave danger.
Whenua turned his head slowly back and forth, his Mask of Night Vision illuminating every corner of the tunnel. There had been no further sign of any monstrous Rahi, but that did nothing to ease his mind.
He knew he should share his suspicions about the two creatures they had encountered so far; the one living who almost boiled them, and the dead one that Nokama found. But what if he was wrong? What if they were not the Rahi he remembered, and there was no connection to the project? Then he would not only have exposed one of the most closely guarded secrets in Onu-Metru history, but he would have made a fool of himself in the process.
No. If I'm wrong, then my silence does no harm. He decided, though his heart wasn't in it. And if I'm right… He didn't even want to think about that.
"Whenua?" The Toa of Earth turned his gaze back as Emma approached him, gripping the railing. "You okay?"
The black and grey armoured Toa took the moment to appreciate the human's concern about him, and he smiled a little. "I am. Just thinking?"
He somewhat regretted the words as Emma looked up at him curiously. "About what?"
Whenua struggled to come up with an answer that wouldn't reveal the secret he was forced to keep, when suddenly the transport lurched with such violence that Whenua was almost thrown over the side. Emma nearly was as well, but the Toa quickly grabbed her and yanked her back, ignoring her startled yelps as he looked back. The largest Toa of the group saw Matau fighting the controls, the other Toa Metru scattered like fireflyer bugs in a stiff wind on the deck, dazed from the sudden movement.
"What in Mata Nui's name are you trying to do?" He shouted at his brother, both miffed and angry.
"We have to go back." Matau replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We belong back in the city, doing our jobs. Hang on tight."
The transport lurched again as the Toa of Air tried to force it into a U-turn in too narrow a space. The anger Whenua felt quickly evaporated as he recognized the toneless quality of the Toa of Air's voice, as well as the undercurrent of conviction that he was absolutely doing the right thing.
A curse barely held back, the Toa of Earth glanced up, the light from his mask playing across the ceiling. That's when he saw them. "Vahki!" He shouted in alarm, pointing up. Sure enough, a squad of seven Nuurakh, the Ta-Metru order enforcers, were hovering just below the tunnel roof in their flight mode. Their Staffs of Command were deployed, the one faintly glowing telling that it had already hit Matau with a blast, turning him into their obedient tool.
Nuju was the first to recover, and acting fast he fired a stream of ice at Matau. In a flash, the Toa of Air's arms were pinned to his sides, the ice wrapped around him tightly. That left the transport with no driver, with the momentum from the attempted u-turn leaving it to spin in rapid circles. Nokama quickly got to her feet and ran, flipped, landing beside the struggling Matau to take over the controls.
With no more reason to conceal themselves, the Vahki let loose with stun and control blasts. The remaining Toa countered quickly, with Nuju using his elemental powers to create ice mirrors to reflect the energy bolts. Vakama tossed a spread of fireballs to give himself some cover. He then rammed a low-powered Kanoka disk into his launcher, took aim, and fired.
The disk struck one of the Vahki head-on, immediately triggering the disk's 'reconstitute at random' power. As the Toa of Fire had hoped, it scrambled the clockwork mechanisms inside of the Vahki, sending the enforcer into an uncontrolled plunge beneath the waves. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one controlling Matau.
Onewa reached out with his Mask of Mind Control, but being mechanical, Vahki minds were not vulnerable to the mask's energies. "Okay, we'll do it the hard way." The Toa of Stone grumbled. Unleashing his elemental powers, he caused stone spikes to erupt from underwater, pinning three Vahki to the ceiling.
"Crude, but effective." Nuju commented, before countering. "But can you do this?"
The Toa of Ice triggered his Mask of Telekinesis, tearing a huge chunk of stone from the ceiling. It slammed down onto a hovering Nuurakh, sending the Vahki spinning out of control. The mechanical being crashed into a wall and collapsed, its works shattered and parts falling into the liquid.
At that moment, Matau broke free of his icy bonds and jumped Nokama, leading to them struggling over the controls. Whenua, however, lumbered over and grabbed the Toa of Air by the back of his neck armour. While he knew his brother was in no control of himself, that didn't mean that the Toa of Earth was going to be lenient. "Go see your friends!" He semi-growled, hurling Matau into the air.
The Toa of Air crashed into the last two Vahki, stunning them both. Nokama maneuvered the transport underneath Matau, and Whenua easily caught him as he fell. "There. This makes up for that time in the maintenance tunnels when you thought I let you fall." The Toa of Earth commented, though he looked upset upon seeing that taking out the Vahki hadn't broken their control over him. Then he turned to the other Toa. "Any idea what we do with the junior Vahki here?"
Onewa thought for a moment, before he nodded. He then triggered his mask power, reaching into the mind of their controlled brother. As a crafter, he knew just when a hammer was needed, and when a more delicate tool would get the job done. He carefully applied the mask's energies to drive out the influence, mindful of the other places in Matau's mind, such as memories and even his personality.
After a few clicks, the Toa of Air shook his head, like he had just awakened from a nap. "What happened? Why aren't we moving?" He asked, confused enough to drop his accent. "And, um, why is Whenua carrying me?"
"We flipped a disk." Onewa smirked. "And he lost."
Matau stared, before squirming. "Well, I don't need to be!"
The Toa of Earth gently set the Toa of Air down, bemused as the green-armoured Toa hopped away, giving himself a shake. Whenua then looked around, before frowning in concern. "Where's Emma?"
At that, the other Toa looked around, their concern growing when they didn't see the relatively small human…
"Umm… I'm over here." They turned to see the girl poking her head out from the inside of the transport. She waved a little, looking sheepish.
The Toa just sighed in relief. The thirteen year old had taken cover the moment the Vahki had appeared, having had no desire to be hit by a stun-blast again.
Emma came out, looking nervous. "So… they're gone?"
Nokama nodded, smiling gently. "Yes, they are."
The girl was silent for a long moment… before she fell onto her behind with a loud, if overexaggerated sound of relief. "Thank goodness!"
The Toa couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at her reaction, though they were internally worried. If there had been a squad Vahki here… could there be more? And for what purpose could they have to be so deep in these tunnels?
Emma wandered around the small deck, bored. They had been sailing for a while down this tunnel, with the Toa all on guard. Onewa was currently on lookout, standing next to Matau in the cockpit. Of course, that didn't stop the two of them from sniping at each other.
The girl leaned on a railing, looking at the… water-protodermis mix. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Sighing, she took her hat off and ran her hand through her bangs, ruffling the gold and blue strands. Honestly she was surprised that she hadn't had a panic attack… well, one not related to them. Given everything that had happened… how had she not had a mental breakdown at this point?
Sighing again, she moved to walk to the front of the craft… only to pause seeing white armour and hearing voices. Curiosity getting the better of her, she snuck closer, peeking her head around. She blinked seeing who was there, and listened.
"Nokama… are you certain about this?" Nuju was asking his sister softly, concern and worry in his tone.
The Water Toa was standing by the bow of their vessel, and looked at her brother with a raised brow.
"I realize that I am the last person you would expect to call for all of us to stay together." The white armoured Toa continued, a bit bluntly. "But… we are facing completely unknown dangers here."
"You're absolutely right." Nokama agreed, before pausing. She then added, "You are the last person I would expect to suggest that. Are you sure you're Nuju, and not another shapeshifting Rahi?" There was a slightly teasing tone, but also an edge of seriousness.
Nuju didn't crack a smile, or really react, while Emma felt confused. Okay… that is the third time a shapeshifting rahi was mentioned. What the heck did I miss?!
Nokama's voice brought the girl back to the present. "l won't be gone long." The Water Toa shrugged a little. "The others probably won't even notice. I just wanted someone to know, in case…" she trailed off, a little nervous, but staying strong.
"Yes." Nuju said softly back. "In case."
Without another word, Nokama dove into the water and swam away. The Icy Toa stared after her for a long time, before turning his head. "I know you're there."
Emma jerked back, before sheepishly coming into view. "Sorry…" she rubbed the back of her neck, before looking up at Nuju. "Is Nokama going to be okay?"
The Toa of Ice looked surprised, before composing himself. "She will be. There is no need to worry yourself."
The girl stared at him for a minute, before nodding. Satisfied, Nuju turned away to look back out…
"Umm…" he looked back at Emma as the human came up beside him, "what did Nokama mean by a 'shapeshifting rahi'?"
The Toa of Ice sighed.
Nokama plunged beneath the murky river, startled by the change from her previous dive. Although she did not have Whenua's night vision power, her eyes quickly became used to piercing the darkness underwater. She swam slowly, looking right and left for any sign of danger. The now sudden darkness and murkiness of the river made her instincts stand on edge.
Unlike before, the river now teemed with little fish and some larger predators, but nothing of a size that would threaten a Toa. They actually seemed more frightened of her than anything else; she had expected more of the monsters that had appeared earlier. But, so far this waterway seemed about as dangerous as the Archives' public aquarium.
The only female Toa surfaced to grab a breath of air, and took a look around. It was then that she noticed some carvings on one of the walls of the tunnel. The action of the liquid over time had worn them away, to the point where they could not be read, which made it so that there was no way to be certain when they were made or why. But for Nokama, that still left the question; who had done this and why? Had someone else from Metru Nui made it through the Great Barrier in the distant past? Or did some other beings live in the world beyond the protective barrier, and this carving was their handiwork?
Nokama took a breath and went back beneath the surface, this time looking for other carvings. Instead, she spotted what looked like a loose rock in the wall. On closer examination, she found that the stone was not only loose, but it was not even a natural part of the wall. Its edges were smooth, as if it had been carved in Po-Metru, not currents. Another of the same was fitted on top of it, and another, and another…
Her blue eyes followed them up the side of the wall to the ceiling. Her face became pale under her Kanohi when she saw that the rocks were holding a much larger slab in place, but if they were to become dislodged…
Someone rigged this. She realized, alarmed. They replaced the stones in the wall with these so that the slab could be brought down on anyone journeying this way. However, another concern came to the forefront. But why? And how many other such traps could there might be?
With this in the front of her mind, the Toa of Water turned and swam as fast as she could toward the Lhikan. The other Toa had to be warned. They were not alone down here. And it wasn't just by Vahki or massive rahi. Something intelligent was down here… and obviously didn't want company.
Nuju still stood, watching for Nokama. Now and then he would create a small shower of ice crystals and toss them into the water. She had been gone too for long. He would give her a minute more and then tell the others they had to launch a search.
Emma was sitting against the hull behind him, fiddling with her fingerless gloves to pass the time. They were a little roughed up, and she lamented to herself about how they had once been almost brand new. Oh well…
The transport suddenly lurched, swinging violently to the right and making the human girl squeak. Nuju turned and saw Matau angrily striking the wheel and muttering to himself.
"What's the matter?" The Toa of Ice asked, annoyed.
"It won't go!" Matau growled. "Everything's working, but it's not swim-speeding."
"Nokama understands watercraft better than any of us." Vakama commented, looking around for his Toa Sister. "Where is she?"
"She went for a swim." Nuju replied, making the other Toa stare at him in surprise. Before the others could question him further, the white armoured Toa added, "l will dive down and check. Perhaps we are snagged on something."
The Toa of Ice was not, in fact, that much bigger a fan of water than were Matau and Onewa. But he preferred a swim in the river to having to explain where Nokama had gone and why he had not informed the others – and why he had Emma stay silent. He wasn't sure himself why he had respected his sister's wishes; but she had earned his empathy, which in itself was not an easy thing to do.
Below the craft, Nuju found his diagnosis had been correct. A number of the working legs that acted as oars were caught by some kind of strange, dark seaweed. Using his somewhat returned elemental powers, he formed an ice dagger from the waters to cut away at the weed. At the same time, the white armoured Toa used his Mask of Telekinesis to move a bit of the rest, however more always appeared. Frustrated, he abandoned his ice dagger and pulled out his Toa Tools, slashing away relentlessly. Eventually, the Ice Toa realized that if he was going to clear the boat, he was going to need help. That, and he needed air.
Nuju kicked hard to propel himself to the surface, only to be startled to find that he wasn't moving up, but down. To his horror, he saw that the seaweed had wrapped itself around his legs and torso, and was dragging him down towards the bottom. Desperate and trying not to panic, the icy Toa tried to aim his Crystal Spikes to freeze the vegetation, only to have his arms pinned to his sides by the growth. Before he could react to the seeming sentience of the weeds, a stray strand had yanked off his mask. In an instant, weakness flooded his limbs as the Mask of Power drifted away from him.
Desperately trying to hold onto the air in his lungs and not pass out, he could see his final destination more clearly… and the sight puzzled him. Nuju knew his mind was cloudy due to the absence of the mask and lack of air, but he could have sworn that seaweed was a plant. Since when did it have huge jaws filled with knife-sharp teeth, gaping wide to devour a Toa?
Then, a cold horror settled over him. This was no plant… it was another giant rahi! And there was no way for him to stop it in his weakened state.
Emma felt really, really concerned as she watched the unmoving river. Nuju had been down there way too long, and Nokama wasn't back. If something was waiting down below, like in that boiling tunnel, the Toa of Ice might just be… she didn't want to think about it. She felt the words of "he's been down there too long!" on her tongue, but the words refused to form. But doing nothing wasn't the best idea either!
The vessel suddenly shot forward, and the girl yelped as her back hit the exterior of the transport hard. Groaning, she barely managed to brace herself. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if they had been freed from the weed…
"Matau! Slow down!" Vakama's voice shouted, a hint of alarm in his tone.
The Toa of Air's response made the human's heart stop. "I can't! It's not the transport that is quick-floating. It's the current!"
Emma paled as she realized what this meant. The liquid protodermis flowing through the channel was mysteriously now a raging torrent, propelling the transport along. She didn't even want to know how the others were holding on… if they were at all.
"Use your power!" Vakama's voice shouted to Matau. "See if you can slow us down from the front!"
Emma quickly scrambled out of the way, clinging to whatever part of the transport she could, barely moving out of the way in time for the Toa of Air to land right where she had been. Gusts howled in the confined space as Matau used his elemental powers, trying to force the boat back even as the current thrust it forward. Finally, the transport came to a halt, pinned between the two powerful forces, the Air Toa's back pressing into the front of the transport.
It was a stalemate that could not last. Emma barely heard Onewa shouting something over the roar of wind and wave, but the panic in his tone said it was bad. Holding on tightly, she lifted her head to see the seals on the upper part of the ship starting to give way, and the outer shell fragmenting. The thirteen year old's face went pale; anymore of this and there would be no transport left.
However, it never came to that. In a split second, the vessel began flying through the tunnel again, Matau unable to maintain the wind with his weakened powers.
And that meant that they all had to grip tightly… but Emma felt her heart stop when she felt her gloved hands slip. The human didn't even get a chance to scream as she went flying off the transport…
She impacted the water, her vision going dark in an instant.
A/N - Hey all! I know, cliffhanger! Sucks! But hey, what can you do?
So, just remind everyone that a bio is a Bionicle measurement. One bio is equal to 4.5 feet or 1.37 meters or ~1.498 yards, in Earth measurements. So a quick calculation will tell you that that big rahi is about 65 feet. Or you can just read the official canon. Pretty big still, right?
Anyways, I bet a few things surprised you this chapter, hmm? Did you see them? I wanna hear about your thoughts! Though the one with Nokama and Nuju, that I can give partial credit to Twilightsage121, as we worked on something similar in an RP we're doing together. Everything else is mine though- well, of the non-canon stuff.
I'm not too sure about this chapter, and I did about 20 rereads and editing before I finally called it tonight. Hope it worked out well!
Next Chapter: Dangers Lurking within Darkness