The morning sunlight broke through the window of the large bedroom, within the home of the young, yet dozing champion who was still fast asleep atop the covers of his bed. His light black hair was much messier than usual for one reason or another as he snored rather loudly, arms and legs outstretched as he continued his long slumber in peace as if nothing could disturb it. A low electrical buzzing sound hummed in the air as a strange orange coloured being hovered around the room, glancing upon him with its bright blue eyes. It had two arms and legs on either side and what represented its mouth appeared to look like an electronic screen. It displayed a smile, one that was rather mischievous compared to this creature's usual behaviour. The screen's display turned to static before changing to display a digital clock that ticked by in several long seconds, until...
"Good morning Elio!" it called out as a loud alarm sounded out.
Startled in surprise, Elio awoke instantly and jumped before falling off the side of his bed to the floor below with a thud. He groaned as he rubbed his now sore right cheek, wishing that his hands were blocking the loud noise that echoed through his room.
"... Turn it down...!" he huffed as he grabbed the creature and shook it once to turn off the loud noise, sighing in relief as silence returned to his room once more.
"Good morning, good morning," the creature continued.
"Yeah... good morning Rotom Dex," the boy yawned as he rubbed his eyes "You certainly picked a good time to wake me up. I really need to have mom adjust that alarm."
"Alarm requires no adjustment," the Rotom Dex replied as it watched him slowly returning to his bed "You have been awoken at the appointed time."
"Oh yeah...?" Elio asked wearily "Let me see..."
He then walked over to the device like creature and looked over the details of the screen slowly, taking in the information that was present. He was certain that he had been woken up too early for this particular date, especially with the time present on the screen. Then it suddenly hit him as vision was no longer held back, realizing that the rather loud and somewhat obnoxious alarm sound had abruptly woken him up for good reason.
"Lillie's homecoming party!" he gasped "Why did I have to oversleep on that of all days?!"
Wasting no further time, he hurried into the bathroom with his clothes to hastily get changed in order to prepare himself for his friend's return to this region. After one or two minutes spent doing so, he grabbed his black coloured cap and backpack and hurried downstairs with the Rotom Dex following him downstairs as he did so. His new attire consisted of a blue and white striped shirt and a pair of black shorts with patches of red.
Down inside the kitchen, his mother had been tending to a smaller catlike creature who purred smoothly as its brownish white fur was being stroked gently from her touch. Compared to her son, her skin was lightly tanned and the bottom half of her dress was yellow with several floral white coloured designs printed upon it. She hummed happily as she tended to the being in front of her, before Elio finally entered the kitchen in a hurry, nearly tripping over the last step as he did so.
"Good morning Champion," she greeted warmly "I trust your beauty sleep wasn't interrupted too much."
"Alarm is a work in progress, but it certainly gets the point across," the boy answered as he shook his head, instantly sorting his hair out of the mess it was in previously.
As the Rotom Dex joined the three in the room, Elio's mother chuckled lightly, seeing that her idea of using the device like creature as an alarm clock had worked, perhaps a little too well if the results were anything to go by.
"Easy, there's no need to rush Elio," she said as she came up to him "You've still got time before you need to get to the marina. I'm sure Lillie's been a patient girl with the long journey she's had to come back here."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing her again," Elio replied happily "Can't believe it's been months since she set out to try the Gym Challenge in Kanto. I wonder what kind of new Pokémon she's made friends with."
His thoughts then turned to the region that was once his old home, pondering about the many kinds of Pokémon he never got the chance to see before moving to Alola that one of his closest friends would have now seen in the several months she had spent there. His mother then looked at him curiously, sensing the somewhat nostalgic glint in his eyes.
"Do you miss our old home?" she asked.
"I do every now and then, but that doesn't mean I like Alola any less," Elio answered cheerfully "Who knows, maybe I might go there someday and give the Gym Challenge a go myself. But right now, I want to hear about all the adventures Lillie had there and I'm sure Hau is just as excited as I am. Maybe Gladion could give us a preview if he's been in touch with her."
"I'm sure he could," his mother said "I just hope she's doing well after... well, you know what you told me."
Elio's expression had become grim at that notion, recalling the trials and tribulations he had been through to reach the summit of being Pokémon League Champion had not been an easy road and the battles he fought to deal with the family issues surrounding both Gladion and Lillie had not been pleasant memories. There was still questions brewing in his mind about the battleground his final confrontation with the Aether Paradise head had taken place in, to which many had dubbed Ultra Space. What more existed out there beyond their world or even their solar system, were there more powerful beings like the Ultra Beasts and were they just as dangerous as them?
He still did not have a definitive answer to those questions, even with the task that he had been given in Lillie's absence. He still did not know how many were left that threatened to breach the fabric of dimensions and if he could still keep fighting them to ensure no harm came to the region he now called home. Sensing his discomfort, Elio's mother attempted to drop the subject.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up," she said remorsefully.
"No, it's alright," Elio replied with a small smile "There has been some good news. Lillie says that most of the toxins from Nihilego have managed to been eradicated and Lusamine has been able to walk again. She still needs some time to adjust and it might be a long while before the scientists can find a way to take out the last of the toxins, but it's looking hopeful for her."
"That is good to hear. I just hope your Pokémon at least have had a long rest."
"I'm sure they have," the boy chuckled "I guess it will be interesting to show how far... er, Nebby has come since it came to my team."
The two family members then sat down for breakfast, looking forward to the day's events ahead with the return of a good friend and the interest in the adventures she had with the new Pokémon she acquired in the region of Kanto.
Meanwhile thousands of miles away back on Spherus Magna, the large encampment that had been dubbed 'the central village' by Norik was somewhat busy as the construction of more homes for both Matoran and Agori denizens were being constructed by the smaller beings. In the center was the entrance to a large shrine that was sealed by a large heavy stone door and etched on it was the symbol of a legendary mask along with several glyphs beneath it. A tall figure clad in black and silver armour oversaw the efforts the inhabitants with one of the Agori stood beside him. This one was mostly red and bright orange in colour and observed them intently, much to his companion's confusion.
"Is there something that troubles you Raanu?" he asked.
"Not entirely," Raanu replied as he looked up "I won't pretend to hide it from even the likes of you, but I'm still not entirely certain that your Matoran can cooperate efficiently with our kind so easily. You may have held your team together like glue or so some of them say Onua, but this new world is something we're all going have to adapt to."
"No one said that this would be easy for any of us," the Toa of Earth smiled "But if we could endure all of our struggles for more than 1000 years up to this day, I'm confident we can work together to bring about a prosperous future for our new home, free from any influence left by the Makuta or any of his remaining followers."
Despite his earlier optimism however, the former leader of the Fire Tribe's Agori could tell that Onua was somewhat troubled much like he himself was. He curiously gazed back at him, pondering more about his concerns than his own.
"They should've returned sooner," the Toa of Earth muttered to himself.
"Who exactly?" Raanu questioned.
"Kopaka and Pohatu," Onua answered "They should have returned days ago. The news of Karzhani's sudden demise would be enough to incite panic, even to Matoran who have only heard of that name in stories. Then there is Lewa... We haven't seen him since the Great Spirit restored life to this world."
"Isn't he supposed to be the one Toa I've heard you've always had to get out of trouble?" the Agori pondered "If so, I can't imagine he'll be nearby if he's gone for this long."
Onua could only grimly agree as his thoughts turned to the three currently missing Toa Nuva, all within parts unknown and foreign to him after being absent in the weeks that had passed. It only felt like yesterday since he last saw his companions and he still could not help but feel concerned for their whereabouts and safety in these times where much of the new world around them was still a mystery to them. But he did not have time to ponder on this as he turned around to see that Norik and Iruini were approaching him.
"Greetings Norik, what brings you here?" the Toa Nuva of Earth began.
"We were seeking Kualas, but it seems he and Bomonga were called elsewhere to settle a dispute to the east," he replied "Other than that, Iruini and I were heading to the Rahi Plains. Some of the Agori nearby have noted that a unknown individual has been lurking nearby."
"Trouble?" asked Raanu.
"No one knows," Iruini answered "Only select Toa and Glatorian are usually seen near those lands. Who else is there, no one knows."
Everyone could only ponder on this statement that was brought forward, curious about who it was that could be lurking beside the grounds where most Rahi Beasts from the Matoran Universe had migrated to since the defeat of the Makuta. Most curious Agori had been warned to stay away from there to avoid being put in danger by the less merciful of the beasts and to avoid risking disturbing the rest of the more prideful of those that roamed the plains. But if it wasn't a Toa or Glatorian who had been spotted by those lands, then who was present that the Agori had seen?
"We'll go right away," Norik said resolutely "This seems like it will require some investigation."
"I agree," Onua replied as he looked to Raanu "We'll take a Dune Chariot. It will get us to the plains quicker than on foot."
"Very well then, I will secure one for our travels," the Fire Agori spoke as he left the group to acquire the vehicle of their choice.
As they watched him leave, all of them couldn't help but ponder from the recent events of late, including the reported demise of the being called Karzhani. Whether there was a connection between the incident and the recent reported sightings or another power at play that none were aware of, no one knew for certain.
In the marina of Hau'oli City, a teenage boy with round yellow hair that almost covered one side of his face in several spikes was watching the ocean intently with his green eyes. The roughed patches on his black coloured clothes would normally give away an equally unforgiving personality at first glance, but to those who personally knew him, that was indeed far from entirely true. He too awaited the return of Lillie and a part of him hoped that would be sooner as what little news he had received from Wicke the night before had only puzzled him. He held up a photograph he had acquired earlier in the morning, displaying the sheet of paper that the girl had written the symbols in her vision upon, only it was now completed.
The boy knew it was like Lillie to be worried about things very easily, but this was a mystery that confused even himself. Why had she drawn these symbols and how did she acquire such knowledge of their supposed existence? According to what Wicke had told him, the girl had told her that she had a vision or some kind of dream she was never familiar with that had displayed these symbols and burned them into her memory. With so many intricacies amongst their number, he knew that there had to be more to this scenario that maybe she herself wasn't aware of and that a discussion was likely the only way to get to the bottom of this mystery. He was about to ponder more on this subject himself when...
"Hey Gladion! Didn't think you'd be this early!"
Gladion stood up from the porch he was previously sitting upon and turned around to find the source of the voice that called out to him. It was a boy younger than him and one that he easily had recognized. He was shorter in stature and had a darker skin tone in comparison with greenish brown hair and dark grey coloured eyes and wore a black shirt in addition to a bright orange pair of shorts with white floral patterns embedded in the design.
"I could say the same to you Hau," Gladion said cooly "But then again, I suppose it is no surprise with the reason we're both here for."
"Hey cut me some slack," Hau responded with a small pout "You know we both want to see Lillie that badly. I'm just surprised Elio wasn't here before us."
"Give him time," he replied "I'm certain he will be here fairly soon."
The younger of the two smiled in agreement, knowing it wouldn't be like their friend to miss out on the return of Lillie and remained patient in the knowledge that he would soon come down Route 1 and head through the city to the Marina to join them.
"Besides, I still owe him a challenge at the monthly Malasada eating contest," Hau continued "Pity he missed out the last one from Ultra Beast business from Looker or something like that."
"That's where you've been taking your obsession?" Gladion pondered "No wonder you haven't been able to dethrone him from his seat of Champion."
"If I can't beat him in a Championship Title match right away without some training, I can at least try to be champion over something else for the moment," the younger boy replied with a goofy smile "Besides, at least I haven't lost any teeth from the Sweet Malasada division of the contest."
His companion couldn't help but facepalm in utter disbelief, wondering how in the name of Arceus that the Malasada 'devourer' as Elio had affectionately nicknamed him in recent weeks still had all of his teeth intact if he was even participating in a quadrant that had most of the delicacy have a lot of sugar present. In his action however, he had been careless with his other hand, causing the boy to notice the photograph clasped in his fingers.
"Hey, what's that you got there?" Hau asked curiously.
Realizing his carelessness in the discretion of the information he had, Gladion immediately recoiled and hid it behind his back, much to the boy's surprise. He tried peeking at it from different angles only for his companion to successfully conceal it every opportunity he got.
"C'mon, it's not that bad is it?" Hau taunted teasingly "You got yourself a new girlfriend or something?"
"A... Absolutely not!" Gladion stuttered in response, though it had not stopped him from freezing up long enough for the boy to snatch the photograph from his other hand.
When he did get a good look at was displayed in the image before him, Hau's excitement had turned to utter confusion as he glanced closely at it, puzzled at what he was seeing. The glyphs on the sheet that Lillie had used to draw them had him stuck on what to make of it and even more unsure on why Gladion had tried to go through lengths to hide it from him.
"What's that all about?" he asked.
"Something only Lillie knows the answer to," his companion replied, relenting for the barrage of questions he was likely going to receive "Not a word to anyone until she feels comfortable enough to tell us."
"Well, sure..." Hau muttered in ponder, handing the photograph back to him "As far as I've known her, ancient histories or something of the sort's never been her subject, right?"
Before Gladion could utter a reply, they both saw Elio from the nearby street coming towards the marina. He then looked to Hau and motioned for him to keep his mouth shut about what he had just seen to which he quietly agreed. The two of them then turned to their friend with happy expressions, pleased to see that he had made it to this place to welcome their friend back to Alola.
"Sorry I took so long," Elio panted "Turns out the life of a celebrity can get you swarmed with challengers on Route 1."
"That's alright, we still have some time left," Hau chuckled "Can you believe it's been months since we last saw her."
"Yeah, I can't wait to see what kind of Pokémon she's brought over from Kanto," he replied "I'm sure Lillie's also gonna be excited to see how far Nebby has come since she left."
"I'm certain she will," Gladion interjected "Though from what I've heard from Wicke, I'd advise you two not to underestimate my sister since her recent accomplishment there."
Elio could only laugh a little at the notion, mentally comparing how Lillie was originally around him to the point where she now found herself with the confidence she gained from standing up to Lusamine at that time. He knew she wasn't the same girl as he had first knew her by, but a part of him was now curious to see what kind of stratagems she formed from bonding with Pokémon native to Kanto if what her brother was saying now was true. This left him and Hau curious about what Gladion had just said, leaving them to ponder in excitement about what their friend had achieved since she had begun her journey as a Pokémon Trainer like the three of them still were themselves.
Soon they heard the sound of a ship's horn in the distance and looked out to the horizon to see the boat that they expected to see begin to come into view over the distant sea. As it came closer towards the marina, the three Pokémon Trainers could see that Lillie was on the top deck waving towards them. They waved back happily in response as the ship eventually came into port and docked, allowing the crew on board to lower the bridge to the quay.
"Elio, Hau, brother!" the girl called out happily as she hurried across to join them with Wicke following closely behind.
"Lillie, it's been a while!" Elio greeted cheerfully as the two shook hands.
Lillie smiled back in response as Hau offered her a high five to which she was quick to accept, much to his slight surprise. She then turned to Gladion and the two of them embraced one another briefly with the siblings now finally reunited for the first time in months. That was when the four of them noticed that Wicke had finally made it to shore from the bridge.
"Hello Wicke," said Elio "Have things been good in Kanto?"
"Better than expected," she replied with a smile "I was curious to see how Lillie would fare, so I accompanied her on her journey."
"Wicke has been a really helpful guide," Lillie interjected "Honestly, I probably wouldn't have caught my first two Pokémon or gotten around the region safely without her advice."
"So what kind of Pokémon did you get?" Hau asked excitedly "Did you get some cute ones or some really good powerhouses?"
"Why don't I show you a few?" she replied with a smile as she held three spheres in her hands, each with a different colour on one half with one side white and another red with a thick black line and a small button dividing them.
The girl then threw them into the air as they clicked open with streams of energy pouring onto the ground revealing the three Pokémon she had chosen to reveal for the time being. The first one was Clefairy, the Celestial Pokémon that she had around her for company the night before on the ship who made several excited noises as it waved hello to the group in front of it. The next was a small quadruped that resembled a fox with light brown covering almost its entire fur and bearing a multitude of fluffy and curled tails at the very back as well as some more fur of a similar shape on top of the head in a pale dark reddish colour.
Finally from the three that Lillie had chosen to reveal, this one also happened to be both the biggest and one of the first she knew. When the light disappeared, it revealed a giant blue coloured tortoise with a large brown shell and two armoured cannons protruding from above the shoulders. Whilst Gladion wasn't entirely surprised, his two companions couldn't help but be awed by the Pokémon their friend had chosen to show off at this moment.
"Wow, you started off with a Squirtle and caught the Kanto Vulpix?" breathed Hau "Wicked."
"And Clefairy certainly is beautiful," Elio interjected "Even Dragon Masters would want to watch out with one in what you've brought back so far."
"I thought you two would be interested, so I thought I'd preview a few of what I have with me," said Lillie "Let's just say I might want to surprise you with what elese I have with my three Pokémon."
"Is that a challenge?" the dark tanned boy pondered with a smirk.
"Maybe," she replied before she turned to Elio "Can I see Nebby? You know... given how close we used to be then."
The boy nodded with a smile and brought out a purple coloured Poké Ball with two red circles and the letter M printed on the sphere and opened it up, revealing the Pokémon that was known as Nebby even in its changed state. The light died down to reveal a Pokémon that resembled a white lion with blue eyes, several engraved red gems and yellowish coloured ridges were present in its mane and three toed claws made up its black coloured feet. It gazed upon Lillie who looked almost nervous to see Nebby again after being away from it for so long, wondering if it no longer recognized her from the time it spent as a different Pokémon around her. However, the Legendary Sunne creature relaxed from its fierce demanour and walked towards her, allowing her to pet its mane.
"It's been such a long time Nebby... er, Solgaleo," Lillie said soothingly "I hope you've been good with Elio, even if you can't hide in anyone's bags these days."
Everyone else lightly chuckled at the notion recalling the various times that the girl had to constantly keep getting Nebby to hide inside her bag so that it wouldn't risk capture by forces no one would have least expected. Even the Pokémon itself seemed to laugh a little at the humor with memories of its time with her having resurfaced as it remained happy in her presence.
"Sister, I believe you have something else to show them?" Gladion asked.
"Oh right! I almost forgot!" Lillie exclaimed as she dug into her bag "Say Elio, you remember all those things about Kanto I wanted to try and experience?"
"Yeah, you said the Gym Challenge was one of them," Elio replied "Are you saying...?"
"Yup! Tada!"
She then brought out a small case and opened it, revealing eight metallic badges with different patterns and colours, surprising both him and Hau as they gazed at the objects in awe.
"Wow, you got all the Gym Badges!" the latter gasped in excitement "That's amazing!"
"Yeah. It wasn't easy getting through the challenges on the first try, but thanks to Wicke and the support of my brother and Pokémon, we managed to defeat all eight Gym Leaders," Lillie explained "That's when I thought it would be best to come back and see all of you after so long."
"Well congratulations on that feat," Elio replied happily as he gave her a high five that she eagerly returned "Maybe the Island Challenges could have a new contender."
"Gym conqueror today, Kanto Champion tomorrow?" Hau asked jokingly.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she chuckled "I may have acquired all eight Gym Badges, but I'm not as experienced as the two of you."
As the three close friends continued to chat amongst one another whilst revealing more Pokémon from each of them and having them involved in the discussion, Gladion couldn't help but find it in himself to smile a little. His sister had come so far since the day Elio had first encountered her and Nebby on a nearby rickety bridge and now she had a genuine smile on her face that followed her wherever she went with her newfound partners. His expression didn't last very long as Wicke came alongside him and the two moved away from the trio, knowing the subject that was on her mind.
"Did you search the vaults like I asked?" she whispered.
"I did, but some of the lower levels are locked by a biometric scan," he replied quietly "No doubt by mother herself."
"I see. Even with her memories of that time gone, Lusamine went to lengths to hide those materials from the rest of the Foundation before the incident," Wicke muttered solemnly "I fear whatever has allowed Lillie to access that strange written language is a reminder that your family's past still has a looming shadow from beyond our understanding."
Gladion could only grimly nod in agreement before secretly glancing behind him to Lillie, knowing that part of the reason behind her smile was to hide this strange turn of events from her friends. Even though Hau had a glance at the photograph representing the glyphs that the girl had written down, he had hoped the younger boy would keep his word and not speak aloud about what he had seen until he was certain his sister was comfortable enough to tell both him and Elio of what happened the night before.
"How many Mask Fragments did you manage to find?"
Wicke's recent whisper had snapped Gladion out of his stupor as he turned to the red satchel attached to a small belt and opened it up, reaching inside and fishing out several small black objects. He opened up his palm to reveal them to the woman in front of him, causing a look of uneasiness to spread across her face as she took ahold of them, staring at them. Already, unpleasant memories had started to resurface as she gazed at the fragmented pieces, seeing pieces of small crystal like remains of different colours embedded in the metallic black coloured shards.
"Only 5?" she breathed "Gladion, you know there was far more than those. Have you tried...?"
"I did everything I could think of, but these fragments appear to be indestructible," he frowned "Right now, until we can find a way to get rid of this scourge for good, they'll be safer at the Aether Foundation's vaults instead of in the wild together. Keep them secure there."
"Very well then."
She then brought out a small purse and placed the shards inside of it for safekeeping, hiding them away as the two of them then turned their attention back to Lillie, Hau and Elio, deciding that this matter would have to wait and that for now, they should attend to setting up the homecoming party for the girl to celebrate her success in Kanto and her return to Alola.
The Rahi plains was a outstretched series of terrains where the Rahi Beasts from the Matoran Universe would roam and very few ventured forth to disturb their peace with some of them being more recognizable from when many were exhibit displays in the Archives of Onu Metru. Only Toa and Glatorian were normally seen around these parts so to make sure none of the beasts rampaged towards their present settlements until it was safe to travel more frequently across the entirety of the planet Spherus Magna. But today, the beings that visited the plains had a far more intricate agenda in mind and now was the time to put their plans into effect.
The cloaked Matoran that had been working closely with Metus for his own schemes in the name and memory of Makuta Teridax, had arrived several miles from the steep incline that led into the gorge and was awaiting the arrival of another associate. One that he believed would be strong enough to control the power of the Kanohi Olmak that he had recently repaired with the substance that the Brotherhood of Makuta had in mid-development before most of the species themselves had been destroyed by the energy storm that ravaged Karda Nui in the aftermath of the battle to awaken Mata Nui.
Then from the shadows cast by the rocks in front of him, a strange ethereal figure emerged from the darkness itself with primarily black armour and had a green glow shimmer from his bones, leaving his present one to be not trifled with. He wore a Kanohi that was unfamiliar to all other denizens of the Matoran Universe as well as the Glatorian and Agori. It was textured in its craftsmanship like it had been plucked from a tree itself and it was coloured black with a small meld of green mixed in. Red spikes were littered from his armour and antler like features protruded from his head, giving him a striking silhouette as he walked up to the denizen that had requested his services.
"Has my associate succeeded in his task?" the Matoran asked.
"He has done his duty," the figure replied in a raspy voice "The Rahi herds you requested for infecting with rusted Kanohi have been brought under my control."
"Excellent Shadow Hunter," he said in praise "It would seem that your reputation as the tablets described have not preceded you. Now onto more pressing issues."
He then held up the repaired Olmak to the Shadow Hunter, causing him to inspect it closely as he noted the damage it had sustained and what a great deal it took for his associate to repair it with the substance he used. The cracks that made up the former fragments now seemed nonexistent and he could sense a faint power emanating from it.
"I believe we are ready to proceed with the next phase," the Matoran continued "Use the Olmak to seek the planet where more of their secrets are being kept. This tablet shows the coordinates the Great Beings inscribed on it."
The taller being then took off his Kanohi from his face and in its place wore the repaired Olmak which shone brightly as he focused his thoughts of the coordinates inscribed on the tablet in Matoran Language. Sparks flew from the damaged segments, but eventually, a portal slowly but surely began to open up, revealing the location of where these secrets were believed to have been hidden. The view displayed was from the sky of the planet, displaying four natural islands and an artificial one not far away from them.
"So this is where the Great Beings laboured after the destruction of Spherus Magna," the Shadow Hunter murmured "How intriguing..."
After several more minutes of observation, the being took off the Olmak and handed it back to the Matoran whilst putting his original Kanohi back on, radiating a shadowy aura around him as he began to sink into the darkness once more.
"I will drive more Rahi towards the shapeshifter, then I will strike them for our plans to proceed," he spoke "Be ready to meet us there by daybreak tomorrow."
And with that, he had completely sunk into the darkness, disappearing from view entirely as the Matoran looked intently at the damage Olmak he possessed. Then he looked back to the spot where his recent associate had formerly been.
"For the sake of Makuta, our plan will reach fruition," he muttered, walking away to contemplate more on this scheme "You can be sure of that... Umarak."
Some many miles away from the Rahi plains, night had fallen over the forest where Norik, Onua, Iruini and Raanu had taken up camp, resting for the night to gather their strength for the day ahead, not knowing what to expect when they did eventually reach that place. Being experts in understanding the beasts during a time when the Toa Hagah in the group were not as they currently were, they had knowledge regarding the behaviours of the beasts in many ways that other beings from the Matoran Universe wouldn't normally understand. Yet word was spreading that several unidentified beings were present in the area, with seemingly unknown intentions for the Rahi themselves.
"I do not understand these Rahi as well as some of your kind do," Raanu spoke "But surely this isn't just merely a group of curious Agori that wanted to see your universe's wildlife for themselves."
"If they were just Agori, why didn't the ones nearby say so?" Iruini pondered "This sort of sighting can't be merely a coincidence."
Onua on the other hand was deep in ponder over the points of their conversation, having battled infected Rahi himself when he first came to the aid of the Matoran on the island paradise named after the Great Spirit. At the time, Makuta had infected them with rusted Kanohi that had driven the beasts wild and leading them to attack the inhabitants of that island before he and the other five Toa Nuva had come to their aid. A part of him couldn't help but ponder on why unknown beings no one recongized seemingly went to the plains to observe the Rahi up close and personal.
"I agree with Iruini," the Toa Nuva of Earth interjected "We have already been trying to establish a society with both of our kinds and already, a known tyrant from the Matoran Universe has been killed under mysterious circumstances. Although Lesovikk is a prime suspect from his blade being present at the corpse, I suspect there may be more we just don't understand."
"I would be inclined to agree also," said Norik "Already we have such a tragedy befallen at our feet on this new world, Kopaka and Pohatu going missing, and now this rumor we're trailing. I suspect there may be more to our unknown beings than we already know if they're in the Rahi Plains on accord."
The four could only ponder on this more as they could only wonder what awaited them when they eventually made it to the plains themselves and what they could find out about who their mysterious new targets could be. Deciding to ponder more in the morning, they turned in for the night and prepared to gather their strength for the remainder of the long journey ahead.
Hello everyone! First of all, I really have to apologize for this being so long overdue when I've spent much of my attention on updating one of my other fics, Stand Up, the LRIG!. Part of the delay was wanting to make sure I really got my facts right this time and that I had an actual plan for a long overarching story. To this end, I will divide the entire story from start to finish in the form of 5 seperate 'books' to make it easier for newer readers to jump in as the continuing story goes onwards. As you may have realized, some influences such as characters and concepts from G2 will make their way in over the first couple of 'books' for new interpretations and takes on them with Umarak being one such example, now a key player in the faction one Po-Matoran has assembled to capture the secrets the Great Beings have hidden on Alola. With him being able to access the powers of what was once Brutaka's destroyed Olmak, such plans have now begun to come into fruition and infected Rahi are seemingly pawns in carrying out this scheme.
Elsewhere in the region itself, it seems as if Wicke had previously entrusted Gladion with a quest of his own. Recovering what she has called 'Mask Fragments', a dark shadow seems to have held a grip on the family of himself, Lillie and Lusamine for years and over the course of the books, it now begins to resurface.
In any case, I hope you have enjoyed this long overdue first chapter and I'll see you next time. Please leave a review and I look forward to seeing you again with the next chapter. Until then!
