(A/N): Whew…we're finally back!
Major apologies about the three-month wait between last chapter and this one…I really felt exhausted and burnt out after being "on" for so long when it came to writing this story, and I especially struggled with figuring out how to recapture the magic of the Le-Koro section of MNOG (which is easily my favorite part of that entire game). The first part of this chapter in particular went through at least three different revisions before I finally settled on the final version here, and this kept happening for just about every set piece and moment in this little mini-arc. Thanks everyone for being so patient, and welcome to all the new people that have followed the story during its hiatus! It's good to know that I'm bringing joy to folks, even if I'm not the fastest writer.
I'm also gonna go ahead and tell you all that I've made a new decision with regards to update schedules. Starting from this one, chapters will now be uploaded every OTHER Friday, instead of every Friday. This is being done to make sure that the backlog I'm trying to build up lasts just a little bit longer, giving me more time to write and stay ahead of the curve for as long as I can to avoid huge multi-month breaks like the one we just finished. I have the bricks more or less laid down for the rest of the story - now it's just a matter of filling in the cracks as we go along, which shouldn't be too difficult if I pace myself.
With all that out of the way, let's get back to the action!
Rain fell on the jungles surrounding Fau swamp, soaking Emerald to the bone as she navigated the undergrowth alongside a handful of Le-Matoran. While the mighty trees and their wide branches above caught most of the evening storm, a flood-inducing downpour still managed to slip through the cracks in the canopy. The Matoran she was escorting had all their organic components locked underneath layers and layers of cybernetics; the Huntress didn't have that luxury, relying on her Aura alone to keep herself warm in the cold misty monsoon.
I'll bet Lewa would be extra annoying right about now, she thought grimly to herself. He'd probably say something like "ugh, water-yuck from the sky?! It was worry-bad enough when it was in the dark-ground!" Or something like that…who knows? Maybe the fact that it comes from the sky means he might actually like it…
She shook her head to clear the thought of her enthralled friend and forced herself to focus. Emerald couldn't afford to let herself get distracted, or even let herself cry. The trio of air-aligned villagers, as well as the rest of their kind, were looking to her for guidance and protection after losing both their Turaga and their Toa in one single attack. In these dark days, they needed a pillar of strength - a brave and daring Huntress who would lead them out of danger and help them see the light of a new day.
Instead, they were stuck with her.
The good news about the rain was that it kept their main threat out of the sky as well. Nui-Rama couldn't fly in downpours like these - their insectoid wings caught too much water and got too heavy to flap, grounding any of them foolish enough to try hunting from the air. That's not to say that the jungle was safer during a storm, however. Land Rahi like Nui-Jaga scorpions or Muaka tigers still stalked the trees under Makuta's influence, and there were still natural dangers to worry about like suffocating quicksand, venomous bog snakes, and web-weaving Fikou spiders. The relentless rains also brought a whole new danger to avoid: flash floods.
One step at a time, though.
Emerald peered out from behind the cover of a great tree, checking their surroundings to make sure that there were no immediate threats. Finding none, she waved her hand to signal that the way was clear, urging on the little green-armored villagers and sending them ahead of her. Each Le-Matoran moved quickly and quietly despite carrying sacks of food, metals, and wood on their backs, the contents of their bags barely even rustling as they sprinted under the shadow of another towering tree. She rushed over to join them with swift, silent steps of her own, reaching the trunk just as the first two villagers started climbing. With a few simple gestures, she told the third member of her little foraging party to go on ahead - she'd keep an eye on the ground level for incoming dangers.
After the last Matoran nodded and joined his fellow villagers in the trees, she pressed her back against the bark and let out a tired sigh.
Man, it's no wonder Team RWBY looked half-dead during the siege on Atlas, she mused as she slumped to the ground, crimson eyes still scanning the undergrowth around her. Being an upstanding hero of the people is exhausting.
Emerald wasn't sure how long it had been since the Nui-Rama attack. Maybe it was a few hours ago, maybe it was weeks ago. Time seemed to bleed together into an endless blur, not helped by the fact that she'd stopped keeping track of the sunrises and sunsets. All she knew was that she was on the run from Makuta's gaze along with less than a dozen Le-Matoran, and that responsibility didn't allow her luxuries like sleep or timekeeping. There were even times where she forgot to eat…which in all honesty wasn't a new experience.
At least the stuff Lewa taught me about the jungle has paid off so far, she thought with a long, slow sigh. The Le-Matoran are pretty independent and capable; they just need someone bigger to follow around. A scoff escaped her lips. I'll bet Cinder would have jumped at the chance to play girlboss like this…
A series of knocks down the tree made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight. Trouble. Emerald cursed under her breath and dug her shoes into the gnarled bark, feeling for knots and other rough surfaces she could use as footholds to quickly scramble into the branches. She carefully perched herself on a sturdy wooden limb alongside the other Le-Matoran, balancing on the arches of her feet and resting one hand against the trunk to steady herself. Her other hand hovered over the holstered handle of Thief's Respite, just in case.
"What's wrong?" she asked in an almost silent whisper.
"Tree-lurker," replied the lead Le-Matoran in kind. "Ash bears usually laze around in the high-branches of Le-Wahi, waiting for a chance to drop-strike and take prey by surprise. The one ahead is doing so under the command-urge of Makuta, watch-waiting - for us."
Sure enough, she could faintly see the outline of a large ursine creature, one clad in burnt orange armor with sharp claws and huge muscles. Another silent curse escaped her lips. "Any other ways around?"
"Not without going through swamp-snake territory on our left," whispered another, "or disturbing the Fikou-spider nests to our right. Going up-tree brings us closer to the rain-fall; down-tree has nothing but bog-marshes and Jaga-stingers. Forward is our only choice-hope, and now even that is blocked off. We are, as the earth-diggers say, stuck-trapped between a hard-rock and a dark-place."
Emerald doubted that any Onu-Matoran had ever said it quite like that, but she nodded in understanding all the same.
"I'll deal with this. Wait for my signal, then get ready to move."
The villagers nodded and coiled up their muscles, waiting for the signal from the mint-haired Huntress. She reached out and pulsed Aura between her fingertips, stretching her mental energies towards the ash bear and pooling invisible power into its consciousness. When she first landed on Mata Nui, she was horrified to discover that her Semblance didn't work on Rahi under Makuta's control…and yet, in the time since that day, she'd learned a way around that particular roadblock through careful experimentation.
Remember, don't just target the Rahi's mind, she coached herself. Target the mind behind their mind. Changing what the animal sees and hears isn't enough - you need to fool Makuta, too.
A few days ago, she would have considered it daunting if not outright unthinkable. Use her Semblance on the Master of Shadows himself? Who, according to legend, was always watching from every darkened corner of Mata Nui? It seemed impossible, but Emerald knew from experience that watching everything, everywhere, all at once was equally impossible. Not even Makuta could see every inch of the island at all times - everyone had blind spots in their peripheral vision, and exploiting those blind spots formed the backbone of her unique mental powers.
Besides…lately, Makuta seemed more easily distracted. Like he was spreading himself too thin over the various Rahi, selectively using some as his eyes and ears while leaving others mostly to their own devices. Was his power finite? Was his grip over the wildlife looser than he implied? Or was he just focusing really hard somewhere else, and he had bigger things to worry about than a few renegade Matoran and one annoying little Huntress? Emerald wasn't sure, but for now she was glad that the Master of Shadows wasn't paying close attention to her antics.
It certainly made her job easier.
She wove together a complex fabrication of sights, sounds, even smells and projected it into the mind of both the ash bear and the Makuta, causing a slight stir in the beast as the Hallucination took hold. It lifted its head and stared blankly at what seemed like an ordinary patch of branches damp with rainwater, completely oblivious to the trio of Le-Matoran standing less than a dozen feet away. The ursine Rahi growled in irritation, then chuffed as it rested its chin on its paws, staring lazily into empty space and watching raindrops fall in rivulets from individual leaves over its head.
"Go," whispered Emerald through grit teeth, already feeling the strain from fooling both the bear and its master. "Hurry, I can't hold it forever."
The Le-Matoran nodded and took off running, their footsteps and movements obscured by the false picture of peacefulness within the Rahi's mind. The ash bear, in turn, seemed oblivious to the rushing winds that followed in their wake, more interested in the nonexistent little fly that buzzed into its field of vision. When she was certain that the eyes were tracking the imaginary insect, Emerald sprinted down the branches herself at full speed; by the time the lazy bear turned back to see the real world around it, she and her little friends were long gone.
Another overwhelming win for the forces of good, she mentally told herself. Go us.
As the resting Rahi grew further and further away, the mint-haired Huntress let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding and sank back against the nearest tree trunk. She took several more deep breaths, and if she were feeling safe, she might have rested there to let her Aura recover from the trick. But instead she opted to keep moving, to keep climbing up the trees and swinging from their branches, and to keep staying alive for the sake of the other Le-Matoran.
She owed Lewa that much, at least.
"Salutations, friends! We have another deposit of lightstones for you!"
Penny grinned as the rapidly-expanding highway tunnel came into view, perching on the corner of an Ussal-pulled cart and waving like a princess in a parade. Takua sat next to her with a goofy expression behind his mask, laughing softly at her behavior as he brought Pewku to a gentle stop. And the Onu-Matoran diggers looked up from their work with elation in their emerald eyes, raising their tools over their heads and cheering in gratitude for the delivery. The foreman in particular - a stern, stocky female named Kevla - approached with what looked to be an electronic tablet in her hands, giving a quick glance over the cart's cargo before nodding in approval.
"Yep, that checks out. Forty-eight fresh stones, with A-Class cuts along the faces for maximum light dispersal." Kevla gave a rare smile behind her mask. "Thanks, travelers. With this shipment, we should be able to keep the highway properly lit for at least a few more kios of tunnel, and replace the rest of the torches at this end to keep the beasts back. Did you run into any issues on the way over here?"
"No Rahi attacks, if that's what you mean," said Takua proudly. "Penny scared them off with her fearsome appearance."
The freckled Huntress giggled. "Oh yes! I am very intimidating! Fear me, creatures of shadow! Teehee!"
"We did get some dirty looks from the trade caravans that passed us, though," Takua added. "They probably thought these lightstones were for them."
"Of course they did." Kevla rolled her eyes as she unloaded half the lightstones and handed them off to other workers. "Don't worry about them - now that you've re-opened the Cavern of Light, there'll be more than enough for everyone in all the guilds. Besides, getting this highway dug to the jungle takes absolute priority." She puffed her chest in pride. "Once it's finished and smoothed out, a three-day trip from Ta-Koro to Le-Wahi can be completed in less than two hours on foot or two minutes on Ussal-back, with zero chance of dangerous encounters along the way. I'd like to see Zemya and his merchants try to beat that claim."
"Safe and quick passage between the villages is a better long-term investment than short-term profits," observed Penny.
The foreman nodded enthusiastically as she placed a collection of metal rings with chains into the cart. "Spoken like Turaga Whenua himself. If you still want to help, take the cart down to the main excavation team and start setting the lightstones in these fixtures. Now that they can see what they're digging, they're outpacing how quickly we can set up lights - not that you'll hear me complaining about that." Kevla gestured down the long, narrow tunnel that stretched beyond the gateway. "I'm sure Taipu'll want to thank you in person. He hasn't stopped talking about the 'Maiden of Mata Nui' that lit up his whole world."
Penny chuckled and blushed, toying with her burnt-orange hair. "I hope that does not become my new nickname…"
Nevertheless, Takua urged their cobalt-armored Ussal to travel the length of the highway, which had grown much much longer since their last visit. Penny leaned back as she sat contentedly on the corner of their cart, marveling at just how much progress had been made in just a few short hours. Spent torches that once lined the walls were thrown into hastily-dug trenches, replaced by glowing amber crystals that shone brightly and cleanly. Some Onu-Matoran were using shovels and rakes to clear out excavated debris, while others were running spinning disks over the tunnel walls to polish the rough stone until it was smooth as soap. Still others rode on black Ussal crabs that had buzzsaws mounted to their front claws, allowing them to quickly clear away huge sections of earth in showers of sparks and silt.
"This is the life, isn't it Penny?" Takua asked, softly laughing. "Traveling the island, helping people in need…and best of all? No giant monsters or natural disasters this time! Isn't it nice to do a good thing without having to risk life and limb?"
"It is an excellent feeling," agreed Penny with a giggle. "Though I would not mind a few smaller battles every now and then. I would like to keep my skills sharp."
"What, teaching me how to use my staff doesn't give you enough of a workout?" The Chronicler grinned. "I mean, you can come out and say that kicking me around during our spars is too easy, I'll only be a little offended."
"Oh, I did not mean it like that!" The freckled Huntress patted her friend on the shoulder. "You are actually quite skilled, and naturally strong…maybe you were a Ta-Koronan Guard before you lost your memories?"
"I sure hope not," said Takua with a pout. "Staying stuck in one place all day, staring at the unchanging scenery and sticking to the same routes over and over? No thanks."
"I did not mind doing it!"
"Yeah, but you had rocket boots and laser beams, Penny. I don't think they make those for Matoran."
Penny giggled again, kicking her bare legs over the edge of the cart. "I can build you some, if you would like. It would not be difficult, especially with my Semblance."
"Tempting, but I'll pass for now." Yellow eyes noticed that the walls had become distinctly bare during their conversation. "How about we start setting up the lightstones? Put those ridiculous proportions of yours to good use."
With yet another giggle, the freckled Huntress did just that, slotting the glowing stones into their metal sockets and reaching over to drive their mounting stakes into the wall. Soft amber light soon began to fill the tunnel, growing brighter with each new hanging lantern that was pushed into place. It reminded Penny of fireflies on a dark night, her favorite kind of insect - which was oddly fitting, because the way that Onu-Matoran dug their tunnels reminded her of ants, her other favorite insect.
Life can adapt to its surroundings in so many different ways, she thought with wonder. The Matoran may be different, but they are just as alive as the people of Remnant. I wonder what the worlds would look like if humans had access to protodermis, or if the people of Mata Nui had found deposits of Dust deep down here…
The end of the tunnel soon came into view, as did a trio of Onu-Matoran working diligently to change that. Two of the miners rode on saw-bearing Ussal crabs; the third had only a simple pickaxe, yet he somehow managed to dig twice as fast as his machine-aided allies. Penny smiled when she saw what was unmistakably Taipu taking the lead - though his tan body with black mask and legs made him seem at first like a Po-Matoran, his glowing green eyes and his incredible digging skill proved beyond all doubt that he was a villager of Earth.
Takua patted Pewku twice on the shell, commanding her to stop so that he and Penny could safely disembark. Their blue-armored Ussal let out a sigh of relief, sagging on her orange legs and letting off steam through gaps in her gearbox. Penny gave Pewku some appreciative scritches before taking the remaining lanterns to hang from the ceiling. The Chronicler walked in front of the crab and mirrored the gesture, lingering for longer and chuckling when she purred contentedly.
"Great job, old girl," he said softly. "Don't worry. Soon as we're done in Onu-Koro, I'll send you back to Midak. You can have all the treats you want at that point - you've earned it."
Pewku trilled mournfully, clearly torn between wanting to be pampered and wanting to stay with her favorite Matoran.
"You know," said Penny as she hung another lightstone by its chain, "we could have Pewku come with us on our further travels."
"Considering I don't remember how to care for an Ussal crab?" The Chronicler shook his head. "Wouldn't be fair to her, asking her to come with us into danger when I don't know the first thing about Rahi keeping. Besides, I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll see each other. Call it a hunch."
That was understandable, if a little sad. Still, Penny kept hanging the remaining light fixtures from the ceiling, earning nods of thanks from the crab-riding diggers. Her spirits were lifted when she hung her last one over Taipu: she could swear that the young Matoran's eyes went as wide as his curved, square-shaped mask allowed when he looked up at her.
"Wow…" he breathed with a bright smile. "You are even more beautiful by the lightstone's glow than you are by torchlight! No wonder I thought you were a Toa at first!"
She felt her cheeks grow quite red, and she tried (and failed) to hide in her hair.
"Oh…my…thank you, Taipu," she said meekly.
Taipu shook his head as he kept driving his pickaxe through the earth over and over again. "No no, it is I - " CLANG! " - who should be thanking you! When - " CLANG! " - Onepu dropped off the first lightstone shipment - " CLANG! " - he told me that you and Takua - " CLANG! " - were responsible for this - " CLANG! " - wonderful thing. Now that we can see - " CLANG! " - I believe we will get to Le-Koro - " CLANG! " - very soon. I can feel it in my heartstone!" CLANG!
Penny grinned at the sheer enthusiasm on display, wincing every time the Matoran's tool loudly rang out and echoed off the walls. "I believe it too, Taipu." CLANG! "It is a pleasure to be of service!" CLANG! "If there is anything else I can do to help - " CLANG! " - then please let me - "
CLUNK.
Everyone seemed to freeze at the very different sound that Taipu's pickaxe made. At first Penny wondered if it was a bad sign, but considering how excited the other Onu-Matoran seemed to get, she realized it was a noise they had all been waiting to hear. Sure enough, after Taipu struck a few more times the wall began to crumble and fall away, allowing something else to flow between the cracks.
Light.
A tidal wave of white flooded the tunnel, so much that it was almost blinding for a solid minute. Penny's eyes soon adjusted, her mind shifting and sorting the light into various shades of green and brown and blue. Those colors sharpened and softened into shapes the Huntress had never seen before - trees as tall as the sky, vines dangling precariously from towering branches, and a thousand different plants she had no names for, all weaving together into one lush and verdant tapestry.
The way to Le-Wahi was now open.
And it was beautiful.
Takua scrambled over to Penny's side in a heartbeat, rubbing his eyes through his mask as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Taipu shielded his eye holes with his hands as he looked out in wonder, determined to stare at this new world no matter how much it hurt. The other diggers were a little more sensible, working to widen the entrance as orders were barked in the background.
"We did it!" exclaimed the little tunneler excitedly. "We made it through! Wow…Onepu was right. It is so beautiful here…"
"It certainly is," breathed Penny. "I have never seen this much green in my life!"
"I'll bet no Ta-Matoran has ever recorded this before…" mused Takua.
The three of them stared at the unfamiliar landscape for a moment, before Taipu sighed and slumped his shoulders. Despite being dazzled by the scenery, this did not escape Penny's notice. Evidently, Takua saw it too, because he moved over and poked the Onu-Matoran in the arm.
"You know, you seem kinda down for someone who just opened up the highway to a brand-new region," said Takua. "What's wrong?"
"Well, that's just it," answered Taipu with a heavy sigh. "I know that we need to set up camp and secure the tunnel against Rahi, but I wanna go explore! I want to see Le-Koro, and the tree people, and the birds and all the other cool things in the jungle…"
Penny looked from the other Onu-Matoran, to Taipu, to Takua, then back again. The travelers shared a glance, then nodded.
"I do not think it will be an issue if you come with us!" she said finally. "If you want, that is. We would like to see Le-Koro as well."
Taipu's eyes lit up in every sense of the word. "Really?! That would be wonderful! I would love to come! I bet the rest of the jungle will be even more beautiful than the Great Mine! Let's go!"
And with that the eager little Onu-Matoran slung his pickaxe over his back and took off running, leaving the Chronicler and the Huntress to catch up.
The surrounding jungle of Le-Wahi became little more than green-brown blurs as Lewa bounded recklessly across the cluttered floor. Once, he might have prided himself on how he swung from the vines and leapt from the trees; now he regarded the idea as silly and needlessly slow. This was much faster, he decided, sprinting on all fours like a savage Rahi. After all, this was the land of fierce monsters - why not do as they did?
His barreling charge was ceaseless and relentless. The streamlined shape of his armor and mask sliced like a blade through the wind, cutting through air resistance and making him go even faster. Anything in his way was either shoved aside, mowed down, or found itself blasted through with a razor-edged gale. Not even the Wahi's oldest, strongest trees gave him pause. They were smashed through and felled by him without even batting an eye.
Useless, he mentally snarled at the archive moles and Taku birds that scampered to escape his rampage. No…worse than useless. No claws or armor, no teeth or venom. Too small-weak to be a threat, too numerous to purge-kill entirely. Worthless to the island of Mata Nui. Worthless to Makuta.
Makuta…the very word brought a wry smile to his lips. When he arrived on the island, lost and confused, he'd gone looking for answers. He found himself in the care of a wise old Turaga, who spun him a tale about why he was here and what his purpose was. According to "legend," Lewa was one of six Toa destined to defeat the shadowy menace known as Makuta, collect the Great Kanohi Masks of Power, and awaken Mata Nui. He'd accepted this legend without question, and embarked on his little quest.
How foolish he'd been.
The Turaga had lied to him. He didn't need all six masks to be a true Toa-hero, he just needed the rusted one that now sat on his face. Makuta was not some ancient evil in need of vanquishing, he was a noble protector who the Matoran selfishly refused to worship. And Mata Nui did not need to be awakened. The Great Spirit was safe in his deep slumber, free from the pain and suffering that consciousness would have cursed him with.
How had he possibly gotten things so backwards?
His target appeared in the corner of his vision. He shifted direction slightly and refocused on the Kane-Ra that grazed on some bushes. With a leaping pounce he grabbed the bull's back, looping his axe under its neck when it inevitably roared and reared back in an attempt to buck him off. Lewa freed up one hand just long enough to pull out a slimy writhing snake from a pocket in his armor, holding it over the Kanohi masks on the Rahi's shoulders and letting his little "friend" do its work.
Skisssssssh.
The Kane-Ra's demeanor shifted almost instantly as soon as the serpent bit into one mask, its petal-like mouth splitting open in several directions to do so. Black-brown rust began to spread across the surface like a ripple across a still lake, turning the entire mask into a twisted, aged copy of its former shape. With the Rahi placated for a moment he repeated the process for the other side; when both masks were properly infected, he held the creature near a gap in the bull's armor and allowed it to slither deep into its inner workings.
These worm-critters, these…Kraata, Lewa thought to himself, they will keep the Rahi-beasts under Makuta's command. The tainted Kanohi relay his will, and the Kraata remain inside as a fail-safe. This way, even if their dark-masks get removed, they still serve him…and these shadow-slugs will not be so easily removed. Let us try to see the other Toa-heroes or the Huntress-girls pry these out…Makuta's great-plans will not be so easily foiled.
A part of the Toa's mind reeled at what he'd just thought. At what he'd just done. What was he doing?! This was wrong! Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong! He was supposed to be doing the will of Mata Nui, not Makuta! He was a hero, not a monster! He had to get rid of the mask on hid face, the one twisting all his thoughts and actions. He needed to get free. He needed to -
Skisssssssh.
He heard that familiar hissing again and felt something slimy slither up from his gearbox,. As soon as it bit down on his neck, the seditious thoughts were once more silent. No…there was no need to worry. No need to fight. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was just doing what was best for his Matoran. These Rahi were dangerous creatures, and by placing these Kraata inside them and infecting their masks, he was pacifying them. Taming them. Is that not what the Matoran had already done with creatures such as the Gukko birds and the Ussal crabs? Why was it such a sin when the Master of Shadows tried to do the same?
So he was making the island safer. Making these Rahi less violent and aggressive. And if someone angered the beast by trying to remove the infected mask, or by trying to extract the Kraata…well, that would just be an unfortunate side effect of their own stupidity, wouldn't it?
The Toa of Air hopped off the now-subservient Kane-Ra, beating his chest like a lava ape and snarling. With a low growl the bull turned and trundled away, moving in a path through the jungle that would give it the best chance at finding more Rahi - or better yet, more Matoran. He allowed himself to smile at his own handiwork. Another dangerous beast pacified. Another powerful soldier added to Makuta's growing army.
Everything is right-well, thought Lewa as he took off sprinting once again, bounding across the jungle floor on his hands and feet. Makuta will bring order to the island. He will protect the Matoran. He will tame the Rahi. I just need to convince my brothers of what he really wants, and surely they will see things my way. His way.
After all, legend said that Makuta was Mata Nui's brother, so surely he couldn't be that bad.
Right?
"Look at this! And look at that! There are so many beautiful plants and flowers! I wonder where the people are…oh, an archive mole! Come back, little guy! I just want to be your friend!"
Penny grinned at Taipu's antics as she and Takua trekked through the jungle, carefully stepping over the roots and rocks that tried to trip her up. The Onu-Matoran ahead of them moved through the gorgeous scenery with surprising speed, barely slowed down by the grassy growths and trees that made walking difficult. Each breath she took felt hot and humid, stray branches and vines threatened to catch on her hair or her dress, and she felt so many insects latch onto her bare legs for a sip of her lifeblood.
In other words, the jungle was magnificent!
Takua, who had somehow let the freckled Huntress talk him into wearing him like a backpack, seemed less enthused. "…you know, I don't remember much, but it's coming back to me just how much I hate Le-Wahi."
She chuckled. "Well, at least that is one memory you have recovered! Perhaps others will follow soon! In any case, you seem to be in the minority. I find it quite visually stunning, and Taipu…"
"I have so many bug bites right now! My parts are gonna itch for weeks! This is so cool!"
"…I believe Taipu agrees with me," she finished with another giggle.
"Really? I couldn't tell." Takua laughed softly and shook his head, glowing yellow eyes tracking the digger that always seemed to hover just out of sight. "You know…it's a good thing you didn't meet him first when you came back to life. You'd wear out your legs trying to keep up with him."
"Hah! I do not think it would have been that difficult!" Penny grinned. "I take longer steps than you, after all."
"Don't remind me."
"IT'S HERE! LE-KORO! I FOUND IT!" Taipu's voice somehow managed to sound even more excited. "IT'S BEAUTIF - MMMPH!"
Penny's eyes widened as their new friend's cries were suddenly cut short. Vita and Luce jumped into her hands as she surged forward instinctively, bashing through branches and trees that blocked her way. She emerged from the jungle and stumbled into a small clearing just in time to watch the young digger get pulled off a boulder and into the sky by an orange insectoid Rahi. Her eyes narrowed as shifted the tonfa into a spear and aimed to throw it, but she knew it was a futile effort.
The Nui-Rama - and Taipu - were already gone.
She fell to her bare knees, the weapons clattering from her hands. "No…"
Takua hopped off her back and put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, rubbing slowly and softly. "Hmm, that's…worrying. But don't worry, Penny, you did everything you could. It's not your fault he got grabbed."
"But it feels like it is my fault," she said mournfully. "I was the one who invited Onu-Koro's best digger to come with us into a strange and unfamiliar land. And now he is…gone."
"You didn't know this would happen," said the Chronicler. "And even if you did, I don't think it would've stopped him." He looked over to the trees. "Besides, that was no ordinary Rahi. Did you see that infected mask it was wearing? That was one of Makuta's beasts - it could have torn him apart if it wanted, but it captured him alive. So there's still a chance we might be able to rescue him."
Penny sobbed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Where could the Nui-Rama have taken him, though? And why?"
"I don't know, but sitting in the jungle feeling sorry for ourselves isn't going to give us any answers." Takua patted her shoulder twice more before pulling back. "He said he found Le-Koro - maybe the villagers there will know what's going on and how to get him back. You with me?"
The freckled Huntress sniffled, then smiled as she rose to her feet and picked up her weapons. "Always, Takua."
"Good to hear! Now let's go see what got him all excited…"
The rest of the trek was made in determined silence, as the beauty and irritation of the jungle faded into the back of their minds. It only took a short walk before they were rewarded with the sight of a massive tree, one that made its nearby cousins look like tiny little saplings. Penny saw multiple details such as a great lake that pooled underneath its roots, hollowed-out sections of gnarled bark, and a leafy pod that dangled from a pulley system made entirely out of vines.
"This must be Le-Koro, then," said the Huntress with a pensive hum. "And that…looks to be some sort of rudimentary elevator. Perhaps the village is in the trees?"
"Seems like it," agreed Takua. "You think it'd be more lively, though, given how much Taipu talked about how good they are at singing…why's it so quiet?"
"I do not know," mused Penny. "But there is only one way to find out."
She took Takua's hand in her own and stepped into the verdant elevator, pushing on a lever inside with her unoccupied palm. Almost immediately she felt her stomach drop about six inches as the pod rushed upwards at high speeds, nearly making her sink into the floor. Penny marveled at just how fast and smooth the ascent was; despite lacking gears and motors and metal and other common fixtures around the island, it seemed that the Le-Matoran had a style of technology all their own, one that was no less ingenious or resourceful than the other villages.
I wonder if my Technopathy would work on a construct such as this? She tilted her head as if she was considering reaching out with her Semblance, then decided against tinkering with the elevator. Maybe when they were no longer in it, she would take a closer look at the contraption.
Maybe.
After a few seconds of feeling like a pancake, the elevator suddenly slowed. It swayed back and forth slightly as its momentum refused to completely fade, making the world outside the tear-shaped doorway rock from one side to another. Though Penny wanted to walk out of the pod and step onto the platform, something grabbed onto her leg and kept her from doing so. A quick glance down told her that it was the Chronicler himself, wrapping his arms around her thigh with his feet off the ground entirely as his entire body shook and trembled.
A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Takua…are you afraid of heights?"
"What no who told you that I'm not scared of falling nope no way couldn't be me."
She giggled again, gently patting Takua's head. "It is okay. High places and moving very fast is a very common fear. Why, even my friend Jaune used to be unable to ride a Bullhead without throwing u- "
"Can we please have this conversation on anything other than a swinging leafy death pod."
Penny laughed once more as she finally stepped forward, swinging the leg weighed down by the little Matoran. Only when her feet brushed against the wooden grain of the platform did Takua finally let himself slide down with a metallic thump. After shaking his head to clear it, he continued walking hand-in-trembling-hand with the Huntress. The pair made their way to the center of the village and saw everything from wooden domes and huts carved into the trees to lightstones and tools hanging from overhead branches…all the usual trappings of the settlements they had seen on Mata Nui thus far.
Except that the village of Le-Koro was completely empty.
This is very strange, Penny thought to herself as they saw yet another blockaded hut. Where are the Le-Matoran? Where is the Turaga? Is there anyone here at all?
The click of a revolver hammer locking into place answered her question, followed by the sensation of cold steel pushing into the back of her neck. Penny froze up instinctively as the weapon bristled against her skin - though she knew her Aura could protect her from many things, she was not certain if it could completely shield her from a point-blank bullet at the base of her skull. A quick glance down at her side revealed that Takua was similarly being threatened…though the glint of green that aimed straight down at his head seemed oddly familiar…
"No sudden movements," said a commanding yet exhausted-sounding voice from behind. "Hands in the air, and weapons on the ground."
As soon as she recognized the voice and the weapon, Penny did neither of those things.
Instead she gasped and broke into a wide smile, spinning around and pulling the gun-wielding Huntress into a massive hug. Sure enough she caught a glimpse of mint-green hair and blood-red eyes, both of which belonged to the same woman who held her while she bled to death. Despite their complicated history, despite the fact that the former thief smelled like musty mildew, Penny squeezed with every bit of strength she had and nuzzled her chin against the young woman's bare, dark-skinned shoulder.
"Salutations, Emerald!" Penny said, still beaming with delight. "It is so good to see you again!"
Emerald seized up for just a moment, before her chest heaved under her grasp and she dropped her weapons to return the hug. Penny could feel a few tears flowing down into the crook of her neck; she simply allowed Emerald to bury her face into her shoulder while she ran ivory fingers over rough, scar-marked skin and combed through matted green hair.
"Penny…" she choked between sobs, "I…gods, to think I almost…I'm so sorry, I thought you were - !"
"Shh…it is okay, Emerald…" shushed the red-haired girl. "Please do not cry. I am here. I am safe. And you will be alright…"
After a moment of quick and quiet comfort, Emerald finally pulled back and wiped her eyes. Penny smiled and picked up the two copies of Thief's Respite, handing them back to their former owner with a reassuring gaze. The freckled Huntress studied her unlikely ally carefully, watching her accept the sickle-revolvers with a nod and stow them tentatively in their holsters…and noticing that despite being among friends, Emerald's hands never strayed too far from her weapons.
"Well, you're definitely not one of Makuta's Rahi in some kind of new skin-suit," she said with a sigh of relief. "Even if they could try to look like you, I doubt they'd be so warm or eager to hug someone."
"What can I say?" Penny grinned. "I am very good at giving hugs."
"So I've noticed." Bloodshot eyes glanced down at the Ta-Matoran who stood awkwardly beside the two. "And I'm assuming this little guy's your new friend? Ruby filled me in on your…situation. You have to stick next to him to stay alive, right?"
"More or less," said the Chronicler with a shrug. "Name's Takua. Are you another one of Penny's friends?"
"Emerald Sustrai is the one who held me in her arms while I died during the Battle for Atlas," said Penny, blushing faintly. Then her gaze darkened as a terrible memory washed over her. "…but she is also the one responsible for the destruction and 'death' of my first robot body." Her smile returned a moment later. "I do not blame her, though - she was being manipulated by the same woman who killed me a second time, who herself was being manipulated by an even meaner woman! Needless to say, Emerald does not work for them anymore."
Emerald stared at the freckled girl with an aghast look on her face, while Takua just looked between the two of them quizzically.
"…sooo, is that a yes or a no?"
"It's a 'we'll probably figure it out later, when things are less stressful and dangerous,'" said Emerald with a scowl. "Speaking of which…"
The former thief stuck her fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly. Almost immediately, movement began to stir around them. A green-masked Matoran slowly poked their head out of a thatched-over window, while another peered out from a cluster of leaves. Still others leapt from branches and landed in a circle around the Chronicler and the Huntresses, tilting their heads in fascination as they stared at the newcomers. Penny noticed that these villagers seemed far more agile and alert than the ones she had seen thus far - which made sense, as the Le-Matoran were supposedly aligned with the element of air.
They certainly seem to move as quick as the wind itself, she thought to herself. But does that mean they are just as quick to flee as well?
When less than a dozen of the Le-Matoran hopped out of hiding, the movement around them stopped. Emerald's eyes darted between each one, and she whispered frantic numbers under her breath. Penny pretended not to notice the worry on the Huntress's face as she counted the villagers…and she did not pry when she let out a sigh of relief as soon as she reached ten.
Something must have happened here, she reasoned. Something…terrible.
Takua did his best to greet the villagers with an awkward wave. "Err, hello people of Le-Koro! I am Takua the Chronicler, and I'm here with Penny Polendina to…um…chronicle, I guess. And help out, if we can."
The Le-Matoran all looked at each other, then at Takua, then at Penny, and finally at Emerald before they nodded among themselves. They then started chattering excitedly, speaking so quickly that Penny did not understand their words at first. Only when she realized that the villagers were speaking to them did she try to listen carefully, though it was…difficult to follow along.
"Tamaru of Le-Koro!" exclaimed one clad in a green egg-shaped mask. "High-fly Vine-swinger, deep-wood Way-finder! Fastest leaf-runner in the village!"
"Kongu, Chief Kahu-tamer!" said another, this one wearing a turquoise beaklike Kanohi. "Ever-quick pilot! Weaver, mapmaker! Le-Koro Matoran!"
"And I am Radka, Le-Matoran spirit-guide and disc-carver." The third Matoran, wearing a green version of Gali's mask, bowed her head. "Forgive our quiet-hiding, but the village is still cautious after being attacked by Makuta's evil beasts."
"Feared at first you were Rahi," chimed one Le-Matoran, "but no Rama walks on two legs like that, so down-tree we come and greet!"
"You must be the brave wanderers that some speak of," said another. "Braver still, for coming to Le-Koro!"
Takua looked first at the villagers, then at Penny. "…you know, I'm starting to miss the silence, if this is how the Le-Matoran usually are."
"You get used to it," said Emerald with a sigh.
Penny curtseyed all the same. "Salutations! It is a pleasure to meet you all!" Then she tilted her head. "There are…fewer of you than I expected. What happened? And why did you think that Takua and I were Rahi at first?"
The Le-Matoran went silent, looking mournfully at one another before sighing. Penny's heart shattered.
"A great dark-time has fallen over Le-Koro," said Kongu with a slow shake of his head. "Matau stolen, Lewa gone…only the jungle-trees of Le-Wahi and our own quick-wits have kept us safe this long."
"In the last rain-season, Gukko-riders on patrol saw a Rama-hive growing topleaf-high, far in the eastern deep-wood," added Radka. "Unknown to us, those Rama-swarmers were all infected by Makuta. Several days ago, a force of cloud-sneaking Nui-Rama flew on Le-Koro, seeking to capture-snatch all of us in one fell-swoop. Quick-soaring Gukko-riders were tree-launched, air-defenders were deployed, and a great battle was fought here. The village may still stand, but many were lost - taken to the dark-hive."
So it wasn't just stray Onu-Matoran that Makuta was interested in collecting. It was any Matoran in the jungles of Le-Wahi. Penny idly wondered how long she would remain alive if Takua had been grabbed instead of Taipu…then shook her head to banish such dark thoughts.
"Oh, cursed Nui-Rama, buzz-flying Rahi!" wailed Tamaru dramatically. "Hundred-eye, all-seeing, fright and fury! Makuta-Madness makes them even worse! Wings mash, pincers grab! Frail and brittle-armored, so easy to snap-break, yet cunning Rama sneak-swoop-smash and fly out of reach!"
Takua's head tilted so far to one side it nearly lined up with the horizon. "…uh, I'm lost." He looked at the two girls with a sigh. "Can you understand anything they're saying?"
"Unfortunately yes," groaned Emerald. "Basically, Makuta's been sending his oversized fruit flies to scoop up Matoran and take them into their hive. At first they were just grabbing them one at a time while they were out hunting, but a few days ago they launched a huge attack and took most of the villagers captive - including Turaga Matau. Lewa and I tried to fight them off on our own, but…we weren't enough. I wasn't enough…"
Penny reached over and laid a hand on Emerald's shoulder. "We were traveling with another Matoran on our way here - a digger from Onu-Koro named Taipu. He was captured by a Nui-Rama, and we were hoping that you would be able to help us rescue him…and in turn, we will help you rescue the other captive villagers."
"You come at a lucky-bright time, travelers," said Kongu with a determined nod. "We're preparing to launch a rescue-flight of our own, and we could use every brave wind-rider in the effort. Last few days spent stockpiling weapons and armor, carving throw-disks from wood, and keeping away from the eyes of the Rama-swarmers."
"Emerald has been our guide-leader since Le-Koro fell," chimed in Radka. "Protected us she has, with the wisdom of a Turaga-chief and the valor of a Toa-hero. Without her guidance, all tree-people may have been lost to the shadow-dark."
"You have been leading them?" Penny grinned in delight and clasped Emerald's hands in both of hers. "Emerald, that is very noble and heroic! I am so proud of you!"
The former thief turned a shade of red as deep as her eyes, looking away and muttering something about how it was not a big deal.
"Oh! Before I forget…" Penny pulled out her Scroll and reached into Emerald's with a pulse of her Semblance, linking them together and transferring Team RWBY's contact information between the two devices. The process took less than a second, and despite the mint-haired girl scowling in protest, she nonetheless pulled out the device and hummed in fascination.
"There," said the freckled redhead proudly. "I have synchronized your list of Scroll numbers with my own. You may now contact the other Huntresses at any time - the island itself has begun to act like a CCT relay, allowing for wireless communication across all of Mata Nui. Ruby says you can also use the mask powers that Lewa has found for yourself, as if you were wearing the Kanohi. Be careful, though…that feature is powered by your Aura, and doing so drains it quickly."
Emerald let out a low whistle as she inspected her Scroll. "Damn. Ruby told me you got a new Semblance when we all met at Kini-Nui. Didn't think you'd be this good at it so soon…not bad. Not bad at all."
"In any case, we should fly-launch quickly," said Kongu. "Makuta's sure to have dark-eyes everywhere, and there's no telling when - "
"The Rama-swarm returns!" shrieked one of the other Le-Matoran. "They come on the east-wind! Looklooklooklooklook!"
Penny's eyes widened, while Emerald narrowed her own. Sure enough, a quick glance at the horizon revealed a dreadful sight - an absolutely massive cloud of gray-black that seemed to blot out the afternoon sun, slowly inching towards the village. The coming threat reminded the freckled Huntress of Salem's Grimm armada flying towards her home Kingdom of Atlas to signal its fall…in fact, it reminded her a little too well of the nightmares that still haunted her sleeping hours.
Fortunately, this time she was able to physically feel a soft hand slipping into her own to comfort her.
"Breathe," she heard Emerald whisper into her ear. "Don't let yourself get trapped in your mind. Focus on what's around you. Make it an anchor."
She nodded numbly, choosing to concentrate on her newfound sense of touch. The wooden grains beneath her bare feet. The thief's thumb tracing circles over her palm. The Chronicler's metal hand on her calf. The air that flowed in and out of her lungs. All of that brought her out of the mental mirage and allowed her to see the Nui-Rama swarm for what it really was.
A threat that she could probably handle.
"Looks like we sky-battle now!" said Kongu with determination in his voice. "Leaf-Runners, flee to the deep-wood until the all-clear sounds! Gukko-riders, scramble! Chronicler, Huntresses, stay close-near! We must get to my Kahu!"
The Le-Matoran all took off running in different directions, moving with the speed and grace of the wind. Wooden doors along the huts opened to allow brightly-colored metallic hawks to fly out, flapping ten-foot-wide wings and letting out beautiful echoing cries. Some of the villagers leapt onto the backs of the birds as they passed their branch, while others tossed said riders leafy sacks filled with throwing discs. Penny allowed Emerald to guide her and Takua through the flurry of activity, who in turn followed Kongu to an open platform.
Then the door to a larger hut opened up, and a very big bird stomped out with folded wings.
Whoa…
Penny's fear gave way to wonder as she looked over the mighty avian Rahi, which towered even over her at a staggering fifteen feet tall and twenty feet long from crest to tail. It boasted steel-black feathers and powerful orange talons, along with a golden beak that seemed sharp and strong enough to split a great tree in half. Wings composed of linkages and a powerful propulsion system in the back hinted at its semi-mechanical nature, and two grooves along the neck - one with a set of reins on either side, the other facing a disk-launcher on a swivel - were the perfect size and shape for a pair of Matoran to sit comfortably. The size and power of its wings and frame reminded her of a Giant Nevermore…but unlike the murderous corvids of Remnant, this creature had nothing but gentleness and peace in its glowing orange eyes.
Kongu noticed Penny staring, and smiled behind his mask. "Beautiful, isn't she? Gukko-birds that grow up to be as great-large as my Kahu here are a rare-sight and difficult to tame, but if you make the effort you'll find yourself a long-life friend that rules the wind-skies!"
"She is incredible," said the freckled Huntress. "Does she have a name?"
"Vizuna," said the Gukko rider proudly as he climbed into the front seat. "Raised her from hatch-egg myself after she got knocked out of a bird-nest, and she's carried me through more battle-flights than I can count! Only issue is that she stays tree-bound without a disk-thrower - Chronicler, will you be my second? You're the only one who'll sit-fit, and the other Le-Matoran must swift-hide to avoid capture-snatch."
Takua blinked and flinched. "Me? You want me to sit up there? But I don't know how to throw a disk…or at least, I don't remember how…"
"Oh, there is no need for throwing them." Penny waved her hand and scanned Vizuna with her Semblance. "The array on the back is semi-automatic - pull the trigger, and the disk launches itself at high speed! All you must do is aim properly…which I believe you are more than capable of, Takua."
The Chronicler looked at the launcher, then at his friend, and sighed. "…alright. If you're sure about this, then I'll do it."
"We will do it," said Penny resolutely. "I will ride as well, Kongu. Wherever Takua goes, I will follow!"
"Not like you have much choice," noted Emerald, tilting her head. "Think Vizuna's strong enough to carry all four of us?"
Kongu laughed. "She is strong enough to carry ten of us! Will you also wind-fly with us, shadow-leaf?"
"Might as well." The former thief hummed thoughtfully as she looked over the outsiders. "Unless Penny somehow managed to hide a working gun into that spear and shield of hers, you're gonna need someone with ranged weapons to help Takua pick off those bugs. Plus, you'll need a stealth expert once you're in the hive -"
"Emerald." Penny smiled. "You do not need to continue justifying why you are helping us. We know that you care. That is more than reason enough."
The mint-haired teenager once again blushed, then pouted. "…shut up."
Nevertheless, the Huntresses and the Chronicler took their places on the back of the mighty Kahu, with Takua sliding into the second seat while the girls hung off either side. Kongu smirked and snapped the Rahi's reins, prompting her to spread her wings and start flapping them slowly. Huge gusts of air billowed and blew through Penny's hair, the deafening sound waves nearly drowning out the high-pitched whirring of the propulsion engines warming up. When Vizuna's talons finally lifted gently off the platform, her wings straightened out and gained a green glow while humming with power.
Penny grinned as the anticipation took hold, eager to return to the sky.
Takua took a breath to steady himself, shifting his grip on the handles for the disk launcher.
Emerald narrowed her gaze and drew Thief's Respite in its revolver form, checking to make sure the chamber was fully loaded with fiery Dust rounds.
"May the winds be ever-strong beneath our wings!" said Kongu with a fierce smile. "Lewa protect us! Let's go!"
And with that, the Kahu fired her jets and soared into the great blue battlefield.
(A/N): Oh! One more thing before I go!
To the fans who set up a TVTropes page for Destiny's Divide, thank you so much! Now please excuse me while I go scream like an excited twelve-year-old into my pillow. :)