Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle and sadly for me…I never will. WAHHHHHH! '(

Chapter 6: It Is Your Destiny

Gali looked at the gathering that was now happening inside of Kini-Nui. She felt very awkward in the large gathering hall. Out of the large party of Turaga, Tahunga and Matoran she only knew two; Tuhunga Maku and Turaga Nokama. Other than those two, the rest were all strangers save only the Turaga she only knew of in name and face, except of course, Turaga Ania. She had never actually met the other Turaga, her work training the water beasts near Ga-Wahi gave her little time or no time to see the other villages. But none were stranger than the ones from the village of Ri-Koro.

As she pulled back a strand of bright blue hair that had fallen from her loose braid, Gali looked over the style of dress on the two Ri-Matoran. She had never seen anything like it. The Tuhunga wore a long yellow dress with a border of violet triangles on the hem of her dress. Over the long dress was a matching coat with long billowy sleeves that closed by wooden pegs and fabric ties. Her hair was hidden under a matching scarf with only a small tuft of lemon yellow hair grazing her bare milky white shoulder. The younger Ri-Matoran girl wore a similar dress, except that hers only reached until her knees. Her long cloth boots reached covered her legs so that one could only see her knobby little knees. Her long yellow hair was tied into back by a blue ribbon while large wisps of her hair framed her little face. It reminded Gali of the normal child's dress in Ga-Koro.

The long and thick fabrics used to make the clothes were unknown to the beautiful Ga-Matoran. She was more used to the thin fabrics of Ga-Koro that she wore now. She had seen few Ga-Matoran women ever wearing a skirt or dresses as the Ri-Matoran were wearing. Most of the women in Ga-Koro preferred the light pants that were so common. It was much easier to swim in pants than in a skirt, no matter how light the fabric was. Many of the old women wore pants even. A habit grown from their younger years. Under her robes, even Nokama wore light pants. Gali pulled her thin leather vest up onto her sun tanned shoulders with bellowed sleeve covered hands before walking over to her friend Maku.

"Gali," Maku said without barely turning to face her friend, "Do you know why those Ri-Matorans are keeping themselves so covered? It's cold in here, but all of those layers seem so thick. Shouldn't they be burning up"

"Maybe they're just used to it," Gali sat upon the cold stone floor, "Why are we even here"

"I don't know"

"Didn't Turaga Nokama tell you anything? You are the tuhunga"

"I know. I asked the other tuhungas and they don't know why all of us are here either or why they are here"

"The Ri-Matoran?"

"Yeah…Gali can I ask you something?" Maku looked concerningly at her.

"Of course Maku. What's wrong"

"Am I a good Tuhunga? I mean…am I doing a good job"

"Of course you are Maku! Why would you doubt yourself"

"My mother was a great tuhunga. I trained my whole life to take her place. But now…I don't know…she was so much more than I could ever be"

"You're mother was a fine tuhunga, that is true. But you are just as good, if not better"

"Do you mean that Gali," she looked at her with tears welling up in her eyes, "Do you truly deeply mean that"

"Yes Maku. I mean it. The village is in good hands as long as you and the Turaga are there"

Maku gave a shy smile. Gali was so much wiser than she was. She deserved to be tuhunga more than she did. She was smarter, faster, stronger…everything Maku wanted to be. And everything she couldn't. As much as she loved Gali, there were those times she almost hated her. Never to the point of wanting to hurt her, but enough that she wished Gali had never been born…but those horrible thoughts had to be pushed back. She couldn't allow herself to think so badly of her best friend. She pushed the her dark thoughts further in the back of her mind.

Tahu had been leaning against the wall of the temple watching the other Matoran with what could have been a cautious eye. Tahu only trusted Turaga Vakama and Jala, everyone else had to be watched. You never knew when someone would turn their back on you or betray you. You always had to be on the watch. However, he found himself looking at the taller of the two Ga-Matoran more than anyone else. He didn't know what it was about her that kept making him stare at her. She was so delicate with her long and slender limbs with their delicate muscles. It must have been all the swimming in Ga-Koro. Her braided hair swung softly with every move she made, delicately sweeping against her back. Gali could feel eyes on her. She had been helping the Ri-Matoran woman in the long skirt make a fire. She really didn't like fire that much, but it was awfully cold and everyone, save the two Ko-Matoran and Turaga Nuju, had been complaining in one way or another about the cold. She pushed some of the logs into a pile while the Ri-Matoran reached around in a small leather pouch looking for some flint, Gali never carried any herself.

"I never knew there was another village on this island", Gali was kneeling on the ground watching the Nikai attempt to start the fire.

"Strange isn't it? And yet we've always known about the other villages," the room began to glow with the light of the fire, "I've lived on this island my entire life and I've never seen a shore"

"Well, maybe now you'll finally see one," Gali could see the sadness and loneliness in Nikai's eyes.

"Maybe, Turaga Ania has a temper and is stubborn. She still isn't completely convinced about leavening the village. She just as scared as Rikini and I." Nikai stared in the direction of all the Turaga. They had been in a private discussion for some time now.

"Are you sisters"

"Hmmm?" Nikai looked back at Gali.

"That girl and you, are you sisters? You just seem very protective of her"

Nikai moved some of the logs around to help make the flame grow more "I suppose I am, protective I mean. I've known her nearly her entire life. She and my brother are so close in age, I suppose then that I think of her as my younger sister at times. She's very naïve so I have to be there to make sure she doesn't get into trouble"

"You can't always protect her, she has to protect herself sometimes"

"I know, but I can't let anything happen to her. I think the Turaga would die without her"

"Why do you say that"

"Rikini is the Turaga's daughter"

Gali was shocked, "But…the Turaga aren't supposed to have children."

"She's not her real daughter. Turaga Ania took Rikini as her own after her parents died. My mother was the tuhunga so she, my brother Naki and I all grew up together"

"I see"

The two women stood there in silence for a moment. Nikai nervously smoothed out her dress, looking down at the ground. Gali could see it plainly, this woman took the weight of the world on her shoulders and never complained. When did she ever have the time to?
The seven Turaga went silent for a moment and everyone noticed. The fourteen matoran looked at them with waiting eyes. Slowly all seven turned towards the large company. Vakama was the first to speak.

"Tahu come here." Tahu looked at Jala with a question furrowed on his brow, but Jala had no answers. Slowly Tahu walked towards the fire Turaga.

"Gali you as well," Nokama said.

"You too, Lewa" Matau followed the water Turaga.

"Onua"

"Pohatu"

"Kopaka."

Each Turaga called the matoran they had brought from their village. All that was left was the young matoran from Ri-Koro. Turaga Ania looked at her fellow Turaga with pleading eyes, but they knew she would do it. She would do it because she had to and Ania always had done what needed to be done for the good of Mata Nui, even when others thought it was wrong.

"Come here Rikini," the matoran heard only the proud voice of a leader who had seen many years, but the Turaga who had known her as a youth could her the pain in her voice. A deep pain she would never let anyone see. Rikini, blissfully ignorant of what had occurred, walked joyfully towards the others.

The seven matoran looked at the Turaga. Why were they here? The tanned skinned youth with disheveled brown hair named Pohatu looked up at the ceiling above. He noticed some strange markings that almost looked like the Seven Holy Elements that made up Mata Nui. In fact those markings almost looked like matoran…

"A dark shadow has fallen over our island home," Vakama spoke to the seven young matoran standing before him, "The Makuta, Mata Nui's dark brother, has returned to seek revenge on Mata Nui's children. He seeks to corrupt our unity, pull us from our duty and destroy our destiny"

Gali looked towards the old chieftain of Ta-Koro, "What are we going to do then? The old legends say that Makuta is a great darkness that cannot be stopped"

Ania looked at the beautiful Ga-Matoran, "He can be stopped, there is a way. The seven warriors of Mata Nui. The Toa"

"Where do we find these Toa?" Onua asked.

"We already have," Matua looked at the youths, "They are standing right here"

"What do you mean?" Lewa could feel his stomach sink down to the bottom of his feet.

Nokama looked at towards Lewa's scared eyes with her knowing and reassuring expression, "You are the seven Toa. You will defeat the Makuta. It is your destiny."

AN: Yeah I know this update is LLLLLLOOOOONNNNGGGG overdue. I've been busy with school and life in general right now. P bleh So try and bear with me as I try to write chapters between term papers P