Chapter 2: The New Era

Walking next to Ko-Kohilii made Kopaka feel uneasy. Just as he normally did around females.

Kopaka thought about his brother Tahu. What would he think about having a girl living in a guy's village? Tahu would get a kick out of that. But Kopaka had only one question to ask, if Ko-Kohilii was the only girl in a guy's village, would more female matoran appear in other guy's villages also? It was obvious that she would not exactly fit in, he would help her to fit in the best he could, but would it be wrong to ask his sister Gali to teach Ko-Kohilii the ways of the island?

Ko-Kohilii doesn't know about the other six Toa. And there had been a legend of the coming of a Toa of Love. An eighth Toa? Just what they needed. He had seen creatures, of from what he could see, looked like matoran that were not Ko-Matoran running about Ko-Wahi. But before he had time to investigate, these matoran would disappear right before his eyes. As if they were wearing a mask of Concealment. But that was not possible because from what Kopaka could see, they were wearing masks of strength,

X-ray vision, and masks of defense. And now and then a mask of speed, a mask of translation, or a single mask of concealment. But certainly not all of them could have the mask of concealment.

Kopaka ran this through his mind. They could be an unknown type of rahi disguised to look and act like innocent matoran. No, no, that could not be right. The other Toa might have seen them. Unless it was a rahi that belonged to only Ko-Wahi.

Kopaka repeated these thoughts as they passed the huts of the other Ko-Matoran, who stopped doing their daily chores to watch the Toa of ice and his female newcomer pass by.

Ko-Kohilii noticed all the staring. She looked around. This is strange, she thought. There are no other girls in this villageKopaka caught the look in her eyes. As if he was reading her mind, he said,

"There are no girls in Ko-Koro…Only you." He said sadly. Now she knew what all the staring was for. She was different, unwanted, an outsider.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?" Kopaka questioned even though he knew what the question was.

"Why am I the only girl on Mata Nai?" she cried so loud that matoran stopped to watch them.

"Nui." Kopaka said.

"Whatever," she mumbled. "Why am I the only girl on Mata Nui?"

"Correction. You are not the only girl on Mata Nui…only the only girl in Ko-Koro." Ko-Kohilii sighed a sigh of relief. "Toa Gali, the spirit of water, has an entire village of girls. We believe, the Turaga and all of the Toa except for Toa Tahu, the spirit of fire, that you coming into a guy's village, and a legend of an eight Toa, is the beginning of a new era. Where boys may live in a girl's village and girls in the guy's village. And if I am not mistaken, if this eighth Toa does exist, he or she will have a very small hidden village where both boys and girls live united." Kopaka shuddered at the thought of unity. "As much as our unity defeated the rahkshi, the Makuta sons a few years ago, independence is what I like best."

"The Makuta?" Ko-Kohilii struggled to swallow a laugh that was slowly creeping up her throat. Kopaka was trying very hard to contain his silent frustration.

"The Makuta. Mata Nui's jealous, evil brother." Kopaka lowered his voice to a whisper, "Beware the shadows. For where the shadows are, he is there."

Ko-Kohilii opened her mouth to ask another question, but Kopaka held up a white hand to silence her. He explain it all to her. He would explain that there were six other Toa (he was not mentioning names), the other villages, the wahi, the Turaga, the rahi, the legends, the names and the powers of the masks of power (from what Ko-Kohilii knew she had the Konohi Pakari, the mask of strength), games, traditions, and most importantly, the three virtues: Unity, duty and destiny.

The Toa of ice had said more than he had ever said in his entire life that day. And the matoran could've sworn that he had a smile on his normally frowning face. The matoran could say that he changed, that he'd gone soft. But they kept silent and let the now not so cold stare of the Toa of ice walk on by.