I don't know how I manage to write these long chapters...(Laughs). Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 7: The Honest Truth

Lewa had been searching for Turaga Matau for a while the next morning. He finally found him talking to Kungu.

"Kungu, would you mind if I had a little talktime with the Turaga...alone?" Lewa asked.

"No, I would not mind," Kungu replied and hurried off into the east.

"Turaga Matau...Gali, Kopaka, and Tahu all got a stone with a single word on it. Together the three stones worded out 'the eighth Toa." Lewa waited for Matau's reaction. He did nothing, but after a long silence he spoke.

"Yes, Lewa. On the back of the stone, was there a riddle?"

"Yes. You know about this?" Lewa asked.

"It was in many legends and stories," he answered thoughtfully.

"Talk to me," Lewa said

"You know about the legend of the eighth Toa, correct?" he said. Lewa nodded in reply. "The eighth Toa, the Toa of love, is going to be different from all of the other Toa and yourself," Matau continued.

"In what way?"

"She is going to be a friend not a sister."

"So that means..?" Lewa asked.

"It means that..."

"Toa Lewa? I don't mean to interrupt but can I ask you something?" a matoran asked walking over to Lewa.

"This will only take a minute, right?" Lewa said. The matoran nodded. Lewa tended to the matoran.

Matau waited patiently for Lewa. He watched the other matoran run about the canopy of Le-Koro. What he didn't see was the figure that shot at him and grabbed him.

Lewa felt a brush of air behind on his back and heard a rush behind him. He turned an what he saw made his heartlight flicker for a moment. Matau was gone and his staff of power was shattered, useless. "Turaga Matau!" Lewa cried. His voice was quieted by the jungle leaves. Lewa dropped to his knees and cursed. He stabbed his an air Katana into the jungle soil. He stood up and pulled it out of the soil. He then placed it underneath his arms, along with the other one, and flew to Ko-Koro. When he got to Ko-Koro, he found Kopaka talking to Matoro.

"Toa Lewa..." Matoro said bowing his head.

"Lewa?" Kopaka said. "Do you bring news to Ko-Koro, or..."

"Why else would I have gone highflying so everquick, Kopaka," Lewa snapped. Kopaka looked like he had just been slapped in the face. Lewa had never used that tone with him.

"Why the attitude, Lewa?" Kopaka said coldly.

"Matau is gone," Lewa said sadly. "I was talking to him and I turned around for a momentsecond and when I turned back around he was gone and his staff was crushed."

"What?!" Kopaka cried.

"First Turaga Nuju..." Matoro said quietly looking down at the ground.

"And now this..." Kopaka finished. "Have you heard word form any of the others?" Kopaka questioned.

"No, not yet. I will go now," Lewa answered.

"That will not be necessary," Eli said appearing out of nowhere. Lewa turned and his eyes grew wide when he saw her. She was...beautiful.

"Who..?" Lewa started. Matoro looked awestruck.

"Eli...Toa of love," she answered.

"The prophecies were right?" He asked turning to Kopaka. Kopaka just smiled. "I'm...I'm..." Lewa stuttered.

"Toa Lewa, spirit of air, protector of Le-Koro," she finished for him. "But that is not important right now. Your Turaga is missing...and so is everyone else's," she said quietly.

"How do you know?" Matoro asked.

"I just do. I'd rather not get into details," she said.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Kopaka asked.

This is not the time, Kopaka. Eli thought bitterly. "No," she said. "That's how I knew that the Turaga were gone. It was in a dream that I had."

"What should I do?" Lewa asked.

"Contact the others. Tell them to meet at the Kini Nui," she said. Kopaka nodded in agreement.

"Best be going to Ta-Koro," Lewa said. "See you soon, Eli." Lewa did a bunch of flips and then flew in the direction of Ta-Koro.

"Showoff..." Kopaka mumbled. "We'd better get going if we want to get there on time." Kopaka started to walk. And when Eli did not follow, he turned. "Eli?" Kopaka asked. Eli was busy admiring her weapon. She took it apart and it became two pieces. She held each end out at her sides. "Eli, what are you doing?"

"You will soon know," she answered. She concentrated hard on something and then shot into the air just like Lewa could do.

"Eli! You can fly!" Kopaka cried with excitement. Eli land on the ground next to him. The end of her arrow glowing rainbow colors. White, hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and black.

"That's not all I can do," she said slyly. She put the arrow back together and she made a small sun and it melted the ice on a nearby tree. And with a wave of her hand it grew leaves. With another wave of her hand, the sun vanished. She then touched the tree with the end of her arrow and it froze over, just as it had been before she melted the ice. "I have all of the elemental powers...including light," she said proudly. Kopaka was awestruck once more. "But those elemental powers are not as strong as Tahu's, or Gali's, or Takanuva's, or yours, or anyone else's."

"You can fly us to the Kini!" Kopaka said.

"As I said, my powers are not as strong. I can only fly for a short distance at a time."

"Oh, yeah...right," Kopaka muttered.

"We'd better get going," Eli said quietly, feeling sorry for disappointing him. Kopaka started to walk, and this time Eli followed.

Later that day when they were approaching the Kini Nui, Kopaka spotted Tahu leaning against the Kini's Suva.

"No!" Kopaka shouted softly when Kopaka spotted him. He pulled Eli behind a nearby bush that was on the outskirts of the forest near the clearing, rustling the leaves. Tahu heard the leaves rustle. He spun around, eyes narrowed into slits and magma swords drawn. The tips of his swords glowing red hot. He was not ready to be ambushed.

"What!?" Eli cried softly, sounding alarmed.

"Tahu..." Kopaka growled.

"Just Tahu?" Eli asked raising an eyebrow. She started to stand up but Kopaka pushed her back down.

"Wait here..." Kopaka whispered. He slowly reached for his ice blade. When he had it in his hand, it glowed a bright, ice blue.

"What..?" Eli started, sounding worried, but Kopaka held up a hand to silence her. He spun the blade around three times and sent a thin, sharp, sheet of ice straight at Tahu. Tahu turned just as the ice whizzed by his face. Just missing him by millimeters. Tahu jumped back startled. Kopaka stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

"What did you do that for?" Tahu asked angrily, shaking with rage. Still gripping his swords tightly.

"Something scared me..." Kopaka said thoughtfully. "...it was your face," he retorted.

XXXX

Eli listened to their argument from behind the bush. Tahu would scream something at Kopaka and Kopaka would make an occasional grunt or snort or say a short sentence. But mostly Kopaka listened to Tahu make a fool of himself. Listening to them argue was making her sick. She climbed out from behind the bushes and stood up. When Tahu saw her, he instantly shut up. His eyes darted to Kopaka who just stood there. Tahu circled her with a happy gleam in his eyes.

"Who is this...natural beauty," Tahu asked Eli.

"Oh, yeah. Her. That's..." Kopaka started.

"Eli. Love," she finished. Tahu's eyes widened just like Lewa's did. Eli just smiled.

"She's with me," Kopaka said. The gleam in Tahu's eyes vanished.

"The eighth Toa..?" Tahu said.

"Yeah. I found her last night in the snow."

"Did you now?" Tahu said, feeling the least bit interested. Kopaka opened his mouth to say something but Lewa dropped to the ground before Kopaka could do so.

"Tahu...I see you have met Eli," Lewa laughed. Tahu nodded.

"Well, I hope we will get to be very close friends," Tahu concluded inching closer. She took a step away from him. She felt this was leading somewhere she didn't want it to go. Kopaka noticed the look in her eyes. His eyes narrowed.

"I'd appreciate it if you backed away from her, Tahu," Kopaka snapped. Tahu was ready to put up another fight when a noise behind them changed the subject for a few moments.

"Pohatu!" Tahu exclaimed.

"Tahu, Lewa, Kopaka! What brings me to the Kini once more? This is the second time in twenty-four hours.

"There are two things..." Kopaka said.

"Shouldn't we wait for Onua, Takanuva and Gali?" Tahu asked,

"Yes...That would be a good idea," Pohatu said, swiping a curious look at Eli, who was barely visible behind Kopaka, Tahu and Lewa. Takanuva appeared a few minutes later and followed by Onua and Gali.

"Brothers..." Gali said, motioning towards them .

"Good to see you all again," Onua chuckled.

"Can you tell us why we all are here again?" Gali asked.

"On account of two things," Kopaka told them.

"Matau has been kidnapped," Lewa said sadly.

"Speaking of Turaga Matau being kidnapped, I have not seen Turaga Onewa," Pohatu cut in.

"Nor Nokama," Gali told the group.

"Vakama has not been seen around," Takanuva said.

"Nor Nuju in Ko-Koro," Eli commented stepping out from behind Tahu and Kopaka. Onua and Pohatu's jaws dropped and Takanuva and Gali just stared. "None of your Turaga are in their villages or anyone else's. They all have been kidnapped."

"Is she the eighth Toa?" Pohatu asked.

"Must be," Takanuva answered.

"Eli...the Toa of love," she introduced herself. Bumping fists with Onua, Pohatu, Takanuva and Gali.

"P-P-Pleasure t-to m-meet you," Pohatu stuttered. She winked at Pohatu, Onua and Takanuva. The three practically fainted.

"That is not important now. Your Turaga are in trouble and we have to find them," Eli told them.

"Do you know where they are?" Kopaka asked.

"No...I'm still waiting for that dream," she whispered to him. Kopaka nodded. "No, I don't know where they are," she honestly told the group. "And that is the honest truth."