And here we are. A nice, long story that will tell of victories and defeats, and heroism and villainy. I hope you all enjoy it and will leave your constructive criticism in the review section. Also as a note, I will be using words created by outofgloom on Tumblr and Red Star Games throughout, so just wanted to give credit where credit is due.

I would highly recommend reading at least some of my previous Legends of the Bionicle stories before reading this one. There is a reading order in my profile. However, I do try to explain the backstory well enough for new readers. And I believe that's it. I will try to upload updates fairly regularly. Now let's get into it...

Legends of the Bionicle:

Quest for the Kanoka

Prologue

1,014 AGC

Dartick crashed back into the wall, severely denting it. He fell to his knees and coughed up blood, breathing raggedly. The Karzahni Bull stared up at the being that had so easily thrown him across the room. He was a little taller than him but Dartick couldn't recognize the species. "Who the Karzahni are you?" Dartick demanded. He glanced around to see Zike bested by three Kumopak, the lower-class workers of Stelt. The white Tranthorn roared defiantly as he was put down by the three brutes. Dartick didn't know who these beings were, but they had managed to track down the Shadow Hunters' hideout and ambush them. There were over a dozen of the attackers crammed into the tight quarters, having entered through a hole in the wall, which was letting in harsh sunlight.

"Goju," replied the being. "Doubt that name means anything to you. I served in the Brotherhood's army during the Mormua Uprising fifty thousand years ago."

Dartick was surprised. The Mormua Uprising was an extremely bloody conflict with massive casualties on both sides. The Mormua Kingdom had built up an army and prepared to strike at their neighbors, the Ihaugafe. The Brotherhood of Makuta stepped in, sending three of their members as well as thousands of servants to put down the rebellion. "I didn't think anyone survived that battle," said Dartick.

"Few did," said Goju.

Dartick saw that Zike had stopped struggling by that point. Dartick's brother, Arrouick, had been rendered unconscious, if not dead, from a blow to the head by a particularly tall titan. The titan held a long rod and strode over to Hunjul, a reptilian Crad, who was holding his gut while lying on the floor. "You told us your name," he said. "But not who you're with. Are you Dark Hunters? Or just mercs the Shadowed One hired to hunt us down?"

"Neither," growled the titan as he kicked Hunjul in the side. "We are not allied with the Shadowed One or his pitiful little band. We are on another level." He picked Hunjul up and threw him the length of the room.

"Enough, Nuquom," said Goju. "We don't want them dead… yet."

Garsh, Toa of Shadow, fought back against two beings that were trying to pin his arms to the wall with magnetic shackles. He shouted as he strained against their grip but was overcome and defeated. He caught his breath before he said, "This lot is far too disciplined to be anything other than military. So where are you from?"

"It would be a waste of time to tell you that," said Goju. "You'll have never heard of it."

Dartick looked into the darkened corners of the hideout. He could just barely make out the last member of his team: the Mormua, Lariska. She was edging her way through the shadow to take out Goju while he was distracted. Dartick had to keep him occupied so she could do her work. "So then just spit out what you want from us!" Dartick roared, getting to one knee. "You obviously want something or you would be done with us!"

Goju smiled. "You're perceptive, Dartick. You should have been a scholar with such insight. Very well. One year ago, you acquired a relic. The Kanoka Nuva of Stone. Where is it?"

"So that's it, huh?" Dartick returned the smile. There was a flash of dark teal armor to his left. Now was the time. He got to his feet. "In that case, go to Karzahni!"

Lariska struck from the shadows, throwing two daggers. They dug into two soldiers standing near Goju before she leaped at him, mechanical arm poised to remove his head from his shoulders.

Goju caught it with little effort. "Did you really think you were sneaking up on me? Foolish upstart." He took out a chakram and severed the feline-like being's mechanical arm at the forearm. He dropped the limp prosthetic to the ground and kicked it across the room. "Have fun fixing that," he said before Nuquom grabbed Lariska and drove her into the ground.

Dartick still made his move. He intended to cut Goju's own arm off with his swords. "The Shadow Hunters will not fall today!" he bellowed.

Goju shifted to avoid losing his limb and grabbed Dartick's arms. He elbowed the Karzahni Bull twice in the face, forcing him to drop his swords. Goju then drew his arm back and swung at the side of Dartick's head, sending him into the floor. Dartick had never taken a hit like that and noticed that his left horn had been broken off from the impact. "I think you just fell," said Goju mockingly. "I won't ask again. Give me the disk or I start taking off more parts, one joint at a time."

"Okay, okay," Dartick wheezed as he rose to his feet. "Just leave me and my team alive." Goju nodded. Dartick limped over to the wall and noticed Arrouick coughing. Good, he was still alive. Dartick would have need of him. He dug his fingers behind a panel and pried it off the wall. Behind it was a safe. He starting turning the dial, entering the combination to it. Goju stepped behind Dartick, glaring a hole through the back of the Karzahni Bull's head. Dartick opened the door and saw its contents: a crude map scribbled on a small stone tablet and a yellow Kanoka disk with the Nuva symbol for stone branded on it: the Kanoka Nuva of Stone. Dartick reached in and grabbed the disk but didn't pull it out. This disk had immense elemental power in it. Perhaps enough to destroy the enemies in the room.

"Give it to me, Karzahni Bull," Goju growled. "I don't have all day."

"All right, I'll give it to you." Dartick yanked the disk out and spun, aiming for Goju's head. The soldier grabbed the Shadow Hunter's arm, a look of disappointment on his face.

"How foolishly predictable," said Goju. He twisted Dartick's arm and wrenched the Kanoka Nuva out of his hand. Then he slammed his fist into Dartick's chest. The Karzahni Bull slumped to the ground.

"Admirable work, Goju," said a new voice. Dartick looked over to the hole in the wall and saw a being standing there. Standing wasn't the right word. The being was sitting in a throne with four insectoid legs. His yellow eyes were the only clear detail he could make out. The chair stepped forward and Goju moved to meet him.

"General," he said as he gave the being the Kanoka Nuva.

Dartick was able to get a little bit of a better view of this "general" as he took the disk from his subordinate. He had two horns growing out of the sides of his head and his armor was gunmetal gray. "I must say, you six proved fairly hard to track down," said the general as he examined the disk. "But you drew a little too much attention on that last trip to Stelt. You really need to keep your Tranthorn on a leash."

Zike growled in response.

"So tell me, Dartick, how did you learn about this particular treasure?" asked the general.

Dartick saw no point in lying. It would serve little purpose. "We pieced it together from scraps of information gathered over years of missions in the Dark Hunters. We found a few temples of similar antiquity and design that pointed us in one direction."

The general chuckled. "Indeed. Some of Artakha's finest creations to ever grace this universe and weak beings feel the need to hide them away. No doubt you planned to use it for either money or power. Amusing, to think some common beast such as yourself could hope to wield its true power."

"And what do you plan to use it for?" Dartick spat.

"I'm so glad you asked, Bull," said the general. "I plan to find the other five Kanoka Nuva scattered around the universe, no doubt using the map you have generously made for me." Goju handed him the map from the vault and Dartick realized the general had four arms as he took it from his lieutenant. "Once I have all of them, I will use them to craft the ultimate Kanohi. And no one will stand in my way this time. There could be more information at the temple where this disk was located. Where did you find it?"

"It was a small island to the northeast," replied Dartick, thinking back to the band of Matoran and Toa that had humiliated him there. "Nahi Nui."

The general smiled. "Show me."