Even though several minutes – some of which involving being carried due to temporary blindness - had passed, Jaller still found himself blinking and squinting to try and regain his scrambled vision. The confusion caused by Takua's crown had led to the Turaga investigating the relic, and the translating of the strange, rune like markings along its inside edges. Now Jaller and Takua were sitting on the couch in Vakama's house, waiting to hear more while Nokama translated the markings. Past the blotches in his recovering eyes, Jaller could see Toa Tahu pacing, his hands loosely clasped behind his back. Toa Gali and Toa Pohatu were also in the room, though they were sitting down rather than wearing out the floor like their Brother.

"What's taking them so long?" Tahu eventually grumbled, his renowned impatience finally expressing itself. "We should know what's going on by now!"

Jaller sighed quietly as he blearily turned his gaze to his best friend. Takua had been uncharacteristically void of commentary so far, and instead had taken to low-key mauling one of the couch cushions with his excessive fumbling. Jaller's previous lack of curiosity about the Ga-Koro trip was giving way to suspicious wonderment again. "Takua?"

The blond boy looked over at him, still fidgeting with the pillow in his hands. "Yeah Jaller?"

"What happened in Ga-Koro?"

It didn't take long before the Toa were watching Takua as well, leaving him fidgeting even more and seeming incredibly antsy. "I..."

"Well?" Tahu pressed. "What happened?"

The Chronicler shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to talk about it..."

Jaller stared at him in dumbfounded confusion. Takua didn't want to share one of his adventures? That was practically unheard of. "You don't?" The guard asked. "Why not? You weren't sneaking peeks at anyone were you?"

"What? No!" Takua sputtered out. "It's nothing like that. I just don't want to talk about it, that's all."

Tahu started speaking, but Pohatu cut him off so he wouldn't say anything stupid. "Did it have to do with that dark figure we saw in the stands during the Kolhii match?"

"He was here?!"

Pohatu grimaced at the answer. "I'll take that as a yes then." He said quietly. "Takua, if someone is hunting or threatening you, we need to know about it, okay? We can't protect you if you don't tell us what's happening."

"Yeah, but-"

"Takua why didn't you tell me about this sooner?!" Tahu exclaimed. "It's my job to deal with stuff like this!" He ignored Pohatu's groan and Gali's exasperated sigh. "How am I supposed to do my job if you don't talk?!"

"Enough Tahu!" Gali said sternly, rising to her feet and walking over to him. "You shouting at Takua won't help!"

The Fire Toa scowled at her. "And I suppose you have some sort of special insight, I take it?"

"No, but I know better than to yell at a stressed Matoran." She scolded, arms crossed and expression annoyed. "In what way is that even remotely helpful?"

Pohatu got up and walked over to the couch, ignoring his Siblings as he squished himself between Jaller and Takua, whilst putting an arm around each. "Don't mind those two, Takua; I know you had your reasons."

Jaller – now seeing much more clearly – shifted a bit and leaned forward to eye his best friend. "I'm still kind of curious though..."

The Chronicler ended up hugging the cushion in his hands as he shook his head. "He... he said telling anyone would threaten more than privacy... I didn't want anyone to get hurt. But Turaga Nokama kind of interrogated me with the all-powerful stare she's got, so I told her what happened. Turaga Vakama made me tell him too when I got back home."

"Ah." Pohatu said quietly, nodding a little. "That sounds pretty rough. This spooky guy didn't threaten you though, did he?"

"Kind of." Takua confessed. "He said everything and everyone I love would die if I didn't find 'the miraculous within the mundane' in the volcano. That crown was hidden in a boring looking totem thing, so I guess I found what he wanted me to find. Does this mean we won?"

"I hope it does." Jaller put in, frowning as he spoke. "Because nobody gets away with threatening my family. Ever."

Pohatu couldn't help but smile at Jaller's enthusiasm, almost as if it reminded him of something. "Don't lose that fire, Jaller." He said, fondly ruffling the seventeen year old's already messy hair. "It will take you farther than you could ever begin to guess." He paused a moment before smiling a bit more. "I honestly wish your father could see you right now; he'd be so proud of who you've grown up to be." He looked at Takua. "He'd probably be proud of you, too."

"Me?" Takua asked, blinking a couple times. "Why me? I never met Jaller's dad."

"Perhaps not, but you have a strong heart and a wild spirit, two things he prized greatly." Pohatu paused, and then added with a chuckle. "He also had a disregard for rules and personal safety." The Toa hugged the teenagers and sighed. "Yep, Mihkoro would be proud of you both. I know your uncle is, even if he doesn't show it all that well.

"Speaking of," Jaller murmured with a small nod toward the kitchen doorway. "he's coming back."

Sure enough, Turaga Vakama was entering the living room, an absolutely glorious frown on his face and his eyes fixed on Tahu and Gali, who by now were simply standing and glaring at each other. Pohatu was barely able to stop himself from grinning, and Jaller had a decent guess by the trembling he felt from the Toa that what was about to happen was something he'd been looking forward to seeing for quite some time.

Vakama cleared his throat loudly to ensure he was the center of attention before saying with an almost eerie sense of calm. "We Turaga have come to a conclusion."

Gali and Tahu looked over at once, the former of the pair seeming relieved. "What have you discerned? What do the runes say?"

"We don't actually know yet."

"Then what's the hold up?" Tahu demanded. "What's the problem?"

Jaller blinked and spared Pohatu a glance, having heard a quiet 'snirk' noise from his general direction. Sure enough, the twenty-eight year old practically had his fist in his mouth to try and stop from laughing.

All attention launched back to the Turaga as he quite suddenly whacked Tahu in the head with his staff, sparks shooting from the tip of it on impact. "You are the problem, you insufferable pinhead! You and Gali have scarce stopped arguing since you met up and we are sick of it! Every time we start making any sense of that crown, you two start snapping at each other like two highly irritable gukkos! Now we have been extremely patient with your stupidity, but enough is enough! Any Unity you two had has taken flight and I doubt even the riders of Le-Koro could track it down!"

Tahu stuttered nonsensical shock for a moment, but it seemed Vakama was far from finished because he slammed the butt of his staff on the floor to silence the stunned Toa before him. "Tahu, you were always a handful but even your child self couldn't top this level of arrogant stupidity! You had so much potential and THIS is what happens? For shame!" He then rounded on the presently silent Water Toa. "And you! I don't even know how you went so astray! You were more personable than Tahu ever was, and this is what you spend your breath on? Even the Makuta could do better than this!"

By now his eyes were practically glowing with fury. "After everything you two went through, everything Toa Lhikan taught you, this is how you honor that memory?! Out! Out with you!"

Gali cringed as she took a couple steps back. "Turaga, I-"

"OUT!"

In a mere few seconds, Gali and Tahu had retreated outside, chased out by the rather irate and fed up Turaga. Once the door was closed, Vakama sighed in quiet relief. "Finally some actual work can be done..."

Pohatu and the two Matoran watched as Vakama headed back to the kitchen, each holding their breath until he vanished from sight. That was when Pohatu started snickering. "Best. Rant. Ever."