ULTIMATE BIONICLE
Chapter 24: Birth of the Legion
The Toa had all fled the Coliseum as fast as they could. The Vahki strangely had only chased them a little beyond the Coliseum gates. They had taken refuge in the 'Canyon of Unending Whispers'. The loneliness of this place made it perfect to hide in; since no Matoran or Vahki were ever really there.
The Toa all lounged in a council like circle. Some stood, while others sat down. Vakama and Tahu were standing. Nuhvok's body was a few feet away from them.
"Well, this isn't going to be easy," Vakama started, "since it's kinda hard to throw so many different Toa together and expect us all to co-operate. But we need to share what we know about the situation, and try to plan on what we should do next. First we should all introduce ourselves, so we can at least get to know each other a little better."
Matau raised his hand, "But I already know like half of you." Vakama rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger in exasperation. "You'll be introducing yourself to the seven others you DON'T know." He explained.
"I'll start." Tahu said, "My name is Tahu, and I am the leader of the Toa Nuva. I believe that honor, obedience and co-operation can lead a team through anything. My mask is a Hau Nuva, and I am very skilled with Magma Swords as well as the ability to manipulate fire." Tahu then passed it on.
One after another the Toa Nuva introduced themselves to the Toa Metru. "Ok guys, I guess it's our turn." Vakama said. "My name is Vakama. I lead the Toa Metru."
"For now…" Matau said. Vakama gave him a stern look, and then continued. "I was formerly a mask maker in the Ta-Metru foundries. I believe that any mission must be taken very seriously, and no unnecessary risks should be taken. I hate when people disobey instructions. My mask is a Great Huna. I am very accurate with my disk launcher, though I often prefer to use my powers in other ways." Vakama then gestured for another to take their turn.
"My name is Toa Matau. I was the best test driver in all of Le-Metru. My mask is a Mahiki. I am very skilled with my Aero Slicers, making me the best Toa-Hero in our squad." As Matau said that, a fist sized rock was chucked and it hit him in the head. Matau held his head in pain. "Ow! Who threw that?" Matau looked over at Onewa. Onewa pointed to his left; at Whenua. Whenua gave him a taunting wave. Matau glared back at him. "Who's next then?" Matau said.
"I'll go." Nuju said. "My name is Nuju. I once lived in the Knowledge Towers in Ko-Metru, along with other scholars such as I was. Inside these towers we attempted at making predictions of the future. My mask is a Great Matatu. Who'll go next?"
"My name is Nokama." Nokama said without warning. "I was once a teacher in Ga-Metru. My entire life I have had a limited ability to read the emotions and presence of others using telepathy. Unfortunately, it causes me too much strain to actually read what others are thinking. My mask is a Great Rau. Do you want to go next Onewa?"
"Sure, I'll go." Onewa said happily. "My name is Onewa. I was once a carver, but my dream has always been to construct great weapons. My mask is a Great Komau. I am looking forward to fighting alongside all of you." He said with a smile.
"I guess that just leaves Whenua." Nokama said. "Whenua?" They all turned their heads; Whenua was lying on his back, his hands rested behind his head. "Whenua it's your turn." Vakama said impatiently.
Whenua sat up. "Sorry about that. My name is Whenua and my mask is a Great Ruru. My ambition is to become a powerful Toa warrior and reclaim my honor by defeating Vorak. I am skilled with my earth-shock drills as well as hand to hand combat. Now can we get on with this please?"
"Of course," Takanuva responded. "Now let's get down to business. Are any of you familiar with Makuta?" Takanuva asked the Toa Metru.
"We've heard some things, but we do not know that much." Vakama replied. "What about him?"
"We have strong reason to believe that he has disguised himself as your leader Turaga Dume. Dume has had a spontaneous change in personality has he not?" Takanuva asked.
"Yeah, he's definitely been acting unlike he used to." Nokama said. "But if Makuta has disguised himself as Dume, then what are his motives? And what happened to the real Turaga Dume?"
Takanuva continued. "Both of those we are unsure of. I was under the impression that Nuhvok was a spy. I was hoping to get information from him." Suddenly Onua smashed his fist into the boulder he was sitting on. "Don't talk about him like that! He was a valuable ally and more when we needed one. He died in order to save my life and I'm not gonna let his sacrifice be in vain by letting you talk down about him like that! He has done more for us than those Toa Metru ever have!"
"Are you suggesting that that pathetic bug, which looks as though it belongs on display in the Archives, is worth more to this group than all six of us?" Whenua said scornfully. Onua got up and marched over to Whenua angrily. Whenua immediately stood up and stood his ground. Onua stood only inches away from him. "Guys calm down!" Gali yelled, but they ignored her.
"I take it back," Onua started. "He might not be worth more than all of you." Onua said, looking at the other Toa Metru. His eyes then met with Whenua's again. "But he sure as hell is worth more than you!"
Without even the slightest warning Whenua's fist met with Onua's face, sending him backwards to the ground. Onua started to get up, angrier than a herd of stampeding Kane-Ra bulls. The others then intervened.
The Toa Metru all tried to hold Whenua back, while the Toa Nuva tried to hold back Onua. Curses and taunts were continually shouted back and forth between the two.
"BOTH YOU STOP IT NOW!" Tahu yelled furiously. His shout echoed through the canyon so loud that it could probably be heard by someone atop a Knowledge Tower. Both Onua and Whenua stopped struggling. "Just cool off alright?" Onewa said to Whenua. "Sure…" Whenua replied.
Both Onua and Whenua sat down on the opposite ends of the circle of Toa. "Can we continue this now?" Takanuva asked impatiently. "Yeah." Onua said, panting from his rage.
Takanuva spoke again. "Anyways, continuing with the Makuta theories. Though I'm not sure how he survived our last encounter, it would explain the sudden appearance of Vorak, and Panrahk, which is that huge brown Rahkshi, returning with his new transformation. Only Makuta could have created them."
"Wait a minute." Onewa said. "That doesn't make any sense at all." Takanuva returned a confused expression. "What do you mean?"
"Well first off, Vorak was being held in the cell with us. He was a prisoner just like us. They were submitting him to the same torture, and Dume kept mentioning some 'procedure' that Vorak and us were going to go through. Then the day we were freed from our cells, it was Panrahk that had done it. So that leaves one question: Why would he submit his own creations to horrid torture, when he could easily just make them join him? And why would they want to free themselves? That does not make sense." Onewa explained.
Takanuva rubbed his chin. "That is interesting… We'll all discuss this further later. In the meantime I suggest you all get to know each other better, while Tahu, Vakama and I try to figure this out. We'll update you all as soon as we come up with some new theories."
&&&&&&&&
High above the canyon below, Whenua secluded himself from the others. He swung fists at unseen foes, practicing his fighting technique. "Damn Onua!" He thought to himself as he fought the air around him. "Who the hell does he think he is?" Whenua suddenly pulled in his right arm and flexed it. "Let's see if I can pull it off this time." He said to himself.
Whenua crouched down and drove his fist into the ground. He focused his energy as hard as he could. Slowly glowing green cracks started to spread from where he had punched the ground. Whenua concentrated as he tried to guide the large, glowing green crack to a boulder about ten feet away.
"What are you doing?" A voice asked suddenly. It surprised Whenua and he broke his concentration. The energy from the crack erupted from the ground, creating a powerful blast. Whenua coughed as he tried to wave the dust away from his face.
The dust started to settle, and he saw a figure stand a few feet away from him. He immediately recognized it as a blue Toa. His heart raced for a moment, then stopped when he realized it was Gali. "Sorry." She said with a nervous smile.
"Don't worry about it." Whenua replied.
"What was that anyway?" Gali asked. "That was a new attack I've been working on. I focus my energy in the ground then guide it wherever I want it to go. It takes a bit of concentration to pull it off properly but hopefully if I keep training myself it will require little concentration at all. That's when I will use it in battle. I call it a Tremor Blast." Whenua explained with passion.
"That sounds useful. I hope you get the hang of it." Gali replied with a smile. "Why are you here anyway?" Whenua asked. "I wanted to talk to you…" She replied. "What about?" Whenua asked, wondering why she would want to talk to him.
Whenua walked over to her and they both sat next to each other on a boulder. "Whenua, I know we haven't known each other very long… but I consider you a really good friend, and the only one of your group I really trust. But why did you say that about Nuhvok?" Whenua saw that Gali had a look of hurt in her eyes.
He sighed, and closed his eyes heavily then opened them again, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry… I was unaware that you were close to him."
"Did you mean it?" Gali asked expectantly. Whenua put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "No I didn't." He said sincerely. "I was in no position to make a statement at all, considering I never knew him. I just… really don't like your brother." He took his hand off her shoulder.
"How come you don't like him?" Gali asked with confusion. "I hate his guts." Whenua replied simply. Gali shrugged it off. This was not a subject she wanted to delve deeply into.
"What was with the speech you made inside the cell? It kinda freaked us out since you weren't talking to any of us." Gali asked, trying to change the subject.
"I guess I had just about all that I could take of myself. That time being tortured gave me a lot to think about." Whenua replied. For a moment his mind drifted back to the buzz-saw that Rorzakh had used about half way through…
Though it slightly disturbed her, the statement made Gali laugh. "I don't see how you could think while being tortured. What do you mean you had all you could take of yourself though?"
"I was never taking my battles as seriously as I should have been. If I ever hope to protect what I care for I'm going to have to become a great warrior. And that takes great ambition and devotion, as well as discipline. And I guess I had to discipline myself." Gali smiled at him warmly. She admired his dedication.
"You're not all bad." She said, staring at him, continuing to smile. "What do you mean?" Whenua asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know why you attacked that Bordakh… when it and Nidhiki first came to our cell. That was the most selfless thing I have ever seen anyone do." Whenua's eyes trailed to the floor.
Gali stood up, then leaned forward and kissed Whenua on the cheek. "Just don't isolate yourself and things will work out for you." She whispered in his ear. Gali then walked past him.
Whenua turned around. "You know if you want to get to know the others I suggest you get to know Nuju first. He seems to have taken a liking to you." Whenua said with a grin. Gali blushed, "I will." She then turned back around and continued back to the edge of the canyon, making her way back to the others.
"You're welcome, Nuju. Now get out of here." Whenua said. Whenua's mask had spotted Nuju behind a large boulder that was in his view. Whenua watched as Nuju leapt back down the canyon. Whenua chuckled to himself. "I've never seen him act like this before." Whenua then started to think about what Gali had said. "Don't isolate myself huh? Maybe I should go talk to someone…"
&&&&&&&&
Onua sat high up on a ledge, looking out at the marvel that was the city of Metru Nui. He was always used to the tranquility of Mata Nui, and all the busy excitement of the city was a little overwhelming. He could not stop thinking of his recently deceased friend, Nuhvok. The guilt pained him that he left his friend with feelings of anger and distrust.
Suddenly, Onua heard something behind him. He quickly turned around and put up his guard, only to let it slip as he saw that it was the Toa Metru Nokama poking halfway from behind a boulder. She smiled shyly. Onua sat back down and stared out over the ledge again. "Hi…" She said reluctantly. "Mind if I sit down?" She said as she had walked over and stood beside him. "Sure…" Onua replied. Nokama sat left of him.
Though for a while Onua didn't notice, Nokama was staring at him. "What is it?" Onua asked, after realizing what she was doing, though he did not look back at her. "He was very close to you wasn't he?" Nokama asked. "…yes he was." Onua said, lowering his head sadly.
"What I can't stop thinking about," Onua started. "Is that he sacrificed himself because he felt he needed to in order to prove himself to me. I wish I had told him though. I wish I had told him how much of a brother I considered him."
Nokama looked at him sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. Were things bad between you?" She asked. Onua sighed. "Takanuva had led me to believe he might be a traitor. And I was so disloyal to Nuhvok that I actually started to believe it. I had betrayed him. And yet… the last thing he said to me before he died was…brother."
Nokama put her arm around Onua's shoulders and hugged him, resting her head on his left shoulder. Onua was embarrassed but welcomed her embrace. "That means that there were no bad feelings in him when he did it. Don't let his sacrifice die in vain. I know I didn't know him, but I don't thing he would want you to grieve like this. He made a brave choice, and though you may not agree with it, you should honor it." Nokama said. Onua looked at her and smiled. "Thank you…" He said, staring deeply into her orange eyes.
Suddenly, from behind the boulder that Nokama was hiding behind stomped out a figure. Both Nokama and Onua turned around quickly. Standing there, with his fists at his side and clenched was Whenua. "What do you want?" Onua asked dismissively. Nokama looked at Whenua; wondering the same thing.
Whenua groaned slightly at first, then said, "There's a meeting again." Whenua immediately turned around and headed back without saying another word.
&&&&&&&&
Nokama and Onua walked back to the group, but it didn't look like a meeting was going on at all. All that was happening was Lewa and Matau were in a heated argument, Onewa was sitting on a rock behind them, carving something out of a small stone in his hand as Pohatu observed, while Gali and Nuju sat talking a little farther away from the argument. Tahu leaned against a wall near Matau and Lewa; Vakama sat on a boulder next to him. Kopaka stood high above them on a cliff, staring off into the distance as he often did so. The four Matoran sat in a small circle on the ground, having a conversation.
"What kind of meeting is this?" Onua asked Tahu. "It's not really a meeting," Tahu said, "Lewa and Matau just thought it would be a good idea to name our group, since its not just Toa Nuva or Toa Metru anymore. However, they've started arguing about which name they think is better."
Onua grimaced. "What are the names?" Tahu sighed with exasperation. "Lewa wants to name us the League of Toa. Matau wants to name us the Legion of Toa."
Onua hung his head at the unbelievable stupidity of it. "Both names are practically the same…" Onua then said.
"It's amazing though," Tahu said. "They both act similar and yet they find that they must form a rivalry. You would think they would become good friends." Onua and Tahu both thought about what that would be like for a moment. "Maybe a rivalry isn't so bad after all. All we need them to do is co-operate." Tahu said. "I agree." Said Onua, bothered by how annoying things might be if they became friends.
Nokama had left Onua's side and had walked over to Onewa and Pohatu. "Where's Whenua?" She asked. "He said there was a meeting. But it doesn't really look like it."
"He's letting off some steam." Onewa replied; keeping his attention on the stone he was carving. "Something must have pissed him off."
Nokama wondered what would make Whenua so mad. Onewa spoke again, "I wouldn't say this isn't a meeting though. I want to be called the Legion of Toa." He said with a grin.
"We've made our decision!" Matau yelled finally. All of the Toa and Matoran looked at them expectantly. "We're gonna let you all decide!" Lewa shouted.
The final verdict was: Legion of Toa: 9, League of Toa: 4. "OOOOOHHHHHH!" Matau taunted. "In your face! IN YOUR FACE!"
"I'll show you!" Lewa said. Lewa and Matau started fighting each other. "Do you think we should intervene?" Vakama asked Tahu. "Nah," Tahu said. "I don't think they're fighting too seriously. Plus we've got a pretty good name now." Tahu said with a smile.