Kapura reports that the surface of Metru Nui is teeming with Rahkshi, enforcing Makuta's evil laws. So we must find another way out. Fortunately, the Turaga were able to find Krahka, a shapeshifting Rahi they once fought down here. She returned to Metru Nui when her other team disbanded, but was then located by the Turaga. She allied with them once against the Visorak, and is willing to do it again. She knows long unused tunnels that lead to the shoreline. If we can steal a boat, perhaps we can link up with Toa in other lands, though many will be reluctant to leave their own homes.
We can only do so much. And right now, it is not enough.
Takanuva, Toa of Light
X X X
Makuta Teridax, in the huge robotic body that once belonged to Mata Nui, surveyed the world he stood upon. There was nothing but water for as far as the eye could see—and when one is over 40 million feet tall, reflected Teridax, one can see quite far.
It was, he decided, quite a dull world. Oh, it was true that beneath the surface of the vast ocean, escaped prisoners of the Pit still struggled to survive. But they were so unimportant as to be beneath the notice of so great and powerful a being as himself. While it was true he could not affect their fates in the same way that he could one of the living things that dwelled inside his body—the Toa, Matoran, etc.—his new body had enough power to vaporize this entire ocean, if need be. Perhaps he would do it before he left this world, just for amusement.
And make no mistake—he would be leaving this planet of endless sea. There were other worlds out there, teeming with life, waiting to be conquered. Why should he be satisfied with ruling a "universe" inside this body, when he could master a true universe of planets and suns and stars? This robot body had the power to lay waste to cities, to shatter mountains, and yet Mata Nui had never used any of it. Well, Makuta would not be so foolish.
Naturally, there would be preparations to be made. He would need to extinguish any last bits of rebellion within the universe of the Matoran first. It would be stupid to risk some critical breakdown in his systems in the middle of a war, just because some tribe of Matoran decided to value the concept of freedom over the hard, cold facts of death. When this was done, Makuta would beckon to the Red Star above and begin his journey, as one of its many functions was to help astrological calculations and catalyzing the flight of the Great Spirit robot—it would help the robot's takeoff and landing on its long journeys.
The thought sparked another, an even more wonderful idea. He had expelled the Mask of Life from inside him, with the mind of Mata Nui trapped in the mask. The powerful Kanohi had gone flying into space, perhaps to burn up, or shatter against an asteroid…or, somehow, to find refuge on some other world. Though far away, it was still a part of this body, and Makuta knew he could find it again. He could track it down, no matter where, and extinguish any flickers of hope that Mata Nui might be feeling. The mask and all its powers were a dust mote in Makuta's eyes now, and he would prove it by crushing it to powder with his armored heel.
It was a pleasant fantasy, but there were realities that had to be dealt with first. He had sensed the presence of another Makuta among the Matoran, which should have been impossible. All the other Makuta had been slain, either by him (to make sure none would rebel) or by Order of Mata Nui agents. Well, that was not strictly true, he supposed…Miserix was still alive, though that former leader of the Makuta did not know it. As far as Teridax's old enemy knew, he had been changed into a two-dimensional drawing on a wall, and that was how everyone else saw him too. In the old days, it would have taken a considerable amount of energy to maintain such a successful illusion, especially for another Makuta. But with his powers amplified by his new form, it was practically effortless.
But the Makuta he sensed was not Miserix. No, it was one who was totally unfamiliar…and yet disturbingly familiar at the same time. And since he could not be an existing one, nor one who was just created, there was only one answer.
He has come from another dimension, Teridax thought. My enemies have recruited a Makuta to use against me. How…enterprising of them. I must give their new recruit a proper welcome.
X X X
Mazeka and his newfound Makuta ally found themselves in an uninhabited portion of the southern continent. The valley they stood in was actually quite lush and beautiful, but Mazeka remembered well the tales of this place. The tall grasses that swayed in the light breeze were guardians of this place. They could sense movement and responded by wrapping themselves around the offending foreign object and strangling it. The remains would then be pulled underground and the valley would go back to looking beautiful and unspoiled.
"Stay still," he advised the white-armored Makuta beside him. This was an alternate version of Makuta Teridax, from a world where the Makuta had never gone bad. In return for agreeing to leave his old enemy Vultraz there, he had been given the opportunity to bring one inhabitant of that dimension back with him. He had chosen that world's Teridax, hoping the double would be able to predict the actions of the original.
"We have such things in our world too," said the alternate Teridax. "We know how to deal with them."
As Mazeka watched, darkness began to creep over the valley. Wherever it passed, the grasses withered and died. "Wait a minute," said Mazeka, suddenly suspicious. "You told me that Makuta in your world had banished all trace of shadow from inside them. How can you control the darkness then?"
The alternate Teridax gave a whisper of a smile. "I cannot. But I can absorb the light…and what is darkness, but the absence of light? And now, I believe we have someplace else we need to be."
Walking down the now darkened path, the two allies made their way out of the valley as their quest truly began…
X X X
Toa Tuyet could hardly believe her good fortune. Thousands of beings she might have encountered in this universe, and she had found two who did not remember her or her deeds. That would make things so much easier.
Her momentary weakness, the result of a difficult journey to get here, had passed. Now she walked through the Archives behind the two Matoran, Kapura and Macku, listening to them talk. It had not taken her long to grasp the situation here. Her old fears had been proven right. The Makuta had rebelled against Mata Nui and now controlled this universe. If Lhikan and Nidhiki had listened to me, none of this would have happened…because there would have been no Makuta left alive, she thought.
How well she recalled how it had all come about. She had been a Toa in Metru Nui, millennia ago. She came across something called the Nui Stone, an object of power that absorbed Toa power gradually from any Toa in a three-mio radius. Using the powerful artifact, she had tried to make herself mighty enough to destroy those she perceived as threats to peace—the Dark Hunters and the Makuta. She knew other Toa, like Lhikan, would object to her plans, so she had to keep it all a secret.
Unfortunately, it could not stay hidden for long. Dark Hunters arrived in Metru Nui, seeking the Nui Stone they believed she had. To neutralize them, she framed them for murders of Matoran that she herself had committed. Toa Lhikan and Toa Nidhiki captured the Dark Hunters, but later tumbled to the fact that she was the murderer and had the Stone. In the ensuing battle, the stone was shattered and she was captured.
The Toa locked her up in the Coliseum until they could decide what to do with her. One night, a golden figure appeared in her cell, identifying himself as Botar of the Order of Mata Nui. He told her what she had already figured out for herself: pieces of the Nui Stone were embedded in her body now, making her a living battery of Toa power. No conventional prison would be able to hold her for long, not as long as there were Toa anywhere around from whom she could drain power. But the Order wanted more than a more efficient way to lock her up—they wanted the secret of the Nui Stone so they could make more.
This was an effort so secret that only the highest ranks in the Order knew about it. So a complicated plot ensued. Botar teleported Tuyet to another dimension, one where no Toa existed for her Nui Stone to drain. To keep this concealed from lower-ranking Order members, a second Tuyet—from yet another dimension—was taken to the Pit in her place. This double was even altered so that she had crystals embedded in her, although not from a Nui Stone. She would remain in the Pit, while the original Tuyet would be locked up and interrogated about the nature of the Stone in the alternate, Toa-less dimension.
For 1500 years, the Order tried to pry the secret of the Stone out of her, with no success. All the while, she plotted her escape. Working on one of her guards, she managed to convince him of the justice of her cause (after all, the Order disliked Dark Hunters and Makuta as much as she did). Finally, the guard was sufficiently on her side to help her fake her own death in an explosion. Believing her body was vaporized, the Order didn't bother to search for her. Meanwhile, she used technology from that dimension to escape, and return to this world.
With no map, it took her two thousand years to make it back to her own universe…two thousand years filled with visiting worlds teeming with Toa from whom she could draw strength. Finally, she found a way back home, ending up in the Metru Nui Archives, and highly charged from Toa.
As for what had happened to her double in the Pit, she had no idea. She supposed the Order would know, and one day, if she was bored, she would squeeze the information out of them. But for now, she had bigger tasks ahead of her.
Tuyet had no doubt she could organize and lead a successful rebellion against Teridax and bring him down. But she had no intention of allowing Mata Nui to regain control. Thousands of years to think about it had convinced her that Mata Nui was weak, or he would have wiped out the Makuta himself long ago. No, what this universe needed was a ruler who was strong, decisive, unafraid to do what had to be done.
Someone like me, she said to herself. Yes, someone very much like me.
X X X
Mata Nui's Diary - 6
Ackar is a most unusual being. Despite his own troubles—his fears that his fighting skills are eroding, his concern that he may be forced into retirement—he has offered to aid me in my quest to return home. He says he owes me for saving his life in the arena in Vulcanus, but I sense there is something more to it. Perhaps he wants…or needs…to feel he is part of something greater than himself.
Although a skilled fighter, Ackar's biggest enemy in recent years seems to have been himself. Convinced his age was eroding his skills, he worried about letting Vulcanus down. He also did not want to be one of those Glatorian who keeps trying to fight long past the point he should stop. But with Malum's exile and some of the best rainees slain by the Bone Hunters, he saw himself as having little choice but to keep fighting.
Despite this, Ackar remains a great strategist and a brave warrior. He joined with Kiina on a rescue mission to save Gresh, Strakk, Tarduk and Kirbold, who were being pursued by Skrall. When the group was trapped between Skrall and Vorox armies, it was Ackar who came up with the idea that saved all their lives and allowed them to make it safely back to Vulcanus.
Later, when Bone Hunters threatened Vulcanus, Ackar was ready to do whatever he had to in order to defend his village. He traveled into the wastelands at great personal risk to meet with Malum and secure the temporary aid of the Vorox against the raiders. He also masterminded the defense of the village, setting up traps and ambushes throughout Iron Canyon to snare the Bone Hunters.
Ackar's next match was with Strakk in Vulcanus. It was during that match that Metus brought me to watch the fight, and Ackar and I first met. He reminds me of someone I knew of in my own universe—a hero named Onua. He was tremendously strong, but his power was always tempered with wisdom. Like Ackar, he was a strategist…and also like the Glatorian who rides with me now, he was respected by all who knew him. I can tell from the way Kiina speaks with Ackar that both his word and his approval are things that she values.
While he is close to Tarix and Vastus, Ackar's best friend among the Glatorian is Kiina. He has told me in private that she reminds him of himself when he was younger—brash, bold, and always ready for a fight. He does his best to keep her impulsive nature and her hot temper in check, but in battle, there is no one else he wants fighting beside him. Although he knows her dream is to leave Bara Magna, he hopes that day never comes.
Ackar has pointed out, correctly, that I have a lot to learn about fighting. He has offered to teach me. Of course, his way of doing it is a bit strange. Rather than teach me maneuvers, he has me watching birds in flight. I am to follow their movements and try to predict if they will turn right or left. It is frustrating work and I do not seem to be very good at it.
Later, Ackar took me up into the rocks and showed me a creature he calls a Rock Steed. It was a vicious, reptilian beast, and Ackar said it must be fought before it can be tamed. When he tried to do just that, the Rock Steed struck him down. I challenged it…and found that I could do what Ackar taught: predict its movements from the smallest signs. I fought it and I drove it off, only to learn that Ackar was not so badly hurt—he simply believed that I would learn best if I believed his life depended upon it. And he was right—seeing him in danger crystallized his lessons in my mind. I had no time to think about what I was to do, only time to do it.
A wise being, indeed.
Mata Nui