I wonder what has happened to the Great Spirit Mata Nui? Makuta said he forced his mind and spirit into the Mask of Life, and then ejected the mask from the universe. But that doesn't mean Mata Nui is dead—after all, the mask has already survived much in this universe. Could he still be out there somewhere, in a world beyond this universe? And if so…will he ever return to his people, who badly need him?
Takanuva, Toa of Light
X X X
Vezon had had better days. His newfound ability to travel to other dimensions had landed him on an alternate world called Spherus Magna, where Makuta, Toa, and some other race called Agori were happily living together. Well, mostly—a pretty good sized army of Skakdi, Vortixx, and Spherus Magna natives was headed right for the village in which Vezon stood.
It seemed a good time to leave. But Vezon had not yet achieved any mastery over the powers of the Kanohi Olmak that had been merged with him. It didn't work just because he wanted it to, and right now, he was starting to wish he had never seen the miserable thing to start with.
For the sixth time in the last minute, he willed the Olmak's power to take him away from this reality before the onrushing horde trampled him underfoot. This time, he felt the now familiar sensation of dizziness that preceded a dimension jump, and saw the world waver around him. But then something happened that had never happened before: everyone around him froze in place. When he tried to reach out and touch a Toa, his hand passed right through. Worst of all, he wasn't "traveling"—he seemed to be stuck in a realm of statues.
"This is better than being killed," he said to himself. "Not much better, but better."
His addled mind ran through all the possible scenarios. This wasn't much help, as he knew next to nothing about Masks of Power or how to repair them. If something went wrong with this mask, he thought, I might well be stuck forever.
Would that really be so bad? The voice was in his head—this wasn't an unusual experience for Vezon, although normally the voices he heard were his own.
"If it doesn't get any more entertaining than this, yes," Vezon replied verbally. "Who am I speaking to?"
My given name wouldn't mean anything to you, but the people of Spherus Magna would call me a "Great Being."
"And what makes you so 'great?'"
I do not speak to the beings of this world. They never see me, or hear me, and so it is left to their imaginations to conjure what I am like, how I think, and what I believe. The imagination has an infinite capacity to fill in the blanks with what it wants to be there.
"That's nice," said Vezon, impatiently. "Can you help me get out of this situation?"
Why would I? rebutted the Great Being. I got you into it. My people created the first Masks of Power. We certainly know how to shut one off. You don't belong here…in fact, I strongly suspect you don't belong anywhere. And so…now you are nowhere.
"Is this what Great Beings do all day? Stick their phantom noses into things that don't concern them and get in the way of a perfectly good lunatic rampaging through realities?" asked Vezon.
I am, perhaps, not a typical Great Being, the voice replied. Eons ago, I made the error of touching the Mask of Life. As a result, everything around me—furniture, equipment, rays of light—came to life. For their own safety, my fellow Great Beings imprisoned me. Now all I need fear are my living chains…living blocks of stone…and the screams of living light as the darkness extinguishes it.
Vezon didn't know anything about what pains a living light might feel, but he did know a light at the end of the tunnel when he saw one. "So you're in prison, and so am I. Would you set me free…if I could set you free?"
The voice in Vezon's head was silent for a long time.
X X X
Lewa stood stock still. Artakha had teleported him into a cavern, but he was not alone there. No, evidently he was sharing it with some being named Tren Krom…and something told Lewa he really didn't want to get a look at his host.
Turn, Tren Krom said again. His telepathic "voice" reminded Lewa of a nest of slithering borer worms.
"I am ever-fine right here, thanks," said Lewa. "Artakha said—"
I can guess why you have come, Toa, Tren Krom replied. I too hear the voice of Makuta Teridax coming from every corner of the universe. But what would you have me do? I have knowledge that could be used as a weapon against him, but knowledge without the experience to use it is less than useless. And I am bound to this island by the Great Beings, unable to venture forth.
"And if the Great Beings did it, I doubt I have the power to quick-free you," said Lewa. "So this journey was another waste of time."
Perhaps…or perhaps there may be a way, said Tren Krom. But it would involve great risk…and success, as it happens, might be worse than failure.
"Everyone I care about is at risk," Lewa answered. "Everything that matters to me has been poisoned by Makuta's corruption. I'll do whatever it takes to stop him."
You may live to regret your choice, said Tren Krom. But the choice has been made just the same.
Lewa felt a tentacle wrap around his neck. His arms went up to tear it away, then stopped halfway there. The next instant, the world began to spin and he felt as if his insides were being yanked out a piece at a time. There was light and pain and impenetrable darkness. And when the shadows cleared away, Lewa was staring at…himself. He looked down, for only a microsecond, long enough to see a huge tentacled mass grafted to stone. Instinctively, he knew that was Tren Krom's body—and his mind was inside it.
"Freedom." The word came from Lewa's mouth, in Lewa's voice, but it was spoken by Tren Krom. "After so long, I have a body again…a strong, powerful body that can take me from this wretched place…thanks to you."
Lewa tried to speak and found he couldn't. At first, he panicked. Then he recalled that Tren Krom had spoken to him telepathically. He concentrated and his words echoed in "Lewa's" brain. What have you done? I didn't quick-agree to this!
"You said 'whatever it takes,'" Tren Krom replied in Lewa's body. "This is what it took. But do not fear—I will honor our bargain. I will use what I know to stop Teridax. All I ask in return is freedom. Is a life spent in exile here so high a price to pay for the safety of all you know and love?"
Before Lewa could form an answer, Tren Krom—in the body of the Toa Nuva of Air—had left the cave. Lewa tried to pursue, but the great bulk of this body was a part of the island itself, physically bound and fused. He could not move. And if I don't find a way to get my body back, he said to himself, I'm going to be ever-trapped here for good.
X X X
It had been nearly two weeks since the victory of the Battle of Roxtus. Mata Nui stood alone on a rocky peak, staring off into the desert. From far below came the sound of Agori hard at work, but there was another noise mixed in—the sound of celebration. After the battle, Berix did some badly needed repair work on the Kaxium V3 and Scodonius apologized for his earlier rude treatment. Berix was now even considered the third member of the Kaxium V3 team.
While the Bone Hunters were still active in the wastelands, the Skrall had vanished completely. Perhaps they had gone back north, no one could be sure. What mattered was that their threat had ended. Metus, too, had not been seen since the battle. The unspoken assumption was that he had fallen prey to a Sand Bat or some other desert predator. No one was shedding any tears over him.
However, Gelu had still not returned from the mountains. Considering his wound and his pursuit of an elite warrior through the mountains, he was considered lost as well. Stronius' whereabouts after the Battle of Roxtus remained unknown also. Some believed he might have escaped and been hiding in the Black Spikes, plotting revenge on Mata Nui and the Glatorian.
And yet, there was a great celebration over the Battle of Roxtus' victory. Ackar climbed up to join Mata Nui. He had been busy these last few days overseeing a massive project: the linking together of all the villages of Bara Magna into one mega-city. "Don't like parties?" he asked, smiling. "Agori from all over Bara Magna are pulling together…literally…uniting all the villages. And we have you to thank for that."
"No, I was only one piece," Mata Nui replied. "It took each of us to complete the whole. This celebration belongs to the Agori and you—the first leader of the new united villages."
Mata Nui looked down. Using chains, Spikit, and dune chariots, the Agori of Iconox, Vulcanus, and Tajun had dragged their massive shelters across the desert to link up with Tesara. Others had gone north and brought down the huge structure that dominated Roxtus. It had been a mammoth undertaking, and now it was almost finished.
Kiina, Gresh, and Berix came up to join the two friends. "So what now, Mata Nui?" asked the Agori.
"I continue searching for answers," Mata Nui replied, "wherever they may take me."
"Look!" Kiina said. "They've done it!"
With a final, thunderous boom, the last shelter was fitted into place. When the sand and dust finally cleared, the group of heroes got their first look at the newly assembled structure. It was a sight that shocked them all.
"Whoa," said Berix. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Whatever they had expected, it had not been this. Only Mata Nui had even an inkling of what was to come, and he hadn't dared to hope. But there it was, for all to see—when the shelters were put together, they were revealed to be not just random giant pieces of metal, but pieces of a mechanical being. Once assembled, the head, arms, torso, and legs could each be clearly seen. And the group around Mata Nui could all recall where they had seen such a thing before.
"The giant," said Ackar. "From Kiina's cavern in Tajun…"
"How is this possible?" said Gresh. "All this time, we have been living inside pieces of a giant mechanical…something?"
"Wait!" said Berix, digging into his pouch. "I've got something. Hold on, where is it…here!" He handed Mata Nui an old coin. Inscribed on one side was the figure of a mechanical being, the same figure that was on the wall of the Tajun cavern. "I collected it from the cave a long time ago," said Berix. "Forgot all about it until I saw that thing down there."
"The two images match," said Ackar.
"Uh-huh," said Berix. "And wait till you see the other side."
Mata Nui flipped the coin over. On the other side was another design, this one matching the maze-like pattern of the Skrall shield Berix still carried. Berix held up the shield and tapped the surface.
"Same symbol," said Kiina.
"No, not a symbol," Mata Nui realized. "A map!"
"To where?" asked Gresh.
"That is what I must find out," said Mata Nui. "That is where my destiny is waiting…I know it."
"Don't you mean we must find out?" asked Kiina. "Remember your promise to me."
Mata Nui gave a gentle smile. "You are welcome to join me. But I have no idea how long this journey might take, or the dangers that await."
"Mata Nui, do you think that you and that…giant…are connected somehow?" asked Ackar.
Mata Nui knew the answer, of course. But telling Ackar he had once inhabited the body of a 40-million-foot tall robotic being, a larger version of the one down below, would start a conversation he did not feel like having right now. So all he said at the moment was, "Perhaps. But you are looking at an empty shell, the remains of what might have been a great ruler, the guardian of his people."
He paused. It was difficult to get the words out, with so many new emotions swirling inside of him. When Mata Nui finally continued, he said, "Thanks to all of you, I am closer to becoming the warrior I must be if I am to reclaim my empire and free my people."
"This time, though, you won't need to face the fight alone," said Ackar.
Mata Nui smiled. "Then, my friends, our next quest has just appeared."
X X X
Mata Nui's Diary - 7
In the universe I came from, there was only one true source of evil. If he could be defeated, life, light and hope would return to my people. As I traveled to the city of Roxtus to rescue the kidnapped Kiina and Berix, I believed the same would be true here. If I could defeat Tuma, leader of the Skrall, then the danger that threatened Bara Magna would vanish.
Tuma was the would-be conqueror of Bara Magna. He is a member of the Leader class of the Skrall race, the highest of the four strata in that society. As such, he is taller and stronger than a normal Skrall warrior and has spent virtually his entire life as a ruler.
Arrogant, cunning, and extremely powerful, Tuma appears to outsiders like just a brute. But he is actually a skilled strategist who is willing to take the time to assess an enemy and the battlefield before committing his legions. He knows he is the last of the Leader-class Skrall still alive on Bara Magna, and takes the responsibility for guiding his people to conquest very seriously.
Long before the Skrall came to inhabit Roxtus, the city was already a name shrouded in mystery and fear. No one knows who first inhabited this place, or why they disappeared. Some Agori will tell you the inhabitants of Roxtus headed north during the core War, for reasons unclear, and were stranded on another chunk of the planet after the Shattering. Others say the residents of Roxtus were slain by Vorox or some other desert menace. And still others say they never left, that Roxtus is home to evil desert spirits who delight in the mystery of others.
Whatever the truth, Roxtus was empty when the Skrall first arrived with the Rock Agori. The Skrall had been dwelling in fortresses to the north, but they were driven out for unknown reasons. The Skrall and Agori rapidly went to work building new walls and better fortifying the city. Shortly after this, Tuma, leader of the Skrall, banned inhabitants of other villages from visiting Roxtus unless specifically invited.
This self-imposed seclusion sparked a whole new series of rumors among the other Agori. Tales grew of Agori villagers being kidnapped from other villages and forced to work as slave labor; of Vorox captured and forced to undergo brutal training as attack animals; of Glatorian stolen from the desert and made to fight Skrall warriors in the Roxtus arena, to the death. The most frightening part of all this is that all these tales are true.
On any given day, Roxtus is a hive of activity. Skrall patrols enter and leave the city, heading both north and south. Bone Hunters arrive to sell captive Agori and Glatorian for the best price they can get. The air is filled with the mournful cries of caged Vorox. And everywhere there is Tuma, watching over his troops and planning new strategies.
As well-defended as Roxtus is, it is not impossible to break into the city—or out of it. Gresh and Strakk snuck in with a supply caravan to steal a sword belonging to Ackar, and then broke out again. Later, a captured Malum escaped the Skrall by freeing some of the imprisoned Vorox, setting off chaos in the city. When I wished to enter the city, though, I just walked right up to the gate and demanded entrance.
Roxtus is located on the southern edge of the Black Spike Mountains, not far from the headwaters of the Skrall River. The area to the north is mainly mountains and valleys, but the Skrall only traveled there on scouting expeditions to search for threats from the north. The Skrall claimed the southern mountains as their territory and would not hesitate to capture or kill anyone who trespasses there.
This, then, was the fortress I approached to do combat with Tuma.
Defeat him, I did, although it took every lesson I had learned from Ackar to do it. But the menace to Bara Magna did not end with him. Upon his fall, Metus appeared, revealing himself to be a traitor to the Agori. He had somehow gained influence over the Skrall, perhaps by offering knowledge to Tuma in exchange for power. Whatever the reason, the Skrall attacked on his command. Badly outnumbered, it seemed my first major battle would prove to be my last.
Salvation, as it often does, came from an unexpected source. Despite my insisting that they remain in Tesara, the other Glatorian—my friends, a word I still marvel at—charged Roxtus. They fought with heart, spirit, and pride, and those were three weapons the Skrall could not hope to stand against. The Rock Tribe and its warriors broke. I spotted Metus attempting to get away, but the power of the Mask of Life had a surprise for that traitorous murderer of his own people. In his heart, he was a serpent; the Mask of Life saw to it that his body would match his true form. I watched him slither away into the desert and felt no regrets.
This experience had taught the Agori a lesson about unity. Now willing to work together, they brought all their scattered shelters together to form one great mega-city. The loss of my match with Tuma disgraced him, and the Rock Tribe abandoned him. He was to be incarcerated upon completion of the united construction. It was only when the work was done that I realized what they had unwittingly constructed: a new robot body, much like my old one. With it, I knew I could challenge my ancient enemy and save my universe.
But before I can do that, there are new dangers to be faced.
Mata Nui
X X X
The revelation that a second robot body existed—apparently some kind of prototype of Mata Nui's own former shell, from some past era—opened a whole new array of mysteries. Had the Great Beings, Mata Nui's creators, actually lived on Bara Magna? And if so, were they still here? Was there a way to find the energy that would power that body, and could Mata Nui's mind inhabit it? And if that was possible, could he take the Agori's shelters away from them in that way, so soon after convincing them to create one great city from the pieces?
Accompanied by Kiina, Gresh, Ackar, and Berix, Mata Nui would journey north, past Roxtus, to the lands from which the Skrall had come. Berix would add "chronicler" to his list of hobbies, keeping a record of where they went and what they encountered.
There were many questions, and few answers, as the heroes began their journey north. Gresh could guide them a part of the way, as he knew the Black Spikes from an earlier journey, but beyond that it was unexplored territory. The landscapes were wondrous…and frightening, the enemies—including the shapeshifters that had plagued the Skrall—fierce and devastatingly destructive. And, as always seemed to be the case, the solution of each mystery seemed to create a dozen more puzzles.
Despite all this, Mata Nui found he was at peace. Once, he had been the ruler of an entire universe, powerful beyond all measure—and yet, he had been alone. Now, though not as strong and the ruler of only his own heart, he had friends beside him. Long ago, he had tried to teach his people about the virtues of unity and duty, but had never truly understood them himself. His time on Bara Magna had taught him much, far more than he had ever taught the Agori and Glatorian.
His destiny still lay before him. One day, he would return to do battle for his universe and his people. When that struggle came, he might well be fighting alone again. But he would carry into that challenge the memories of Ackar's bravery, Kiina's resourcefulness, Gresh's daring, and the courage of every Agori. He would fight not only to make up for past failures, but to honor those who chose to stand beside him in his time of trial.
It had been a long journey, and someday others might think it had all been just a legend…but for those who had lived the tale, the heroes, the villains, the tragedies, and the triumphs would never be forgotten.
To be continued in "BIONICLE - Phase 08: Revolution - Part IV: The Valley of the Maze"...
(The Legend Reborn was compiled from the novel and movie BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn; the Young Reader Books Desert of Danger, and Challenge of Mata Nui; an excerpt from Graphic Novel 8: Legends of Bara Magna, containing the exclusive comic All Our Sins Remembered; the guide book Mata Nui's Guide to Bara Magna; the online blog Takanuva's Blog; the online story serial Reign of Shadows; and Graphic Novel 9: The Fall of Atero, containing Glatorian series comic 4: Before the Storm)