Nuju stood at the bow of the ship. The telescopic lense built into his Mask of Power was focused on the wake of the octopoid beast. Nokama stood beside him, prepared to continue the pursuit underwater if the creature chose to dive.

Near the cockpit, Vakama and Onewa strategized. Despite their disagreements, the two Toa had developed a grudging respect for each other. Even if Vakama still had his moments of doubt, and Onewa thought with his mouth too often, they still remained the best tacticians among the Toa. Whenua had been invited to join their council, but had refused, preferring to keep to himself.

All of the Toa turned at Nuju's cry. The river had opened up into a vast waterway, even wider than the Po-Metru Sculpture Fields. The Rahi they were chasing had vanished into its depths, but no one even noticed. Their eyes were on the dozens of monsters breaching the surface and bellowing their anger at the Lhikan.

Nokama had lived by the Silver Sea all her life. Between her explorations underwater and her visits to the Archives she had seen every kind of aquatic creature in existence, or so she believed. But never had she seen anything like this in the flesh. Before her startled eyes, serpents almost as long as the Coliseum was high reared up out of the water. Bizarre creatures looking like oversized sea slugs slithered along the rocky coastline. Massive fish leapt high into the air, lightning bolts lancing from their razor-sharp fins.

The sight of so many previously unknown Rahi was beautiful, in a way, but it was a savage beauty. To the right, a reptilian creature rose out of the water with a Tarakava squirming in its huge jaws. On the left, a Rahi much like the one the Lhikan had been chasing struggled helplessly in the grasp of two gigantic crablike creatures.

"This is…amazing," Nokama said softly.

"This is insane," replied Nuju.

"You're both wrong," said Whenua. "This…this is a disaster."

"Maybe we should quiet-sneak away, before they decide we are fish food," offered Matau.

Vakama shook his head. "No. We have nothing to turn back to—only a dark and dead city, filled with sleeping Matoran who are counting on us to find them a haven. If that means crossing these waters, then that is what we will do."

"l hate to say it, fire-spitter, but you're making a lot of sense," said Onewa.

"Why do you hate to say it?"

"Ruins my image," said the Toa of Stone.

X X X

Mavrah watched the mechanized Kralhi's approach. He knew it wouldn't have returned alone unless it had news, most likely bad news.

As a Matoran, it was hard for him to see the machine creature without a trace of fear. Long before the Vahki enforcers were put into operation in Metru Nui, the responsibility for law enforcement fell on the shoulders of the prototypical Kralhi. They were well-equipped for the task. They were two times as tall as a Toa, had four curved spider-like legs, and a humanoid torso with two long arms extending out into curved swords. Their head was flat, horizontal, and unnerving. However, based on an idea conceived in Ko-Metru, the Kralhi's main potency came from stinger tails, which were capable of projecting a force bubble around a target. Once inside, the target was rapidly drained of energy, all of which was fed back into the Kralhi. This left whoever the Kralhi had captured far too weak to cause any trouble.

That, as it turned out, was the problem. The point had been to get Matoran troublemakers or those who walked off the job back to work as soon as possible. The Kralhi left them so weak and dizzy that they couldn't work for days. It was finally decided that they were not a very efficient solution to the problem, and that they had to be shut down and replaced.

Saying that and doing it proved to be two very different things. To this day, no one was sure how much self-awareness the Kralhi might possess, but they certainly resisted being turned off, "retired," and scrapped. The Matoran were successful with a few of them, but most fought back hard. With the help of the newly built Vahki, the Matoran achieved a victory of sorts by driving the Kralhi out of the city. It was known for a long time that about two dozen were still at large, a few in Ko-Metru and a few in little-used parts of the Archives. The whereabouts of the rest were unknown. No one knew, or cared, where they had disappeared to as long as they were gone.

Mavrah had been terrified the day he stumbled upon them, sure they would attack and force him back to the city. But the Kralhi had made no threatening moves. Over time, Mavrah realized that their primary purpose—to serve and protect Matoran—was still in force. As long as he did not make any effort to harm them or turn them off, they were perfectly willing to accept and serve him.

Now the Kralhi paused in front of him. When it spoke, it was with the recorded voice of one of the Toa: "It's time we became the hunters." Then the machine waited for a response.

Mavrah hesitated. He had tried to destroy these Toa and had been sure he succeeded. If they still lived, then it must be Mata Nui's will that they do so. Mavrah wondered if it was a sign. Perhaps if he explained to the Toa why he was here, and why he had to stay, they would understand. Then they could return to Metru Nui and inform Turaga Dume to call off the search.

"Return," Mavrah ordered the Kralhi. "Capture the six Toa and bring them back here alive."

The Kralhi simply stared, as if it had not understood anything that was said. Mavrah knew the creature was just being willful and stubborn.

"Alive," he repeated, firmly. "Unharmed. That is a direct command. Now go."

The Kralhi turned and departed. Mavrah thought he detected something in the way it moved, but he dismissed the idea. A Kralhi is just a machine, he reminded himself. It can't feel disappointment, can it?

X X X

Unfortunately, not everything shared Mavrah's newfound desire for the Toa's safety. The Lhikan had made it about halfway across the lake before attracting the attention of the local wildlife. Now the beasts were shoving each other aside in a race to see who would get to devour the craft and occupants first.

The Toa had acquired one ally, a massive, tentacled whale that was now running interference for them. Onewa's Mask of Mind Control had worked on Rahi before, and this one had just enough of a mind to give him something to manipulate. Unfortunately, it meant the Toa of Stone could do nothing else to help to defend the vessel, but the others did their best to pick up the slack.

A horned serpent wrapped itself around the hull of the boat. Its head swung up over the side of the deck, hissing at Nuju and baring its vicious fangs. The Toa of Ice muttered, "No, I don't think so," and sent twin frigid blasts from his crystal spikes. Frozen solid, the serpent sank to the bottom like a stone.

On the other side of the vessel, entire schools of fish were launching themselves out of the water at the Lhikan. Matau had been using his elemental wind power to blow them away, until an inspiration struck him. Using the power of his Mask of Shapeshifting, he transformed himself into a huge shark-like beast with three sets of jaws. Frightened, the schools dove back underwater, with the exception of one fish who landed on the deck.

Matau glanced down at it. He had never been fond of marine life, and this was a particularly ugly specimen. Has the same happy-smile as Makuta, he thought. Just what the world needs—a Makuta fish.

Vakama was everywhere at once. Sea creatures, no matter how large, hated fire, and he had been able to drive away some of the more monstrous specimens. Those he could not stop were being battered by waves or grabbed by the sea bottom thanks to the powers of Nokama and Whenua. It seemed like the Toa might make it through, although Vakama wondered how they would ever be able to make a second trip this way with all the sleeping Matoran in tow.

A huge wave swamped the vessel, almost washing Vakama into the lake. When it subsided, all of the Toa could feel that something was wrong. The craft was still afloat, but now listing badly to one side.

"One of the spheres," Nokama said. "They must have taken one of the spheres! I have to go down there and—"

"No!" Nuju grabbed her and kept her from diving. "I let you go once, not this time. You would not last more than a few seconds among these creatures, and you know it. If one of the spheres has been lost, we will recover it…"

"When?" Nokama demanded. "Before or after some sea monster has dined on it?"

"I know how you feel," said Whenua, as he caused chunks of the seafloor to pelt an oncoming Rahi. "Believe me. But we are almost to the other side of the lake. Once back in the tunnel, the creatures can only come at us one at a time. One Toa can hold them off while the rest of us—"

"That will be too late!" said Nokama, wrenching free of Nuju's grasp. She raced to the edge of the deck. Vakama saw her and moved just as quickly himself. He threw up a wall of flame around the transport, cutting off the Rahi from approaching and Nokama from leaving. She turned on him, enraged. "Vakama, why—?"

"We may have lost a friend," said the Toa of Fire. "I won't stand by while we lose another."

Before Nokama could answer, she was suddenly lifted off her feet and into the air. Vakama looked at Nuju, thinking it was the Mask of Telekinesis at work, but the Toa of Ice was as surprised as anyone. That was when Matau noticed the energy bubble around Nokama. He struggled to see through the flames, finally spotting what he feared to find but knew had to be there.

"Kralhi!" he shouted. "They have Nokama!"

"Whenua, you and Onewa keep the Rahi at bay," ordered Vakama. "Nuju, Matau and I will save Nokama!"

But Matau was already gone, encased in a Kralhi bubble and being spirited away. Nuju created an ice barrier to try and impede the bubble's progress, but a boulder hurled by the Kralhi weakened it badly. When Matau's prison struck it, the wall crumbled into the water.

Now the Kralhi attacked in earnest, keeping the Toa off balance with a barrage of stones and energy bubbles. Onewa was the next to be captured, causing the Rahi he had mastered to dive beneath the water and disappear.

The Toa fought valiantly, but attacked on two fronts and worn down with fatigue, they could not hold their own. Nuju had a perfectly aimed ice blast ready for a Kralhi when one of the Rahi rammed the transport, knocking him off his feet. The next instant, he was inside a Kralhi bubble and could feel his energy being drained away.

Vakama and Whenua held out for a little longer, but eventually they too fell to the Kralhi. Vakama screamed with anger and frustration as he saw the now abandoned transport drifting toward the tunnel, still carrying its precious cargo. Then the hunger of the Kralhi for energy took its toll. Vakama's mind fell into a pool of darkness as unconsciousness claimed them all.

X X X

Nuju had not expected to awaken. If he ever did see the light again, he assumed it would be from inside a cell, or at least with the Toa in chains. But the reality proved to be very different.

The first thing he saw when his eyes opened was the ceiling of a vast cavern. It was warm here, as if molten protodermis flowed underground to provide heat in the way it did in Metru Nui homes. He glanced around, trying not to move his head and give away that he was awake. He could see the other Toa, some stirring, some still unconscious. They were all lying on a comfortable bed of dried seaweed.

He might have thought the whole thing was a bad dream if not for the presence of three Kralhi, obviously standing guard. Realizing they could not be fooled, he sat up. His mechanical parts were undamaged, but his biological components ached badly. It would take time to recover from the Kralhi's energy drain.

The other Toa were now fully awake. Vakama started to get to his feet, but as soon as he did so, one of the Kralhi took a step forward. When the Toa of Fire sat back down, the guardian returned to its original spot.

"l guess we won't be going for any walks," said Onewa. "Kralhi. I never expected to see those junk heaps again."

"l say as soon as we are back to full strength, we make a run for the water and try to find the transport," said Nokama. "l didn't like those things when they patrolled Metru Nui. I like them even less here."

Vakama looked around. Amphibious Rahi of enormous size crawled and slithered around the cave, but they all stayed well away from the Kralhi. It made no sense. Why would these creatures fear and obey mechanical beings, and why would the Kralhi wish to control Rahi in the first place? What were they even doing here?

Whenua spotted a small figure coming toward them from the other end of the cave. Walking by his side was a medium-sized Rahi that looked like a cross between a lizard and a Kavinika, a wolflike creature from Po-Metru. The Toa of Earth paid little attention to the beast, though—his eyes were focused on the too familiar Matoran approaching.

"You mustn't let my friends worry you," Mavrah said as he got closer. "They are just here to make sure you remain…reasonable."

"We're always reasonable," Onewa shot back. "In fact, I can think of a bunch of reasons to turn you into a rock garden."

Nokama gestured for Onewa to keep silent, and said, "Who are you? Why have you brought us here? You have to let us go. Our mission is vital!"

Mavrah chuckled. "Who am I? As if you don't know? I am aware of your mission, Toa—if that is what you really are. It is why I brought you here."

Onewa reached out with his Mask of Mind Control powers and seized hold of Mavrah's thoughts. The Matoran stiffened, then said exactly what Onewa wished him to: "Then again, you are correct. I will set you free. The Kralhi will escort you out."

The Rahi at Mavrah's side began to screech so loudly Onewa thought his mask would split. The Kralhi responded by launching weakness disks at each of the Toa. The power of the disk was enough to break Onewa's concentration and free Mavrah's mind.

The Matoran shook his head as if waking up from a bad dream. "You…you mustn't do that again. My pet here is a most unusual Rahi, you see. He can sense the use of Kanohi mask powers, in the same way a Kinloka rat can sense food from a distance. And, as you have now discovered, my Kralhi are very well trained."

The comparison was acute. A particularly vicious form of large rodent, the infamous Kinloka was the result of an experiment to produce a Rahi with a more efficient digestive system. The outcome was a creature that was constantly hungry and ate everything in its path. Although they made homes in Le-Metru, the creatures had spread all over the city. A swarm of Kinloka was once spotted consuming an entire Po-Metru assemblers' village—houses, tools, everything—all in less than fifteen minutes. With that image in mind, it seemed Mask Powers would have to be lowered in priority usage against this being.

The Matoran smiled. "Now, let us not waste time. My Rahi recovered your transport, yes, and those shiny spheres too…most remarkable creations. I am prepared to return them to you if you turn around, go back the way you came, and deliver a message to Turaga Dume for me."

"That might be…difficult," Vakama replied. "But what's the message?"

"Tell him to leave me alone!" Mavrah yelled, startling the Toa. There was an uncomfortable silence while the Matoran composed himself. Then he added, quietly, "l am fine. The Rahi are fine. We want nothing from Metru Nui, and Metru Nui should ask nothing of us."

The Toa glanced at each other, none of them eager to be the one to tell the Matoran about the fate of Metru Nui. Finally, Whenua stood up. The Kralhi advanced automatically, But the Toa of Earth ignored them.

"Mavrah, in Mata Nui's name…stop this," he said. The other Toa looked at him, shocked. Whenua knew this crazy Matoran?

Whenua took a step toward Mavrah, then another. The Matoran waved the Kralhi off. "You are fighting a battle long over, against enemies that no longer exist," the Toa of Earth continued. "Metru Nui is no threat to you, my old friend, because Metru Nui is no more."

Mavrah said nothing as Whenua told his tale. He related the story of the Morbuzakh's attacks on the city; the transformation of six Matoran into Toa Metru; the betrayal of the false Dume; and the deathlike sleep of all the Matoran. When he was finished, he waited for the Matoran's reaction.

It wasn't long in coming, nor was it what Whenua had expected: Mavrah burst out laughing. "Lies," he said. "But amusing ones. Lhikan dropping off Toa stones like they were Naming Day gifts? Whenua, of all Matoran, a Toa? And Turaga Dume…oh, forgive me…Makuta as a sinister mastermind? Yes, very funny indeed." Mavrah's expression suddenly darkened. "The Whenua I knew was many things, but he was not a liar. That means you are not Whenua. I cannot trust you…any of you."

The Kralhi advanced until they were crowding the Toa against the cavern wall. Mavrah came with them, his eyes fixed on Whenua. "I know there is no cell that could hold true Toa. But I am guessing that your ship means something to you or you would not have fought so hard to save it. Make a move to escape, or to harm me, and I will see it destroyed, along with those strange spheres. I want no trouble from the six of you—"

Mavrah stopped abruptly. The Rahi by his side had begun to screech again. He examined the five Toa before him, and…five? He was sure there had been six of them. Yes, there had been six, which meant—

"One of them has escaped!" he shouted. He gestured toward two Kralhi emerging from the shadows on the far side of the cave. "Find him! Bring him back!"

The mechanical beasts turned and exited through a side tunnel. Nokama watched them go, nursing a hope that Vakama would manage to escape and find the transport. His Mask of Concealment had allowed him to fade from view while Mavrah was talking. The Matoran had been so upset he never noticed the shadow Vakama still cast even while invisible.

Mata Nui, if you can hear me, help Vakama, she thought. The fate of all Matoran rests with him now.

X X X

The Kralhi began their hunt, moving slowly and methodically through the only tunnel the stranger would logically have taken. His invisibility was (at best) an annoyance to them. Their more sophisticated sensors would surely be able to track him. Their four legs per unit clanked on the stone path while their stinger tails swayed with their motion. On top of the main body from which the legs extended, their center torso extended with a sinister head and arms ending with blades.

They were ready for this…practically missed it.

Still, it was more than their absolute confidence in victory that added an intangible sense of excitement to this pursuit. It was something very simple, yet with potentially horrific consequences for the Toa of Fire: Mavrah had not said this one needed to be brought back alive.