The team of Toa Nuva divided into three uneven groups. Lewa, Kopaka, and Tahu pursued the Rahkshi southward to the jungle, while Pohatu and Onua would search the northern half of the island in case some or all doubled back. At the same time, they were to keep eyes out for Jaller and Takua. Gali, meanwhile, was tasked with the lonesome job of checking the status of the other tribes of Matoran. If Makuta had something planned for them besides the Rahkshi, and the Toa were just being distracted, serious consequences could arise. Tahu wasn't going to take any chances in leaving the rest of the population unguarded.
And so, after much travel, the group of three Toa arrived at a suspicious sight. "Mata Nui!" Lewa exclaimed, overlooking a clearing in the jungle. "What happened here?" He, Tahu, and Kopaka did survey a clearing, but it obviously wasn't meant to be one. Tree trunks at least a hundred feet long lay uprooted and tossed aside, and many small Rahi could be seen either scurrying about or wounded from the wreckage.
The three Toa levitated to the ground to investigate when Tahu noticed two Matoran villagers nearby—a Po-Matoran and a Ga-Matoran. "Perhaps the Matoran here can tell us what happened."
The two Matoran were facing away from where the Toa had landed, swaying back and forth irregularly. Kopaka's eyes narrowed. "I would like to believe you, Tahu…"
The two Matoran suddenly spun and charged at the Toa. "But those don't look like friend-smiles on their masks!" Lewa exclaimed in shock.
"Perhaps they just need some time to cool off," Kopaka said, launching a blast of ice from his sword. The energy stopped just in front of the crazed Matoran and spread horizontally, cutting them off for several bios. "An ice wall should hold them for now."
"But their behavior…?" Tahu asked.
Kopaka's telescope zoomed in. A moment passed before he turned to Tahu. "Infected Kanohi, just like the Rahi used to wear."
Tahu turned at the sound of a high-pitched screech. On a nearby rock, he saw a purple serpent writhing in exercise. "And there is the creature responsible for this—shadow Kraata! Beware brothers, remember Whenua said these creatures can infect Kanohi at will!"
"A fear-dread thing indeed…but no match for an air-Toa!" Lewa said, sending his air power hurtling toward the creature. He bent the air in and over itself causing the Kraata to fly and spin randomly in its own little home vortex. "Let it use its power now, if it can!" Eventually the power was too fast and the creature lost consciousness.
Kopaka surveyed the clearing. He shook his head. "But the shadow Kraata could not have caused this damage to Le-Wahi. We must look elsewhere for our foe. As for the infected Matoran…" the Toa of Ice turned back to the ice wall, where the corrupt villagers lazily battered themselves against it. Kopaka swept his arm in the direction of the wall. Two tendrils of ice launched out from the wall, knocking the infected Kanohi from the faces of the Matoran. As they fell to the ground, weakened, Kopaka dispelled the ice wall.
Lewa helped the Matoran as Tahu collected the Kanohi. "Lewa, offer up two Kanohi Nuva for the villagers," Tahu ordered. "That will sustain them until they can purify or replace their own."
Lewa nodded, remembering the tender subject about Tahu's Kanohi Nuva. All of them had been lost in the Ta-Suva after the fire village had sunk into the Lake of Fire from defeat to the Rahkshi. Though the Matoran couldn't use the Nuva mask powers, their wellness would still be sustained by any Kanohi. Once both Matoran had been outfitted and instructed to return to their villages, the Toa continued their pursuit.
X X X
"Our foes are leaving a clear trail," Kopaka told the group. The trail to which he was referring was one of utter destruction which led the Toa from Le-Wahi to the border of Po- and Ko-Wahi. "It is as if they want to be followed…"
Tahu glanced over his shoulder at the head of the trio. "You worry too much, Toa of Frost."
"Or you too little, Toa of Ash," Kopaka shot back without wasting a second.
Lewa trodded along at the back of the group. It was bad enough he had to walk on the ground, but he had to do it with the two most argumentative Toa. "I really should go back to quick-soaring alone," he murmured, "it's quieter."
"Do any of you feel…as if you are having a hard time going on? Like something horrible is waiting up ahead?" Kopaka asked.
Lewa blinked, wondering if he had just heard a tremble in Kopaka's voice.
Before he could comment, Tahu was already on it. "I knew I should have done this myself! You simple, cautious, slow dump of energy! Fire works best alone!"
Lewa was about to jump back to Kopaka's defense, but then thought, Tahu angry…Kopaka afraid…what could— "Look out!" he cried, as the ground exploded in front of them, showing two monstrous giants emerging. The Toa of Air backflipped, using his swords as wings at the end of his flip to carry him to a safe distance.
The left foe was red, green, and white, had two large legs with multiple joints and mechanical supports, long arms with bludgeons and three Rahkshi heads located at its center. The right was just as shocking, in colors of blue, black, and brown, possessing four long but powerfully fast legs, a long spiked tail, and what appeared to be the top half of a Rahkshi grafted to the legs, wielding a staff.
Lewa had never seen these before, but knew what they were just as well: "Rahkshi Kaita!"
Tahu raised his swords overhead, making himself seem larger as well. "Nothing to fear! We have taken the measure of their power—we know what we face. They will not defeat us!"
The long-armed Kaita hissed a pattern something like laughter, then went from a standstill to a rapid spin in a second. Its spinning form then generated a large cyclone and flew to the three Toa.
"What?" Tahu said in disbelief. He lowered his swords and began to run away. "Where did it get such power?"
None of the Toa could run fast enough. The Kaita slammed into all three, throwing them far from each other. Tahu landed hard against a wall, even cracking the wall with his armor. Kopaka landed roughly on the ground.
Lewa tumbled through the air, but knew enough about his Miru and elemental powers to save himself. Using precise air currents and his Mask of Levitation, he was able to right himself before long. He used his katana as wings to fly back to the other Kaita. He soared overhead, landing a hit with each sword as he flipped over, landing on its back.
"It is…your dark-luck day…monster!" he said, feeling each word take more effort. "I…my energy…you're…" Lewa's legs gave out from under him. He landed on his side, but pushed himself to his hands and knees. Apparently, this Kaita could siphon strength with the hunger ability just by touch, not even needing its staff.
"Ohhh…" he moaned, as the Kaita turned to face him overhead. It caught Lewa's neck in the claw of the staff head, pinning him face-down into the ground. Dark energy began swirling at the tip, as the Rahkshi Kaita prepared a blast of shadow energy at zero distance.
Looking over at the scene, Kopaka glanced away, just to track where the other cyclone Kaita was and where it would be. His experience with the Bohrok-Kal Kaita as well as with his own meant it was a good guess that it combined some nature of fragmentation, disintegration, and the parasitic hunger power. He didn't want to see what that would do to a Toa Nuva of Air. Only instants to save Lewa…! he told himself, firing a precise bolt of ice, followed by pristine ice from the width of his entire ice blade. The first ice shot knocked the staff off of Lewa. The follow-up ice wave formed a mirror-like surface between him and the shadow blast.
Even as the first surface materialized, Kopaka quickly made two more, hoping to Mata Nui his idea would work. He saw that fortune favored him, as the bolt of combined energy reflected off of the first mirror and away from Lewa. Kopaka watched with anticipation, tracing the trajectory of the bolt as it reflected off of the following two ice sheets.
Kopaka's target—the other Rahkshi Kaita—was coming flying and barreling back at them in another cyclone. Even though it was fast, it was large, too. Kopaka felt a vengeful surge of satisfaction as the blast from the other Kaita hit it in a glancing blow, causing all three Rahkshi heads to screech with rage. The predicted powers of sapping strength, disintegration, and fragmentation caused a painful split of the Kaita form. Not only were they split, they were split violently; Turahk, Kurahk, and Lerahk were all thrown apart from each other into the surrounding environment.
As awesome as that was, Kopaka still wasn't going to spend time admiring his own handiwork. He moved over to where Tahu was still recovering from the Kaita's first strike. "Tahu, we must find the others while we can!" He offered the Toa of Fire a hand-up.
Tahu looked up at the Toa of Ice's offer before taking it and standing. "Yes…go! Find Pohatu and Onua. We will need their strength! I will see to Lewa. We must hope that Gali is still safe."
Kopaka nodded, then turned, jumped, and created an ice slide to carry him away from the scene of battle. Tahu turned back to the remaining Rahkshi Kaita, which had just battered through the ice shield. Luckily, it had bought enough time for Lewa to hobble back to Tahu.
"Lewa…?" Tahu asked at the sight.
"My legs…" Lewa said, through audible pain. "When I landed on the big-Kaita…it drained…my legs…"
The Toa of Fire took one of Lewa's arms and carried it across his shoulders, helping to support the wounded Toa of Air on his weak side. Lewa took out a single air katana in his free hand, but Tahu stopped him.
"Wait a moment, Lewa…" he said, also drawing one of his magma swords with his free hand. "Let me give this creature…" Tahu fired a precise shot of intense heat and lava at an overhead snow peak on Ko-Wahi's border, causing a massive avalanche of snow and rock. "…something to remember us by!" he finished as the attack came down.
The black head of the bizarre Kaita turned to the oncoming rush of pummeling objects. It raised its staff to obliterate what it could, but the number was too great, and it was ultimately buried. Tahu wasn't sure if the physical blow had disunited the combination or not, but to his regret, that didn't matter—another sharp cry of pain had come from Lewa.
Tahu worded forcefully through gritted teeth, "If my brother were not injured, monster…" He sighed his resignation. "But there will be another day. I promise you: the Toa will be the end of you, whether those you struggle with now, or the one who is to come."
X X X
"Okay, if I'm right, the entrance to the Great Refuge must be here somewhere," Tiribomba said, looking around the large temple area. He turned to Aodhan, relishing the idea. "Just imagine, a place where all Matoran will be safe from Makuta, and Bohrok, forever!"
"Uh huh," his companion replied, unconvinced. "Last time we were here, a Rahkshi showed up. I'd really rather not run into any more."
Tiribomba smiled. "Don't worry. Soon, we won't have to worry about them!" His eyes spotted the Suva Kaita in the evening twilight. "Look! I think I see an entrance!"
"There could be more Rahkshi down there! I think we should explore more of Kini-Nui first before we go down any dark tunnels," Aodhan suggested.
"Alright, I guess that's a good point," Tiribomba agreed. "We may have missed something."
After searching for some time, though, Tiribomba's perspective was different. "I'm not seeing anything," he said from the top of a rock, disappointed. "I think we should go down the tunnel, now." When he didn't get an immediate reply he hopped down, finding his companion. Aodhan was strangely focused on the night sky, where the seven spirit stars burned brightly. "What's the matter?"
Aodhan took a deep breath, then turned to meet his friend. "Nothing…I was just thinking about what Toa Tahu said…about how Ta-Koro is gone. We should have been there to help. Instead…" He held his tongue. He wasn't sure how harshly to word his thoughts.
Tiribomba's mouth slanted to one side, considering the matter. Though he understood Aodhan's feelings, he still defended, "We are helping. We're trying to find a way to save everybody!"
Aodhan shook his head, mulling it over. "I know, but maybe we would do more good if we were with our friends."
Tiribomba was quiet for a moment. Then he brightened a little. "We've got to be close. Come on, you'll feel better when we find the Refuge."
Aodhan didn't say anything, but he nodded and followed Tiribomba underground.
X X X
Hahli set her bag of inventory down on the steps of the Eastern Telescope, while keeping the collection of all six Crystals in her arms. The mechanism was mounted on a spire of the rocky outcropping. On top of a dome was a ceremonial-looking tabletop, with carvings representing the Legend of Mata Nui.
Circling the Suva-like structure, Hahli put each corresponding Crystal in its appropriate niche according to the labeled symbol. When the right ones were put in the proper slots, they weren't forced back out like her original experience, but were sucked quickly in, only slightly protruding from the surrounding face when they came to rest. With the placement of each crystal, a light began to glow from the top of the stone.
Upon the placement of the final one, the damaged Crystal of Courage, it was pulled into its slot, but sparked a few times as its energies added to the group's. A glowing aura appeared in the middle of the ceremonial area over the picturesque Legend of Mata Nui.
As Hahli gazed into the blinding light, she was reminded of the stifling dream she had experienced a week ago, before she was chosen as Ga-Koro's Kolhii Champion. Was that a vision? she wondered. Did I see the future? What's happening!? The light grew and enveloped her until she could not see anything, but then it quickly abated.
Opening her eyes, Hahli saw that she had been transported somewhere entirely different. Teleportation? she realized with awe. The power was spoken of, but nobody knew how to replicate it. But why, and where did it send me? Looking around to get her bearings, she realized that she was near the Kini-Nui, in the center of the island.
At first, she was frustrated. She had been here for the proclamation of the Turaga at the Rebuilding. It might be difficult to reach Kini-Nui on foot, but far from impossible. So why would they send me here? she wondered. Remembering back to the damaged Crystal of Courage, Hahli recalled its suspicious performance right before the teleport. With one of the Crystals damaged, it may have only put me close to where I was meant to go, she reasoned.
She decided it would be best for her next course of action to at least find a landmark. With that in mind, she started heading for the general direction of the temple. She continued to puzzle together the strange turn of events. These Crystals randomly showed up, all at once, and even the Turaga didn't seem to know what was up with them. They're sure in for a surprise… Hahli kicked idly in mild frustration at a rock, sending it over a cliff as she went. She thought and thought about the Crystals—whether there was something in them, where they came from, why they showed up now, what they were for—but came up with no other answers than to activate the teleport.
Her thoughts continued as she walked toward the temple area. She remembered back, thinking from one thing to another. Before the teleport, I gathered the Crystals, the one from Ta-Koro was damaged during the Rahkshi attack, I helped Nixie with her formula… Hahli blinked, finding it surprisingly difficult to remember what exactly happened just a few days before, after the traumatic ones the Matoran had just experienced. After a while, she finished, the preliminary rounds, the Kolhii Championship, and discovery of the Mask of Light.
Hahli sighed as she walked purposefully up a steep slope, even using her hands to steady her in a crawl-like fashion on the steep incline. All those events seemed so long ago, so trivial now. The Matoran had bigger things to worry about, once again. Her Ga-Matoran sisters, her job, all of the mundane parts of her quiet life in Ga-Koro—it had all been put into perspective. I want to be here for more than that, she thought defiantly. This can't have all been for nothing!
Hahli dropped down to a lower surface and began sliding along a narrow ledge to continue. She paused in still remembrance. She had learned much from her travels. In Onu-Koro, she had met Nuparu. At least he was still a good friend, shown by when she retrieved the Crystal of Prosperity. It had been enjoyable for Macku to see Hewkii in Po-Koro. In Ko-Koro—
Kylma, she thought. The scholar. Suddenly, her peaceful reflection turned to one of anxiety. 'The one you care for shall be destroyed,' and 'You will unite Mata Nui in a time of darkness.' Those were what the adept had prophesied. Had they already come true? She didn't think so...
Just then Hahli heard a new but already terribly familiar and chilling sound. It was the wizzing sound of Rahkshi in flight. Looking overhead she witnessed three of the gruesome creatures fly in a straight path over the hills and valleys toward the temple. They were the red, black, and white attackers from Onu-Koro, instead of the blue, brown, and green ones from Ta-Koro.
Rahkshi, she thought, trembling with fear. Instinctively, she first ran for cover. Then she remembered that though they would harm her, she was not their goal. Jaller is, she thought.
Hahli's mouth dropped open in realization. "Kylma's prophecy—it must be about Jaller!"
It made sense, in a horrible way. In this time of danger, no one was more at risk or a bigger target than him, the Herald of the Seventh Toa, a being who would wield the power of light itself. And if the Rahkshi were here, now, then that meant…
The answer hit her hard. With new purpose Hahli resumed her journey to the temple with more energy than before, running as fast as she could after the Rahkshi's direction.
Jaller is here, too.