Kora: Mata Nui

Chapter Eleven:

A spirit that thrives

There was some things that hardly surprised Turaga Whenua, such as the annual explosion that came almost exactly the same time every eight-day 'week' from Nuparu's work shop. Or the times when he had to sidestep or jump backwards, using his staff to keep his aid or the young Onu-Matoran from being ran over by a trundle or crab race. Those were just some of the odd things that had become familiar, routine and even 'normal' in a twisted way in the underground village over the years.

Seeing Takua the Chronicler riding into Onu-Koro on his Rahi mount; or as the case was this time the Ta-Matoran was bouncing ahead of his crab into the village of earth. In that kind of barely contained energy he had whenever he was let loose on the island by Vakama the first time in a long time. Whenua personally though his fire brother just politely kicked the Chronicler out whenever he started to get annoyed with consent pestering for more stories. He knew Onewa did, and Nuju did too.

Yes, seeing Takua randomly show up was no big surprise, especially with the arrival of the Kora. What was a little surprising was that it took thing long before the Chronicler to show up, yet that wasn't what was the most shocking thing that happened with the Ta-Matoran's entrance this time.

Takua had taken all of five bounces into the massive, main cavern that made up Onu-Koro when a large glowing ball was introduced to his head. The Matoran gave a strangled squawk/squeak like sound as he toppled over backwards.

"Mata Nui! The rouge Khi-ball just hit someone-It's the Chronicler! Quick!" An announcer's heightened voice sounded a bit louder than normal to Takua as he stared up at the darkness, filled with thousands of glittering crystals that were made to make the 'sky' pretty. "Is he okay?"

"...ow..." Takua muttered going cross-eyed, aware of Pewku sculling around him in a worried cercal, as well as several sets of thumping feet. Including one set that even in Takua's dazed state knew by the sheer weight behind the ground shaking sound was the Toa of earth.

"Chronicler?" a deep, rumbling voice asked, "Shoo Pewku, out of my way. Where- ah, here."

"Oooowww…" Takua complained as he was lifted up and clung onto the armor just to his right and squinted around before jerking as he realized he didn't have his mask on.

"Here little one," Onua said after shaking most of the glowing stuff off the blue Kanohi Pakari, it would glow in the dark for a few weeks but that was okay. The glowing substance was harmless to Bionicle. The earth giant gently fitted the Kanohi back onto Takua's face, grinning down at him. "Are you alright Chronicler?"

Takua made a face, now sure where he was he let go and adjusted his mask just right again, "That hurt." He muttered, his good mode of two minutes before half fizzled up.

"It was a good throw," The Toa said as he set the Ta-Matoran down, hand hovering close to catch him just in case Takua didn't have his balance. He watched the Ta-Matoran shake his head and motioned for his Rahi, and she shuttled back over.

Pewku dipped her front down, so the edge of her broad shell was easy to get over, even helping push her master up onto her back. The Rahi gave a soft sound as Takua plotted down, still looking a bit dazed. "Why am I glowing? Why are you glowing Toa Onua? ...in three colors...?" Yep, as Takua took a better look and the normally black and dark grey giant was near covered in splotches of glow in the dark liquid of blue, green and pink.

"There is a Khi game going on Chronicler." Turaga Whenua said as he came up to them, waving the clouding Matoran away, but it wasn't needed for they were already making room for the elder. Not seeming to notice his left side was blue and green and the top of his mask was pink, Whenua patted the Rahi-crab's head in then silent command to lay down. Takua scooted closer to let the elder inspect his mask, head and neck cables for damage.

"Is the Chronicler okay?"

"We did not hurt him did we?"

"I am so sorry Takua! I was trying to hit Kima, not you!"

"...Takua you look like a Le-Matoran with your Kanohi bright green!" That was Nuparu as he let out a laugh, only after assuring himself his friend was alright.

"Hush Nuparu," A new voice that Takua never heard before said. For one thing it was female, and there weren't many Ga-Matoran in Onu-Koro right now, and the voice lacked that slight mechanical sound. Nuparu was pushed aside and a he lifted a pink and blue arm to let a slender figure duck under and in front of him.

The Turaga lifted an eye ridge as he watched the short Ta-Matoran perk up upon spotting his village's Kora, even though she was as covered in glow in dark substance as everyone seemed to be. Only with her being, or seemingly being fully organic the Kora seemed a bit more soaked, her long hair (streaked with all three colors) knotted into a hasty bun yet plastered down and the t-shirt and short-shorts tie-died blue and green with few flecks of pick.

Kara was barefoot, not that she'd had much of a choice in the matter but she wasn't sure if any foot ware would protect one for a clumsy Matoran. Under the 'paint' she was as grey skinned as Takua's native fire Kora as he would find out a bit later. Blue and green eyes- proper colored Bionicle eyes with blue ring and a green backdrop and centers.

"I do believe our dear Chronicle is just fine," Turaga Whenua pronounced, patting Takua's knee, "Just not jumping around for the rest of the night, and," The elder looked around at his glow in the dark people, grinning Matoran, baffled Rahi, amused elder elemental spirit and slightly baffled younger spirit. Whenua waved at one and all, "I do believe it is time to retire for us all."

There was a collective, "Awwww…!" form the crowd in protest.

"I do however," Whenua continued, peering up at the now smirking Onua next, and the mass of Matoran quieted to hear his words that seemed to hinged on whatever this 'Khi' was, "I do see quite a bit more... blue all around."

Takua blinked as a third of the Onu-Matoran erupted into cheers, waving glowing blue spheres over their heads or throwing them up into the air to splatter more of the blue 'paint' on everyone. He turned his red and orange eyes to Nuparu, but his was slapping a pink colored hand to his mask, leaving a blight cheery print there. Actually, now that Takua took a good look around as the crowd dispersed he saw that he could sort out the 'teams' by the colors on someone's hands. Like Nuparu's hands were covered in pink like the Kora. Onua seemed to be a free for all target for all, as well as using whatever colored ball he could get.

"Come on Takua," Nuparu was saying as he climbed up on Pewku's back, pausing to give her eye ridges a good scratch, "You can stay with me."

"What about...?" Takua turned on his Rahi's shell to look back at the Kora, watching her ring out her hair and laugh at something said by another Onu-Matoran.

"Oh, you will meet Kara in a bit, she always comes by my workshop in the evenings." Nuparu waved a hand, splattering droplets of pick around Pewku's shell along the other two colors dripping off his armor. "Besides, she's staying in Toa Onua's Kini."

"Really? Hey, what just happened?" The Chronicler pointed at his bright green mask and upper body, "What is this 'Khi?'"

"Khi is a game that Kima, Gori and I came up with a while ago!" Nuparu puffed up as much as in pride at his contribution to the hit game as well that he had evidently spent a lot of time with the two Ga-Matoran.

Takua lifted an eye ridge as he looked up at his taller friend, it was pretty easy for his friends to be taller than him really. The Chronicler was as tall as the average Ga- and Ko-Matoran. Takua took aim and poked Nuparu's side, making him deflate in a wheeze of air, "The point of the game? Is it like Kolii?"

"Not really," The inventor rubbed at his side, "The goal is to spatter the other teams with your team's color, not to score goals." Nuparu saw the interest in his friend and grinned as he hopped off Pewku since they had arrived at his large home and workshop, "When this stuff wares off you have to come back Takua! You can be my second!"

"I thought I was your second Nuparu." The two Matoran turned and looked up at the tie-died Kora who was smiling softly up at the inventor, and that was when Takua realized that Kara was his height.

"You were my second," Nuparu said without hesitation, "But you promised to be the wild target with Onua next time so I need another second." He draped an arm over Takua's shoulders, sharing more paint, "Oh! Kora, this is Takua the Chronicler. Takua, this is Kora Kara."

"Its and honor to meet you Kora," Takua bowed, then made a humming sound that was the Bionicle equivalent of a blush as Kara bowed back.

"I hope I can hear some of your stories Chronicler," Kara said, she had a soft voice normally but she was still breathing hard from the game that just got over, "I have to go, this stuff is starting to set in." Kara ruefully lifted a clump of her hair that was the same bright green as Takua's mask and now loose. "Good night Chronicler, Nuparu."

"Um...good night?" Takaua muttered watching the Kora run off after the massive- and glowing!- form of the Toa.

Kara reached up and, hoping the paint wouldn't make it too difficult, grabbed onto Onua's armored leg and pulled herself up. She deftly climbed up until she was sitting behind Onua's neck, arms folded over his Kanohi, "You my brother, are a walking fashion disaster."

The Toa chuckled, the should felt as much as herd by the Kora, "Oh?" He asked, reaching up a little out of reflex, he was aware of Kara flicking the thickening paint off the top of his mask as it finally started to dry.

"Pink is not you color." Kara said after a moment of thought, "Not at all."

"That did not stop you little earth sister, from throwing it at me." Onua pointed out.

"No," Kara agreed, "It didn't, but you dropped all that blue on me and Kima." She paused, looking around, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the Kini."

"We are going to take a bath, then go rest." Onua said, heading to one of the underground rivers his villagers had long sensed learned to use. He knew the 'paint' wouldn't harm the echo system since it was made from bioluminescent moss and algae found in and near water in the first place. If anything it would just make the slow moving river bright, which was a good thing since it would be the bottom of the river that glowed.

"Onua?"

"Yes sister?" Onua glanced up out of habit even though he couldn't see his Kora where she was.

"Turaga Whenua said we'll be going to the Kini Nui in not too long of a time right?" Kara asked as she stifled a yawn, internally grumbling (unknowingly just like all the other Kora had or will) about the longer 'days' on the island of Mata Nui.

"Yes, we will be." Onua reached up to get his Kora off, smiling at some of the Matoran that had the same idea as he and were already splashing around and turning the water different colors. Kara scrambled over one of his shoulders and paused before jumping in, eyeing her semi long hair before looking back up into the elder elemental's bright eyes.

"...are we still going to be glowing in the dark by then?"Kara asked warily.

The Toa laughed, "I think we will little sister. Just reminded me to splatter Tahu and I will be fine."