Queen's Note: Just because the Toa/Kora can't have feelings for each other- in this world- doesn't mean Matoran can't induce blushes. and by Mata Nui this was so cute to write

Kora: Mata Nui

Chapter Twenty:

Spirits that See

Kara took a deep breath, staring around the night time Ga-Koro lit by glowing stones and some small fires. "Ohhh…wow." Her eyes drifted up, seeing for the first time with no obstructions the night sky since coming to the island, and the Kora stopped in her tracks.

She wasn't aware of Jaller almost running her over, the Ta-Guard managed to corrected his pace, his still was bent over the smaller Kora. The six foot Matoran got his balance back with the help his spear, staring down at Kara for a moment, he glanced up, scanning around for any threats from above. Then it hit him, Jaller looked back down, his eyes softened a bit. "You haven't been above ground at night yet, have you?" He asked softly, shifting his stance to settle back on the dock.

The Kora of earth shook her head, memorized at seeing the globe of copper and emerald. With ribbons of red and oranges swirling around Bara Magna, the flairs of bright yellow and pink colors that were blooming patters on Bota Magna, and the bright red pulse of the red star. All this was against the background if millions of stairs, with some sweeping haze of silver and purple around the main planet and its two moons.

"We really are on a moon..." It was one thing to hear about this, to catch a glimpse of Bara in the trees before going into the temples, and it was quiet another for Kara to really see the bigger planet and the second moon for herself.

"Yes," Jaller nodded, glancing back to where the congregation of Matoran, Turaga and Toa had come from. Most had long since vanished into the now quieter, but not asleep village, to be hosted in the different huts with friends. Some in the floating pods, or those affixed to the cliff face. Jaller looked back down at Kara, hesitated as he wanted to go to the Ga-Koro Guard area, but Tahu had ordered him rest for now. "Come with me." He smiled.

Kara blinked a few times and realized the bigger male had taken her hand and pulled her along down the maze like pattern of docks. She couldn't help the flush of color that seemed to burn from her cheeks to her neck, "Where are we going?" she asked, taken aback and fighting a few conflicting emotions being led by the Ta-Matoran. If it was possible she would have blushed more when Jaller grabbed Kara around the waist to pull to one side, letting a group of three Ga-Matoran that were more her height walk by, caring a large, long bundle of something Kara thought smelled like shellfish over their heads.

The Kora of earth felt her embarrassment increased as the last Ga-Matoran really took a second look, not as concentrated on where her feet were going to notice this was a different human then their Kora. Noticing how the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard was holding the Kora against him, and the flustered look. Her yellow and gold eyes lit up with mirth and a low tone of whispers started once passed to her two complains as Jaller pulled Kara with him again.

"You'll see, its not far," Jaller grinned down at the Kora, something she hadn't seen the serious Captain do. Smile a little at Takua in the Kini Nui yes, but nothing like that. He hadn't seemed the type to grin broadly.

Kara looked around the network of docks of Ga-Koro, the intricate maze of wood and stone. She slowed enough at an odd sight over and between the domed low level 'huts.' The Ta-Matoran looked back and chuckled as the sight of the last three Toa lowering themselves into the water. Pohatu and Tahu looked less then thrilled at this, the stone Toa gripping Onua and Lewa's arms as he made sure that he was able to stand in the water, alarmed even with their reassurance. Tahu was standing chest deep, ridged and uncomfortable enough that some water was steaming around him, a wide eyed Storm was balanced on his shoulders out of the water level, clinging to the red Toa's head.

"Tahu can swim," Jaller said as he slowed with Kara, "Sort of, but most all of the Toa have too much dense armor on them to swim like Matoran can. Gali is the beast, obviously, and Takua says Lewa swims better then he lets on, but Tahu and Kopaka are getting heavy, and both Onua and Pohatu walk in the water, or sink."

"Pohatu doesn't look like he's happy at all." Kara noted the frowning brown mask on the other side of the docks.

"He really doesn't like getting in the water," Jaller tilted his head, the gold kanohi reflecting the fire and crystal light of the Koro, "He can't swim at all I heard, but the others will keep him fine, and this part of Ga-Koro is shallow. For the Toa that is." He added, looking over the edge of the dock.

Kara peered into the darken waters as well before she shivered a bit, "I can't swim either." The Kora of earth admitted to the Matoran.

"You can't?" The Ta-Matoran paused, considering this to re-evaluate a possible path for them.

"No," Kara shook her head as she walked beside Jaller when he started off again, not that her hand was let go yet. "It's not that I don't like water, I just can never stay up on my own. I like hot-tubs though."

"Can you hold onto someone's back?" Jaller asked, not sure if he should ask if she had a panic reaction like Pohatu and Tahu sometimes did.

"As long as the person doesn't leave me somewhere," Kara looked up at the golden mask, and the glowing tri-colored eyes, "Is this place we have to go far in the water?"

Jaller pulled her to a side dock, past a larger hut and pointed to a spot once they were at the end. "See that domed, semi-open place?" he asked, the small islet was only a few hundred feet away, framed by trees alone the supports to make a little bit of an illusion. "Would you be okay if I helped you over there?" The Guard Captain pointed down at the waters.

The earth Kora bit her lip, starting at the water for a long minute, crouching down to hesitantly touch it, seeing that the waters were still warm. Not as warm as in the long days but... She looked up as Jaller knelt down beside her. She blushed again, humming subconsciously in the more normal Bionicle equivalent of a blush. "You won't… let me go or leave me there?" she asked in a tiny voice, aware on some level a to-be protector of the island maybe shouldn't be this nervous and scared of the thought of being stuck alone in water or surrounded by it.

The Ta-Matoran offered a hand to Kara again, palm up while his other was resting on her back, "I won't," Jaller promised to her, "With my honor as the Captain of the Guard of Ta-Koro, I won't leave you or drop you on the swim over and back. But I really think you should come see this Suva, Kara." He looked the human formed Kora in the eyes, and then looked over to the islet, where there was a faint glow at water level now as it became full dark.

The Kora of earth, looked down before touching the offered hand, "Alright," she said, deciding to trust the Matoran and making him smile. Kara shifted and sat down on the edge of the dock, letting her legs rest in the water, the simple leggings soaking at once. She swallowed, looking over to watch as Jaller half sat, half turned as he sank into the sheltered waters of the Koro.

Jaller kicked, adjusting himself to remember how to move in the water before putting a hand on the dock and offering the other one out, "Okay, here, take my hand, brace on me and the dock, or my shoulder and you should be able to keep your head up getting in Kara."

Kara swallowed thickly, and knew that the Ta-Matoran could see the shivers running up her spine as she tightly clasped the offered hand, moving slowly- if a bit ridged herself now as she followed the Captain's instructions to lower herself down. Only once she was down in the water and clinging to the dock edge did she start regretting, but getting in and for not tying her hair back. "Are you sure... you can bring me over?"

"I can Kora," Jaller promised again grinning wide in assurance, he turned to start to let her reach around and grip his shoulders, suddenly very glade Turaga Nokama had convinced him those centuries ago to really learn how to swim. Not just for himself but as a Guard Member in general in case he needed to go after some Matoran that fell in past their depth that couldn't swim. "You're smaller and lighter than me still, so you can hang onto my shoulders okay? Don't pull your legs up." Jaller let go of the dock to tread water, poking the soft organic knees.

"Okay..." Kara shivered, clinging close to the biomechanical back, it felt like the hardest thing she ever did to not pull her legs up and try to perch on the Ta-Matoran's back. Even harder than that long dark, cold walk through the Onu-Wahi tunnels before Onua found her. She chirped out a nerviuse sound, and then frowned as Jaller chuckled. "its not funny..."

"Yes it is, you sound Bionicle, not human then." Jaller glanced over his shoulder at the human-formed Kora as he started swimming out to the Suva, "Its cute."

Kara flushed and gave a small humming sound at that in return, becoming a little flustered as she was pulled over acoss the water way. Jaller helping her back around once he could feel the first of the stone stairs that were under water. Being taller he could get his feet and after pulling Kara around got her up two steps, taking her hand and supporting her while the Kora regained her balance as they walked into the half submerged Suva.

The kora sucked in her breath, not fully gasping but staring around her as the bio-lumesent plants under the surface all started to really glow, not just the few spotted before. "Is... this Gali's Temple?" she asked, standing in the entrance, not yet walking in.

"Not exactly," Jaller shook his head, looking at the wet hair of the Kora with some interest, "It was a Suva meant for the water element in general, Turaga Nokama made most of it a long, long time ago in the dark times... maybe… seven or eight thousand years ago?" The Ta-Matoran guessed as she gently tugged on the Kora's hand to pull her inside, pointing down at the ground that seemed to be made of stepping stones with water around, though each had small tiles of blue, white and green invaded, "This used to be one of the original village's larger huts for healing and recovery, before the Koro-walls were formed. I even spent time here in the past."

"What happened to it?" Kara asked, looking around in the light not just from the water- she was starting to see a larger pattern that those planes, and even the smaller moss like plants between the stepping stones were forming. There was also light coming from above as the clouds of the day started to disperse, blown away in the night time breeze.

"Rahi, with tanted Kanohi masks," Jaller shrugged, pointing at how the openings in the dome were, "Po-Koro carvers came after hearing, they helped Ga-Koro make new healing halls, but three Po-Matoran made sure this wouldn't fall on anyone, hallowed out openings so its these open design, like a coral. And Fixed the floor."

"It's the Bionicle emblem." Kara realized, her eyes widening as she looked down and around again, they were standing in one of curving outer arches that represented the flow of elements. The glowing plants within water creating a space, and backdrop, she pointed to the large circular pieces like small islands in the middle of the Suva.

Jaller grinned at her. "Yes, it is." He pulled her over to the inside edge of the arch, couching down and pointing at the water plants protected in the Suva, around and under the flowing blue-white glow of water ferns, "See those plants in there? That's Turaga Nokama's garden, those are some of the rarest plants on the island, for the worst cases of shadow sickness." Jaller looked up as Kara moved to settle down on her knees beside him, looking in carefully.

"Are these all there is?" she asked, the Kora amazed as she looked around the still inner waters, blinking as Jaller sat down and drapped his legs in the warm water.

"No, but I heard from Halu- she's the Captain of the Ga-Koro Guard here, that there's other hidden guardians that Turaga Nokama made," Jaller brightened up and smiled, "And toa Gali had been making sheltered areas too, not just hear but working with the Koros all over the island to find places. I heard that some of the great trees in Le-Wahi, have hollow pockets, not just in the branches but in the trunks, were water gathers and some good plants, as well as the glow ferns can grow."

"Like in the river of colors?" Kara wondered, thinking of the cavern like place in her home Koro, where an underground river that flowed from the melting ice of Mount Inu, to the Le-Wahi swamps was exposed beside Onu-Koro.

"The one with the glowing moss?" The Ta-Matoran tilted his head, "Where the Koro get the colors for the glow in the dark village game?"

The Kora of earth nodded, grinning herself now, "Yes... that's fun." She blinked and flushed again as Jaller had echoed her at the same time in regards to the game. "so, is this why you wanted me to see this Suva?" Kara looked back in the pool, moving around to put her legs carefully inside as well, watching the tiny fish, maybe fry investigate human and Bionicle feet.

"Partly," Jaller was looking up, "Was today the first time you came out of Onu-Wahi?" he asked.

Kara nodded, "Yes, from the tunnels into the Kini-Nui," she smiled, "As nice as it is, I have to admit it was really nice seeing daylight again, what I could through the trees. I think Turaga Whenua is too used to the dark."

Jaller snorted, "A lot of Onu-Matoran are, I can always tell who's been underground for the longest stretch before they come back up." He glanced at Kara and lifted a hand, using two fingers to point to his eye, "they act like their blind, even though they only come up at night at first." He chuckled as he saw the Kora smile, as if understanding. "Have you gotten a good look of Bara Magna or Bota Magna?" he asked, tilting his head, the light from the pool reflecting off his mask.

Kara shook her head, glancing over her shoulder back to the Koro's docks, "just then, between the trees." She blinked as Jaller stood back up, pulling her as well. "What?"

"Can you make those jumps in your human form?" Jaller pointed to the little circular islands in the pool.

Kara bit her lip, judging the distance, "I think so, it's about the same as what Onu-Tu was making me do." She paused and added, "Just wetter."

Jaller nodded, "Good, come on, I still want to show you something." He took a few steps back, eyeing the distance and moved. The Ta-matoran pushed off on the edge, clearing the distance with some room to spare, before stepping back with open hands in case the other needed help.

Kara looked around, frowned at Jaller before shrugging with a sigh, the Bionicle life was so different, seemingly random things happening suddenly was slowly becoming normal. The human formed Kora had to take a few more steps back for a running start, just making the jump, but clasping arms with Jaller and he pulled her steady. Th next two jumps a bit shorter, and the last she need to be grabbed to keep from falling back into the water.

The two paused as a clear note rose into the air nearby.

"What was that?" Kara wondered looking around, and then following the pointing finger of the Ta-Matoran, looking between the wide openings of the Suva's dome.

"Lewa's found one of Gali's instruments." Jaller grinned, leading Kara to the outer edge as a few more notes were tested with slightly metallic echo, putting his hands together, "Here, I'll boost you up and you can see him too."

"Thanks?" Kara half asked as she put her foot into the offered step, shifting up. She wasn't new to getting a boost like this, and Jaller was a foot or so taller than her. She sighed gratefully a minute later, settleing down on the outside curve of the dome, even if she was going to get dirty Kara didn't care, there was mostly dry earth in this spot. The Kora looked over as the green mass of Lewa moved, settling down with his legs folded with feet pressed together and pulling what looked like a metal drum, that was flipped so the arch was facing up not down onto the edge of feet.

Jaller pulled himself up, moving around to look over the Kora's head, watching as the Toa started to softly play, using the sides of his hands, or the heal, sometimes his finger tips to create slightly different tones. The Matoran brushed off his arms, "It's a leko drum," Jaller said in a low voice as the Toa focused to tap out an over lapping beat and it was a calming song, "Ga- Le- and Ko-Koros all use them more than the other three."

"He's very good." Kara breathed, watching the Toa's swift movements and focus to use each hand to beat out the rhythm, yet the green giant's touch was light so there was no sour notes, and not high enough to disturb any sleepers.

"Yeah, better then Kopaka by far, he's even better Gali I think." Jaller looked up and smiled as the last of the clouds faded, showing a clear, bright night. "He's even started to teach Takua I heard." The Matoran wait a few minutes, before reaching over to take Kara's hand, drawing her attention to him and them upwards, guessing the Kora was getting out of that habit of looking to a sky.

Kara gasped, eyes wider then before and it was a good thing she was already sitting down. With an old Ko-Matoran lullaby softly filling the air, the Kora of earth was getting her first, really good look at the sky of her new island home.

Part of the sky, even at night was still dominated but the rusty reds, tans of Bara's deserts with darker mountain and some unbleached areas on one side of those ranges. But the other moon of the large planet was rising, agate like with the shades of green of its moon-wide jungles, interspersed with brighter flares of color of yellow, reds and a thread of glittering blue. All on a back drop of a star specked black, but having a closer haze between planet and moons that reflected like the northern lights might on earth.

Jaller grinned, proud of himself as he turned, letting Kara draw up her legs to hug them and sat with the Kora as she stayed to watch Bota Magna rise in the night sky. The Matoran stayed even once Lewa had stopped playing to settle into a meditation, and with the feeling of safety of a Toa near, Jaller eased his guard to lean back on the temple's wall and sleep for a few hours along with the Kora. Both didn't mind being outside that night.