Disclaimer: I do not own BIONICLE (G1 or the upcoming G2), but I do own Jismal, Lanous, the H-subjects featured here, two new Matoran, and a Mersion OC. Versuva, most of its landmarks, and the Mersion species were created by ChickenBond2.
Chapter 9: The Old Lands
Several hours after the breakout on Unoyr…
Versuva. Home to some of the brightest minds of the Matoran Universe. Once upon a time, it was rivaled only by Metru Nui and Artahka. However, the City of Legends was abandoned a long time ago, and Artahka disappeared right off the map long before that. Those who knew of its location were murdered by unseen shadows, their maps burnt to ashes. Nowadays, the isle was the only place where actual science was practiced, and not abused. It still lagged behind in terms of weaponry, though, when compared to other people.
Jismal stood on the deck of the ferryboat, watching for any signs of hostility. The tiny vessel was piloted by two Matoran. One was a Bo-Matoran, with fiery orange eyes behind his noble Miru. His armor was coated in various shades of blue, with the occasional bit of lime-green. The other was an Onu-Matoran, clad in black-and-orange armor. He bore a Kanohi Kadin and lime-green eyes. Respectively, the one of Plantlife was Kenod, whereas the one of Earth was Tiruhk.
The Toa of Psionics had known these two for quite some time. They had helped her in her travels before she rose to the position of Toa Hagah. They risked their lives then they help her escape from the Brotherhood's betrayal. And here they are again, willing to do so again.
She couldn't help but let her mind wonder about, thinking about the humans. So many of them died in the outbreak. Those that managed to board the ship were lost in Ghjis' storm, either drowning or scattered to the winds. She pressed her fingers against her forehead. She knew that there'd be casualties, but not of this magnitude. The whole thing had been a disaster. Worse, none of them were able to really disable the project, only stall it.
She sighed. She knew that she shouldn't be beating herself up like this, but she just can't help it. A Toa's duty was to protect lives, not sacrifice them. Especially not in vain. Still, there was a bit of hope left. She managed to sneak H1020 out of the ruined Exo-Toa suit while Ghjis had his back towards him. Some of the ships were able to get quite a distance from the island before the storm came about. That leaves the possibility that they might've washed up at some nearby island and hid.
Something shook her out of her thoughts. She felt the boat moving to the left, docking at a pier. She could see a tiny piece of land to the east, far out of their reach. If her memory was correct, this was one of the eastern docks. Not much seemed to have changed since her last visit here. A sense of nostalgia flowed through her.
"Home sweet home," The Toa whispered, smiling.
Tiruhk raised an "eyebrow". "You lived here?" The Onu-Matoran asked in disbelief.
Jismal nodded. "Indeed. Used to wander the north until they dropped their isolationist policy. Served a member of the Council of Eight until he stepped down."
Kenod jumped into the conversation as well. "Council of Eight? Didn't the Mersions overthrow those idiots?"
"He served in the second generation, back before the "idiots" came into power," She replied.
The Miru bearer smirked. "The north considers themselves civilized, and yet they couldn't guide their own people," He laughed, though Jismal noticed a trace of venom beneath that wit.
She remembered that the two Matoran came from a tribe at one of the Southern Islands. Their home was affected by the Great Disruption in some way, though they never told her how. She didn't know the details behind it, but she knew it was a byproduct of the Civil War at Metru Nui. And remembered how the Bo-Matoran blamed the City of Legends for whatever happened at his home, and how he disliked the rest of the "Civilized North".
The trio left the boat at the docks, and set out into the harbor. They placed their cloaks over their bodies, shielding them from the freezing winds. The Mersions were used to the cold, but not most outsiders. Fortunately, they remembered to bring heat stones with them, hidden in their backpacks.
For the most part, the docks were dominated by a number of different species. A few lower-class Steltians were seen moving cargo around, Matoran couriers running all over the place. A Vortixx was speaking to an upper-class Steltian, no doubt advertising for one of their weapons. As they exited the harbor and into one of the towns, however, that was when they started seeing the natives.
The Mersions were tall beings, clan in ebony and silver armor. Their height was typically between seven and eight feet, the males being taller than the females. They wore Kanohi, much like most other species would. They also had an air of intelligence and wisdom, especially with the high numbers of scholars and scientists among them. They studied any and all forms of science, alongside some history and cultural research. Her associate was a doctor, specializing in biology and virology. And if she were to guess, he was within the capital city of the island.
Keadrah… She recalled.
Jismal spotted an Ussal pen near some vendors, alongside a transport cart. She spotted some Ko-Matoran working in them, likely caretakers and drivers. The owner himself was one of the natives, bearing a silver Elda. The party made their way toward his booth, a glass window with a small opening between them.
"Excuse me, but is this were we can rent a cart?" She inquired.
"Yes indeed," The Mersion replied in a formal tone. "Would you like to rent one?"
"Yes, three to Keadrah please," She replied.
"That'd be about sixty widgets, plus twenty more for a driver," Said the owner.
Before Jismal could react, Tiruhk slapped some of the gear-shaped currency onto the counter. "This enough?"
The merchant quickly counted the amount before he replied. Faster than most beings, actually. "Yes, that should be about it,"
He lifted the window up and leaned out of the booth, turning toward the workers and placing a hand around his mouth.
"Sogido!" He shouted.
A Ko-Matoran, bearing a Kanohi Kiril, came to his call.
"Take these three to Keadrah," Ordered the merchant.
The coachman nodded, leading the party to a cart. He took the front naturally, and waited for the three to take their seats. Once they were in place, he gave the crab-like Rahi the word and their voyage began. Outside the gates, they were presented with a strange and wondrous site. Around them was a field of azure grass, coated in frost. The trees had copper-colored leaves and Madu fruit. Far into the distance, they noticed a creek of crystalline color. However, they weren't here on vacation. Someone's life depended on them, and it wouldn't do any good to sightsee.
Meanwhile with Lanous…
The Toa of Fire was pacing around the chambers. It had already been several hours since Jismal left, and yet he was already having a nervous breakdown. True, most Toa of Fire are seen as brave and courageous. The situation was different than what most of them went through. Most of them don't have to worry about the life of a stranger hanging on edge.
He glanced back at the being. Looking at him was like looking at a ghost. This human bore the armor and mask of Yagvi, apparently welded onto his organic body. That alone hinted at the terrible fate that the Toa of Gravity had been met with. Then again, his demise might pale in comparison to what this entity and his kind have suffered. Looking at his damaged form and seeing the flesh beneath the armor was… disturbing. Were all humans like this?
The thing stirred a bit, groaning in pain beneath its breath. Lanous nearly jumped out of his armor at the sight. Quickly, he made a mad dash toward the chest and donned the Rau. He rushed back toward the Homo sapien, taking his seat beside the stone bed. The alien's eyes opened, and for a brief second he could've sworn that he saw its organic eyes. They were swiftly cloaked by orange-red lights a mere nanosecond later, however.
The outsider tried to move, but Lanous prevented him from rising. "Whoa there, pal," He said, activating the Mask of Translation. "You don't wanna move in your condition." He paused. "Well, assuming that you even can right now."
The being's eyes shifted their shape slightly, akin to one raising an eyebrow. He took a quick glance at his broken form, cursing under his breath. He turned his head toward the Toa.
"Where am I?" He asked in a dry voice. "How the hell did I get here?"
Lanous smiled a bit. "You're at our little hideout. As for how you got here, you can thank my friend when she gets back."
The human had a puzzled look in his eyes. "Back? From where?"
"From bringing back your doctor," The Toa of Fire said.
"Haven't seen you at the island," The pseudo-Toa noted. "You from one of the other ships?"
Present company shook his head. "Nope, was never on the island," He said. "Nor am I one of your kind. What you see here is a native to this world… a Toa."
H1020 nearly jumped at the last word, though the pain prevented him from doing so. "Toa? Think an old man-or bot, or whatever- mentioned that word."
Lanous grinned. "A Turaga, eh?"
The guest nodded his head. "Somekinda lifecycle these "Matoran" dudes go through. Matoran are supposed to be the short ones, right?"
"Yep," the Rau-bearer replied. "Then you have us Toa, the heroes of this world," Lanous leapt off of his seat and landed on his feet in a dramatic fashion, putting up a proud pose. "Course, there have been some that went off the deep end," He admitted, dropping the pose.
"And the Turaga dudes, elders right?" Asked the outsider. The crimson warrior nodded. "Aren't yawl supposed to have somekinda… elemental power or something?"
The Toa grinned. He launched a small fireball at one of the torches, lighting it up. He quickly absorbed the flames of another, putting it out. He increased the heat in the room a tad bit, then drained some of it as well.
"Fire is my Element," he said with a hint of pride. "And from the color scheme of your armor, I'm going to assume that you were granted with Gravity."
The man glanced down at his armor. "You can tell from the colors?" He asked, holding back a small laugh. His caretaker nodded.
"And what would your name be, outsider?" He inquired.
There was a pause. "…Grey. My first name started with a D, but I can't really remember it these days. Grey's my last name."
The Toa of Fire tilted his head. "First name? Last name? That some weird type of Naming Day your kind perform?"
Now it was Grey's turn to express confusion. "What the hell is 'Naming Day'?"
The host laughed. "This is going to be an interesting conversation. Before we go any further, though, allow me to introduce myself."
The Toa of Fire took his place beside the guest. "The name's Lanous."
Keadrah, hours later…
"Um… wow," uttered Kenod.
"'Wow' is right," Laughed Jismal.
It took the willpower of both Matoran to keep their jaws from dropping into the snow. Before them was something straight from the mind of Artahka himself. The city was easily millennia ahead of the rest of the universe. The factories were cleaner than Xia's, observatory towers surpassing that of Metru-Nui's. When she said that the island was home to some of the brightest minds, she wasn't kidding.
Alas, this island was nowhere near as perfect as Artahka. Like the rest of the world, the Great Catacylsm has taken a toll on it. Many of the buildings were shaken and fractured, bent on the verge of collapse. Some of them already have, spilling their insides onto the streets. Far in the distance, they could an abandoned tower, the former seat of the Council of Eight. They also spotted a massive castle, now home to the land's single ruler.
Below them were the latest additions to the city. With the damage done to the surface, the leader of the Mersions began expanding Keadrah into the caverns below. A rather fitting choice, given their nocturnal behavior. Jismal, however, had never seen the underside before.
She turned her gaze toward another landmark. This one brought mixed feelings into her, a blend of nostalgia and heartbreak. She remembered studying in its halls, striving to stand among the brightest minds. She never got to reach the summit, however, and fell hard. She went through a number of different careers across the world, before she found herself as a Toa Hagah.
She felt a nudge at her leg. "You alright?" Asked its source. "You've got a bit of tears in your eyes."
The belonged to Tiruhk, bearing a concerned look on his mask. Jismal placed her finger on her own, and indeed felt her own tears.
"It's… nothing," She said. "Just remembering something."
"You recognize that place?" Inquired Kenod.
The Toa of Psionics gave him a sad smile. "Yes," She replied. "That's the Great Academy. Been a long time since I was inside of it."
"Wow, you actually went there?" Said Sogido in awe. "What was it like there? What classes did you study?"
She turned her head, hiding her frown. The Ko-Matoran driver could sense it, and the message behind it.
"Oh," he muttered under his breath. "Shouldn't have asked."
"It's alright," The Toa said. "You couldn't have known. Besides, we have more important business to attend to."
The group went on to question the locals, asking them where Midekos dwelt. Many of them said that he once served for the ruler, though he recently moved underground. According to them, there were two methods of entry. One was through a series of caves, an underground highway of sorts. The other method was through the use of mechanical platforms. "Elevators", they called them.
Jismal placed her hand on her chin, pondering. Machines are known to break down at times, especially when you need them most. She and her companions have no idea how far the platforms descended, and what would happen if they failed. For all they know, they might plummet to their doom Kio below. Caverns are likely to collapse too, trapping and crushing anyone caught in them.
She made her choice, and guided her party to the caverns. If a cave-in were to occur, then at least she could use her Toa powers to break free. The Kiril-bearer knew his way around, so it wasn't going to be a long trip down. Still none of them had an exact idea where the medic was, or what was below.
What they also weren't aware of was the figure spying them. Perched atop on the Great Academy was a Toa-sized figure. He bore green-and-blue armor, and a Kanohi Kakama. He had bird-like wings on his back, talons for feet. His yellow eyes were following the Toa of Psionics, and then turned to another location.
Seeing nobody around, he swiftly flew down to the ground. He landed in an alleyway, near some of the ruins. He donned his hooded cloak, and silently went further into them. He came across two Turaga, each of a different Element. One of Air, and one of Silver.
"What'd ya sight-see?" Inquired Juleva.
Emomak's voice came in as a mix of interest and suspension. "It's that blue-and-gold figure I saw during the storm. She might be a Toa."
Lisfek let out a short "hmm". "Psionics, more than likely,"
The birdman raised an eyebrow. "You mean she's a psychic?"
"In a manner of speaking," Replied the Zatth-bearer. "What's the plan?"
Emomak didn't need time to make his decision. "Follow her, see what she's up to down under."
Juleva frowned. Like most beings of Air, he had a dislike for walking on the ground. Underground, though…
"Oh happy-cheer," He muttered in sarcastic grievance. "Caves."
Meanwhile, with H1…
Darkness. That was all that resided within this passage. Darkness has always dominated this place for as long as anyone could remember. Light had no place here, and was always snuffed out. Well, apart from the Lightstone in the unconscious boy's lap. He had been like that for several hours, after what transpired on Unoyr.
Behind his new mask, small lights began to emerge in the eyeholes. At first, they were a dim yellow, slowly rising like curtains. Seconds later, they became open windows, gleaming in the shadows. The first thing that caught them were the glowing crystal and the pack on his person. The second was the blackness surrounding him, and the unusual cold. The third (though he could hardly see with the near-absence of light) was his armor.
The armor he bore now was crimson and ash-grey, and seemed to have been used by someone else. He felt something on his face, and removed the object. It was one of those masks, like the ones the prisoners bore during the breakout. Speaking of them, where were they? No wait, better question: Where was he?
A chilling thought entered his mind. Am I dead?
He took a closer look at himself. No, no he wasn't. He still had traces of the silver liquid on him. Someone found and brought him here. But why change the armor and give him supplies? Does he have a… what were the words? "Guardian angel"?
He didn't have time to ponder. He had to find out where in the world he was. Grabbing the glittering stone and wrapping the pouch over his back, he ventured into the nothingness. Just as he took a few steps, however, the lights went out. Puzzled, he took a few steps back. The stone glowed once more. A few steps forward, and it went out. Was something disrupting it?
Part of him wanted to turn back, but something suggested otherwise. Reluctantly, he dove further. He tripped a few times, but always got back on his feet and back on track. He could make out vague shapes, though he wasn't in the mood for pondering. Right now, his main goal was to break through the shadows.
Something slithered past his ankle (or at least, what was once it). He shivered, and pressed forward. The unseen thing lashed out, tripping him over. He made a run for it, trying to escape from the monster. Something long and boneless wrapped around his leg, halting and bringing him down. He dropped his Lightstone, and was dragged backwards. H1 grabbed a stone imbedded into the dead earth, trying to kick off whatever was pulling at him.
Something else brushed up against his arm. Something warm and fleshly, like that of a normal human. He felt two human hands grab his arms, pulling him free from the abomination. Those same hands guided him through the darkness, holding his hand like a parent would with their child. That thought opened up something, something locked within the back of his head.
He tried to croak out two words, though the void silenced them. Anyone that could see in it probably would've seen the words escaping from his jaws. "Muh-mah-mom… duh-deh-dad?"
There was no answer. Instead, all he received was the warmth and guidance of his rescuers. Through the endless night, he and his guardian angel trekked the tunnel. He longed for light, longed to see the face of his hero. At least, they made into a clearing, lit with a comforting aurora. The sentinel slowed down, allowing the child to take the lead. When they both entered the light, H1 turned to thank the stranger…
…only to find nobody with him. The hand that held the stranger's was empty. He glanced back at the hand, then the shadows. Something emerged from his mind, some form of words or sentence. Something the older ones would've said.
What the hell?
Was he hallucinating? No, no he felt those things back there. He felt warmth, he felt something tugging at his arm across the way. And he recalled tugging at the thing back as well. Something or someone was back there. Why can't he see them, though? Were they invisible? Most humans would probably laugh at the notion, but at this rate, he'd believe just about anything.
He made his way out of the dark, pushing his head through the twisted tomb. He was met with a long natural bridge, surrounded by violent waves on both sides. He shivered at the sight of them, and looked beyond to see an archway and twin peaks behind it.
He decided to take a peek into his new pouch. Maybe it had something that could shed some light on his situation. He was disappointed to find it empty. Cursing his luck, he pressed forward. As he did, he noticed something- or rather someone- ahead. There, under the archway, were two white adults, a man and a woman.
Something seemed familiar about them. The woman had long brown hair and gray eyes, wearing a pink dress. The man had blond hair and ocean-blue eyes, wearing a simple shirt and tie. They had this strange aura, though. One of warmth, safety, and comfort. When he finally made his way towards them, he instantly recognized them. This time, he could hear the sound of his own voice.
"Mom… dad!" He sobbed, letting the tears cloud his vision. He could make out their arms opening up, waiting for him. He sprinted towards them, leaping into them. Or at least, so he though. He crashed face-first into the dirt, skidding pass the archway a bit. He lifted his head up, dazed from the impact. A curious feeling had surged through him, and seemed to be being emitting from the archway. He shook his head and turned back, puzzled. What he saw was the stuff of nightmares.
Not far from him were his mother and father, lying on the ground. Each was dotted with numerous holes, some having going all the way through their flesh and bones. They were sitting in a pool of blood. Their blood. And judging from the glassy eyes in their lifeless stares, something caught them off-guard. And that something wasn't far behind either.
On the other side of the archway was a legion of beings. One was a human in black garb, holding a submachine gun. His face was hidden beneath sunglasses and a black cloth, but he could see some pale skin. He recognized that man too. He was the one leading the bad men that broke into his house. How'd he get here, though?
Beside him was the purple-and-red kidnapper. What was his name again? "Tridax"? Also with him were Teridax, Mutran, Chirox, Xociv, and Icarax. The bronze madman was among them as well, wielding his bloodied axe. Frekaz slithered around in his snake-like form, crushed and still missing his main body. And speaking of bodies, the guard he murdered was present as well (albeit undead). The serpent-like creatures were behind them, hissing at him. The gangsters were standing beside them, especially the trigger happy one. He was missing an arm and most of his head, though.
They opened fire on him, launching all kinds of deadly things. Bullets, energy blasts, spikes, and more darted past him as he fled. He ran across the treacherous path, climbing over any obstacle he came across. He was too busy dodging incoming fire to notice how high or fast he was climbing. All that mattered to him was that he was far away from them.
One of the armored minions leapt at him, impaling its staff into his chest. The odd thing, though, was that he felt no pain. In fact, when he moved, he phased right off of it. He poked the Rahkshi, causing it to explode into colorful smoke. Everyone else followed suit. He shook his head.
They were never real. He realized. It was all just my imagination… am I going mad?
He didn't have time to ponder on that, for he was confronted by new faces. The creatures before him were a strange mix of beast and machine, box-like in shape. They moved through use of caterpillar-treads, something he once saw on vehicles back home. They seemed to have gears or grinders for mouths, and bore gleaming orange-red eyes. They also bore mandibles near the grinders, some with masks like his own. They also bore massive pincers, powerful enough to snap the boy in half.
They swarmed around him, cutting off the way back down. And yet they left a space open in the front. He poked one of them, feeling cold steel and hearing one of them hiss through their gear-like mandibles. They were real, alright, and they don't intend on letting him leave. Reluctantly, he allowed them to escort him to the wasteland below.
A/N: Welp, there's been a couple of retcons and chapters edited.
1: Tridax doesn't present H1 to Teridax. Instead, he keeps him and Project ONU a secret from him.
2: Replaced Vultraz with a simple Ko-Maotran smuggler to fit this story with the continuity of the Canon. Right now, this happens before Vultraz is saved by Gorast.
The reason I've left ANs on both of those chapters and here is because this website doesn't really alert anyone of any edits made to the chapters. So I've had to leave them here myself. Sorry if this is a bit of an incontinence for anyone. :/
Apart from that, everything is else remains the same. Sorry about not uploading the Halloween special, but I've got a bit of a cold right now. D: So I might not be able to type much until I get better.
So part of this takes place on Versuva. The island and Mersion species were created by ChickenBond2 from Custom BIONICLE Wiki, so he deserves credit for them. Things are getting more interesting now, aren't they? Lanous meets a human for the first time, and H1 is… well, some of yawl might know where he is by now. Not gonna spoil it just yet. :3
PS: Still taking suggestions for the name of that new Makuta.