"Well, at least we managed to get one more," Onewa said as he looked upon the blue orb in Nokama's hands.
"Great," the Ga-Matoran agreed, "but now how do I get my powers back inside of me?"
Whenua thought about it, then told Kit to apply just a small fraction of her powers on the orb. When asked why, he said, "Just a hunch." Shrugging her shoulders, Kit placed her hands onto the orb, and carefully directed just enough power until goldish-yellow ribbons swirled with the blue. "Now, press it against your chest, Nokama," the Earth Toa instructed. Nokama did as he said and, incredibly, the orb just seemed to sink into her chest until it completely disappeared. She glowed a gentle blue light, feeling the power spread throughout her body and reenergizing her as she grew back into a Toa.
After the others got over their surprise, Vakama asked Whenua, "How did you know that would work?"
"I remembered that before the explosion I was a Matoran, but when I managed to dig myself out I was a Toa," Whenua explained. "So, I figured that what happened was just before the explosion occurred, the ball just brushed my orb, making it 'wake up', so to speak. And, when I was forced back into the wall, the orb just got absorbed into me and the metamorphosis started just the second before I was buried."
"Now, what I want to know is, how are we going to go about getting the remaining four orbs back?" asked Nuju.
Everyone had to admit Nuju raised a good point. After that last attempt, there would be no way that Darcius would let them get the remaining orbs that easy a second time. Whether he moved them to a different location or not, he would no doubt have them guarded. "We'll find a way," said Nokama, "but, for now, I think we should get some rest." And so, with the two Toa the group had standing guard, they rested.
She was walking through a jungle until she came to a clearing. There was a huge stone face with a circular sand pit at its base. At the sand pit were seated many Matoran, six Toa, and six Turaga. One of the Toa, the green one, waved to her, as if inviting her to join them. As Kit came closer, she couldn't take her mind's eye off of the Turaga. The look in their eyes, their gentle smiles, their masks; they all just seemed familiar somehow. Then, the scene changed. She seemed to be in a tube of some sort. She couldn't tell if she was standing still, floating, or flying, but all around, images streaked past faster than the eye could follow. Suddenly, the images seemed to slow down for some reason, and, in them, she saw Lhikan, as a Toa. He was riding his airboard and delivering little packages to Vakama and the others, and they were all Matoran. Then, without warning, she started screaming in complete pain as white bolts struck her. Were they lightning bolts, or some kind of energy attack? She didn't know, and, quite frankly, didn't care at the moment. The pain was so intense, she couldn't even think, only scream and put her hands to her head.
Kit sat up in a flash, breathing hard and eyes wide; that was the most intense memory-dream yet. "Are you ok, Kit?" asked a voice. It was Nokama, who knelt next to her. Kit responded with a nod.
"Another one of those dreams, huh?" Whenua asked from his post nearby, and Kit nodded again.
Later, the team made their way back toward the open area. Earlier, Nuju determined that the orbs were still on the pedestals in the center. However, they were now guarded by five bat monsters. They moved as quietly and carefully as they could while maintaining visual contact with each other. Once she was on the border, Nokama signaled for her companions to come closer. "Ok, we all know what to do, right?" asked Vakama.
"Leave those freak shows to Whenua, Nokama, and me," responded Kit.
"And, once the shield's down and while we keep those things busy," confirmed Whenua, "you and the others grab the orbs, and then we're out of here."
"Let's go," said Nokama, and she and Whenua and Kit charged.
The creatures reacted as expected—they took to the sky and attacked. Once the Toa of Water's water jets downed them, the Earth Toa used his command over earth to restrain them to the ground. "Now's our chance," said Kit, and she and the two Toa combined their powers against the shield. However, the barrier held fast, in fact, it seemed stronger than before.
"Look out!" Matau called to them.
Kit looked behind to find that the bat monsters were almost free of their restraints. One managed to liberate itself and dove, but the three ducked. When it came back for another try, Kit was ready for it. At the last possible minute, she used an energy beam to pin it against the shield. Purple energy not only rippled on the barrier's surface, but it also sparked when the monster's back made contact, shocking it. It roared in excruciating pain, unable to move. Kit thought she saw something happen, and said to Nokama and Whenua, "Pin the others." It was difficult, but they managed to do it; the rest of the winged pack was all held down against the shield, and the Water and Earth Toa and girl resumed what they started. This time, with multiple targets, the shield's defense against their combined attack was weakened. Just like before, it shattered, and the beasts fell to the ground, unconscious. Vakama and the Matoran were there before anyone of their friends could beckon them. "C'mon, let's go," said Kit as they gathered up the remaining orbs. "The sooner we get out of here, the better I'll like it."
However, they only took a few strides when they found Darcius blocking their path, "Going somewhere?" Then, he turned his attention to the bat monsters, who were slowly getting up. "Some guards you turned out to be," he said to them. "I practically entrusted those orbs to you, and you couldn't even keep the little ones away from them."
Stretching out his hand, he let loose a flurry of energy bolts straight at one of the pack members. The creature was struck and it roared. Kit and her friends watched in disbelief as the monster virtually disintegrated in front of their very eyes. When it was over, all that remained was a burn mark where the creature once was. "You . . . destroyed one of your own creatures?" Nokama asked, horrified.
"I can't help it if it didn't get out of the way in time," he replied.
"Boy, was I wrong about you," said Onewa. Seeing Darcius' confused expression, he elaborated, "You're not crazy, you're psycho."
Angered, Darcius released more bolts, but Kit shielded the Po-Matoran. She glared at the man, ready for battle. However, the girl ended up letting out a startled yelp when Onewa led her by the hand down one of the tunnels, following the others. Darcius tried to stop them, but they were gone. "Get them!" he roared.
Elsewhere, a low growl was emitted as two red eyes snapped open. The creature heard its master's command and could sense it, could smell it—the ones that the master wanted were in the tunnels. It charged out of the den, followed by a few more like it. The hunt had begun.
Meanwhile, once they stopped, Kit immediately got to work on energizing the orbs. Nuju had just returned to his Toa state when a howl was heard. When the team discovered the source, they found creatures that looked like they came from a nightmare. They appeared to be big dogs that were half demon and their red eyes glowed like beacons in the darkness. Too tired from their running, Kit and the Toa stood their ground and the dog monsters attacked. The vicious beasts soon proved to be very persistent; in spite of the heroes' best efforts, they just kept coming. One cornered Nokama, but before it could do any real damage, a beam of ice turned it into a frozen statue. Before she could thank the Toa of Ice, she spotted another one of the monsters heading right for him. Her warning came too late, and Nuju found himself tackled to the ground. The Ice Toa cried out in pain when the beast's maw clamped down hard onto his shoulder. It growled as it shook and jerked its head back and forth, its teeth tearing at the Toa's shoulder. Desperately, Nuju somehow managed to jam his crystal spike into the creature's mouth, making it let go. The monster snarled, snapping its jaws as it fought to get to the Toa's throat. Just when the beast was about to overpower the Toa of Ice, Whenua grabbed it by the nape of its neck and flank and threw it into its packmate. In an instant, they were back on their feet, shook themselves, and were ready for more. "We can knock them down alright," said Vakama as one of the dog monsters fell to the ground with a yelp, courtesy of one of his fire balls. "But, how do we get them to stay down?"
"There are too many of them," Whenua pointed out. "Kit, energize Matau and Onewa's orbs so they can help us."
"Can't, got my only two hands full," the girl responded as she held off another one of the beasts.
At last, the team began to make some progress when some of the monsters lay wherever they had fallen, out cold. One of the few remaining demonic mutts pounced, but Kit countered with an energy blast, sending it into the wall. She wasn't given much of a chance to celebrate, though, since the last one grabbed her rocket pack from behind and threw her into the air. The girl crashed and tumbled down to the floor, unconscious. Before the monster could finish what it started, Whenua used his earth power to bury it under a pile of rocks. Nokama knelt beside her human friend, "Kit, are you ok?"
Images, both from her dreams and those she hadn't yet seen, flashed in Kit's subconscious mind. She saw the house; her family; her friends; more images of her life in the real world; the time she was brought to the Bionicle dimension; the Toa Nuva; her Matoran friends; the Turaga; Tehreisha; the Makuta; her first encounter with Darcius and her first battle with him; the Mask of Light and the Toa of Light; her jumping into a warp when Darcius tried to escape into it; the images she saw in the warp as she traveled back in time and how overwhelmed she felt at the sight, to see so much happening at once; and, lastly, the incredible and excruciating pain she endured when those strange bolts attacked her. The whole time, she heard herself saying the names of the people she saw in her flashbacks; it was as if a wall had come crumbling down. 'The faces, the names, the people and the places . . . I remember now!"
"I remember!" Kit affirmed when she suddenly woke up, startling the Toa and remaining two Matoran.
"Remember what, kid?" asked Onewa.
"Everything," the girl answered. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
Following their human companion, the group left the area behind them. And, it was a good thing they left when they did—the dog monsters were beginning to stir. Once they had recovered their wits, the beasts followed the scent of their prey down the twists of the tunnel. So focused they were on the hunt, they didn't notice that there was another tunnel entrance missing. Whenua breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the monsters rush past; he had just managed to barricade the opening with the surrounding soil and rock. Nokama carefully tended to Nuju's wound while the Toa of Ice held still. "Since Kit, Onewa, and Matau left a trail for them to follow, those things should be kept busy for a while," Vakama noted. Turning to the girl, the Toa of Fire asked Kit what she meant back in the other part of the tunnels.
"You guys might want to get comfortable," she suggested. "A lot of this is going to take some explaining." The Toa and Matoran did so and waited for her to begin. There was a short pause as Kit weighed the possibilities, then she finally said, "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm going to tell it to you straight. Not only am I from a different realm, but I'm also from your future."
Kit went on to explain just about everything she knew. She told the Toa Metru of her homeworld; the recently discovered island they christened Mata Nui; Tehreisha; her being named the Bionicle realm's Protector; her adventures on their new home; Darcius; and the time warp. "There were these images, little snippets, of certain events all around as I traveled back in time," said Kit. "That's why I know Lhikan when he was a Toa, I saw him delivering your Toa Stones. Then, something happened; the next thing I know these white lightning-like bolts strike from nowhere and I'm screaming in pain. The pain was mostly centered in my head, which is why I believe those bolts must've done something to my memory. Then, for a bit, everything just goes blank, then I regain my senses in the Great Temple back at Metru Nui, and you all know the rest." As she waited for a response, she felt a little guilty. Because she had to stay true to the 'code' as a Protector, she didn't tell them about them being Turaga or the Toa Nuva. Nuju was about to speak when there was a thud against the barrier. Angry barks and growls could be heard on the other side. "Sounds like they caught on to my little trick," Kit realized, and there was another thud.
This time, a few rocks were dislodged. "And, that didn't sound good," Nokama noted nervously. In an instant, Whenua activated his earthshock drills on the ceiling and in minutes had a hole big enough for everyone to fit through.
"Hurry, up here!" he urged.
The group didn't need to be told twice and they all scrambled up. One of the monster dogs broke through just in time to see Whenua's legs dangling as he pulled himself up. It leaped, grabbed hold of the Earth Toa's ankle, and pulled hard. Whenua, meanwhile, winced as he felt the beast's teeth bite into his armor and slid with the added weight. "Guys, help!" he called, trying to hold on to the ground as the creature tugged at his leg. Vakama and Nokama had hold of his arms immediately, but Nuju discovered that the strain hurt his shoulder too much. Spotting an opening, Kit launched an energy ball and the beast fell to the ground with a yelp, stunned. The Toa of Earth was hauled up and he assured his friends that he could still run; slight scratches on his armor were the only evidence of the attack. Finally, with Nuju's scope to guide them, the team found their way back where they had started. Before they got far, though, Nokama got on top of Vakama, sending him to the ground just before a flurry of purple energy bolts would've struck him.
They turned to face Darcius, whose eyes gleamed with rage and hatred. "I've grown tired of these games," he growled. "Surrender and give me those two orbs."
"You want them? Come and claim them," Vakama challenged, only to regret it a moment later when Darcius unleashed his power in its full fury.
The bolts struck so fast and hard, no one was able to dodge them and they were sent to the ground. Even Kit's and Nuju's shields of energy and ice didn't save them for long. While the girl and the Toa Metru lay dazed, Darcius approached them and eyed the young human, who looked up at him with defiance in her eyes. But, there was something else too. Whereas earlier, her eyes seemed to have a slight sense of emptiness and confusion, they were now filled with fullness and enlightenment, and a thought struck him. If she really was a First One, that left the question about her powers. First Ones weren't supposed to have powers of the sort she had. Where and how did she get them? On top of that, being a First One meant she could be swayed, right? Swayed to either side. "So, you really are a First One, aren't you?" he asked.
"If you mean I'm from the real world, yes I am," she replied.
"How did you get here and how did you get such powers?"
"I found this crystal around my neck when I arrived. As for how I got here, Tehreisha brought me and named me this world's Protector."
"The Gate Guardian?" he inquired, then burst out laughing. "Do you honestly take me for a fool? The powers I can believe, but the Guardian actually taking the time to bring a young First One into a different realm? Ha!" A pause followed before Darcius continued. "You see child, that's the thing with you First Ones. Though you do tend to be one way or another, depending on certain circumstances, your souls can still be persuaded to switching from light to dark and vice-versa. It's that nature that makes you so unpredictable, a wildcard, and the Gate Guardian would never risk that."
"Then, I guess she must've been desperate to entrust 'wildcards' with the well-being of different realms, huh?" Kit countered.
"Well, whether you choose to tell me the truth or not, it matters not," said Darcius, receiving a confused look from the girl. Seeing this, Darcius said, "I'll be direct, why not join me?" Kit, Onewa, Matau, and the Toa Metru looked at him with surprised expressions. "Why waste your talents on such futile goals when you can use them in any way you wish?" he continued. "With both of our powers combined, nothing would be able to stop us and you could reap the rewards you deserve; you and I would make an unbeatable team. Come over to my side, Kit, and I'll show what real power is and what you can accomplish with it."
Kit couldn't believe it, but she was actually taking her time with her answer. Why? She couldn't actually be considering Darcius' proposal, could she? As he waited, Darcius gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Then, in a flash, she twisted his arm behind his back, making him grunt in pain, then pushed him away with an energy ball. "If you think that I'm actually going to join forces with you after what you've done, you're crazy," she stated.
"Then, it seems it's time I do what I should've done in the first place," Darcius growled as he stood up, his hands sparking with energy waiting to be released.
Kit and the Toa prepared themselves, but before Darcius could launch his attack, Onewa jumped and grabbed his cape. The Po-Matoran's weight pulled the knot against his neck, choking him, and made him lean back. Matau, then, followed up with tackling Darcius to the floor and the two Matoran wrestled on top of him. The girl and the Toa made a break for it, only to find that Onewa and Matau weren't following. Whenua called to them, but they kept struggling with the man. "You guys go on ahead," Onewa called back. "We'll keep him busy and catch up to you later." The Toa of Water was about to protest, but an urgent shout from Matau silenced her and Kit had grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
Darcius just managed to fight his way to his feet when the team disappeared amongst the rocks. "Get off of me, you little fools," he demanded as he thrashed against the Matoran.
Onewa was on his shoulders, his hands covering his eyes, while Matau held on and pulled at his leg, trying to keep him from walking. Finally, he grabbed hold of the Po-Matoran's shoulders and threw him off and gave the Le-Matoran a sharp kick. The two lay where they fell, stunned, as Darcius approached them. The Matoran regained their senses just in time to find Darcius towering over them. Before they could react, he had hold of them in the blink of an eye, Onewa by the throat, though not squeezing, and Matau by the leg. He glared at the two as they struggled to free themselves. "I had thought reverting you back to your Matoran forms would make you nothing more than a minor pestilence. But, it seems that it has made you even more annoying than you ever were as Toa." He started walking to an edge as he continued, "I ought to feed you to the fires below." Sure enough, far down in the crevasse, a river of lava flowed and boiled. The sound of the lava flow made the river sound like a real beast, practically begging for the former Toa to be fed to it. Immediately and instinctively, the two Matoran doubled their efforts, but Darcius' grip was too strong. Then, he moved away from the edge and said, "Wait a minute, I've got a better idea." Onewa and Matau did not like the look of the smile on his face at all and involuntarily gulped.