(A/N:) Welcome back, folks! You're getting this week's chapter a little earlier than usual, because I'm going on a church retreat this weekend and there's no internet access. I'm also planning on taking another writing break after this update to get a backlog built up again, because for the last few weeks I've been completing drafts as I'm uploading the previous chapter and I don't want to keep living on the edge like that. This feels like a good place to put the fic on pause for now anyways, as this chapter sort of caps off "Act 1" for the story. Hope you enjoy it, and sorry in advance for such a short update!
"Scoreboard! Scoreboard!"
"Hewkii is up seven-to-four! Can Epena catch up to him?"
"Who ate all the pies? Who ate all the pies?!"
"Ooh, nice interception from Kivi! Will she be able to maintain that defense?"
"You call that a kick? That was clearly a foul! Come on, Podu - I know you can do better!"
"HEWKII I LOVE YOU! WIN THIS ONE FOR MEEEEE!"
"...okay, who let the Ga-Matoran in here?"
It still amazed Takua just how quickly things could go back to normal.
He sat comfortably in the sandstone bleachers that surrounded the Koli field at the back of Po-Koro, his thoughts nearly drowned out by the sea of cheering sports fans around him. Not that he could blame them for their excitement - after all, there were four healthy and happy Po-Matoran in the playing field, kicking and blocking the Koli balls that flew in a dizzying display. Takua still wasn't sure what the rules for Koli were, or who was winning, or even what half the cries from the other villagers meant. All he knew was that Hewkii, the star Koli player, was no longer sick with Makuta's deathly disease, and right now that was enough.
Takua took his eyes off the game for a moment to look down at the freckled human that lay on the seat next to him. Penny was curled up in a ball with her hair covering her sleeping face, her chest rising and falling with each soft snore that left her lips. Somehow, his organic companion had managed to fall asleep in the middle of a sports game; given that she'd stayed up all night to catch the Matoran responsible for the plot, it was no wonder she was so tired.
Looks like humans need more sleep than us Matoran, he thought with a small smile. Wonder what she's dreaming about?
"Ah, there you are. Come to watch the game, have you?"
He looked up at the sound of the voice, smiling under his mask as he saw Turaga Onewa climbing over the bleachers to join him. To his relief, the village elder was looking much less haggard and stressed now than he was the day before, as his village healed and his people's spirits were restored. While Onewa had never fallen ill himself, Takua wondered if the infected Koli balls hadn't passively worn him down with their presence alone. If so, that would have made Ahkmou's plan all the more insidious, and it made him all the more grateful that those horrible things were now withering away at the bottom of the sea.
"Penny wanted to see a Koli match, at least at first," explained Takua with a chuckle. "Then she ate four of Ally's pies, curled up right here on the bleacher, and fell asleep five minutes after it started. I'm surprised all the yelling hasn't woken her up."
"You would be surprised what some Matoran here can sleep through," said Onewa, laughing dryly as he took a seat. "Let her rest - she has more than earned it. As have you, Takua."
The odd little Ta-Matoran was tempted to point out that he didn't actually do much. Like Ga-Koro, his part in saving the day was nothing compared to the real heroes - Penny, the Toa, and the other Huntresses who fell from Remnant. But he knew that if he hadn't been there, things would have turned out differently; his freckled friend would have been at Makuta's mercy without his light, Pohatu would have been fighting blind without his guidance, and Neo…
Okay, so Neo probably didn't need or want anything from him. Still, at least he could take pride that he was there to help, and he didn't just end up being dead weight.
"Thank you, Turaga," Takua finally said with a bow, smiling under his mask. "So what happens now? Is everything alright here?"
"It will be," answered Onewa with a sage nod. "With the source of the infection removed, we are already healing. There are still some who need to recover, and our Mahi and Husi populations will be low for a while, but we will endure. Po-Koro has always held fast like a stone in the desert - that will not change today."
Glowing yellow eyes looked down at the ground, as something else weighed on him. "And what about Ahkmou? What happened to him?"
The Turaga of Po-Koro sighed and shook his head sadly. "We banished him," he replied remorsefully. "It was the only thing we could do, for we have neither the space nor the resources to imprison him under armed guard. So the desert shall be his cage for now. He will wander the sands of Po-Wahi for many moons, and should he survive long enough to see the error of his ways…we may see about allowing him back."
That was understandable. Takua doubted that a mask like Ahkmou's was gonna be welcome back in the village for a very, very long time. Especially considering he'd tried to poison everyone with the thing they loved the most.
Still, if he got banished for allying himself with Makuta… The Ta-Matoran suppressed a shudder. What did I do that was so bad, it deserved an equal punishment?
He shook his head to clear those existential questions with no answers, looking up at Onewa instead. "You're not worried he'll just run right back to Makuta?"
The Turaga shook his head. "He can certainly try. But if he is wise, he will know that only death and destruction await him should he willingly seek out the Master of Shadows. Experience has taught me that the Makuta does not tolerate failure on the part of his pawns, and once a plot is foiled, he will abandon it in favor of a newer, more insidious plan. That is what makes him so dangerous and unpredictable…he never uses the same tricks twice."
Takua watched as the village elder let out a heavy sigh. "This war with Makuta, this struggle for survival…it has eroded us down to our very foundations. True, we stand firm in the face of his influence, but the stone is quickly turning into shifting sand under our feet. So much of ourselves has been forgotten, so much history has been lost in the endless desert of time. We Matoran can live for thousands of years, yet each new phase of the moon seems to erase the one that came before in our minds."
Onewa set down his hammer-staff and reached into his robes, pulling out a pair of odd items. One was a gray rectangle with blue bubble-like screens that was as large as Takua's hand, and the other was a silver U-shaped blade with two sharpened points and curved edges. With a click near the base a shaft extended out of the latter, creating a staff that was almost as long as Takua was tall.
"Which is a problem I seek to correct, here and now." The village elder handed the items to the very-surprised Ta-Matoran. "This island has gone long enough without a proper Chronicler, I would say."
Takua looked down at the electronic tablet in one hand, and spared a quick glance at the bladed staff in the other. "A…Chronicler? What's that?"
"A Chronicler is a Matoran with a very special duty," explained Onewa. "It falls to them to travel the island and witness history as it happens, to write in stone the events they see so that it may be read and remembered by future generations. This task now falls to you, just as it did to countless travelers before you, and as it shall fall to many more after you. Even when the sand swallows all, when we return to dust and our heartstones stop beating, the stories you carve shall remain for all to see. In this way we will be remembered, immortalized in the solid foundation of the past."
He gestured to the items in turn. "This book, the Codex, will help you in this endeavor by recording all that you see and hear so that you may review it later. And this, the Chronicler's staff, will be the chisel with which you transcribe the events on a Wall of History. It will also serve as your weapon, should you decide to take a more…proactive role in shaping the future. These have been the tools of a Chronicler for many generations; they will serve you now, for as long as you remain the one to tell our stories."
The blue-masked Matoran stared down at the items in his hands, feeling his breath hitch in his chest. "I…this is an incredible honor, Turaga Onewa. Thank you." He narrowed his eyes as he looked back up with determination. "I swear I won't let you down."
"See that you do not," said Onewa with another nod. "I will never hear the end of it from Vakama if the first Chronicler in a thousand years dies before he makes a single record. But I know you are brave, noble, and resourceful." He gestured to the players kicking Koli balls across the playing field. "This is proof of that."
Takua nodded and stowed the Codex in his rucksack while collapsing the staff and slinging it over his shoulder. Then he looked down at Penny with a fond grin, laying a hand on her form even as she still snored softly.
"I'm just glad I could help," he said meekly while stroking her hair. "And that I had help."
Despite being fast asleep, the freckled human smiled in pride.
The sound of gunfire was music to Emerald's ears as another spider-like Fikou exploded into bits, blasted apart by twin hails of bullets from Thief's Respite. She shifted her footing on the sticky web and put another two rounds into the Rahi approaching on her left, then whirled to deliver a kick and point-blank shot from her revolver into the creature on her right. Another orange mechanical arachnid leapt to descend behind her with a maw full of venom, but a gust of strong wind knocked them off-balance and sent them spinning in a miniature cyclone. Nodding her thanks towards the Toa of Air she raised both guns - gods, it felt good to wield two guns again! - and dumped the rest of her magazines into the hapless spider, making it burst into a shower of bug guts and scrap metal.
Emerald ejected the now-empty cylinders from her revolvers with a snap of her wrists, looking over her shoulder at the green-armored giant and the Matoran-shaped cocoon he was working on. "You just about done with the rescue over there, big guy?"
"Almost, sprout-leaf!" called Lewa as his axe hacked and chopped at the strong strands of silk. "Just keep the spider-crawlers distracted for a little while-longer!"
She was about to give a snarky reply when another half-dozen Fikou descended from the trees, the empty eyes of the infected Pakari on their abdomens staring into her soul. The spiderweb, which hung suspended dozens of feet in the air between four massive branches, shook and trembled under the added weight - but the silky threads of the Rahi held firm even with six new arrivals joining the battle. Normally Emerald would have been glad that the strong webbing gave her a stable (if tricky) battleground, but considering how that same thread was also keeping a Le-Matoran trapped, it just reminded her how much she hated bugs.
"Well don't hurry on my account!" she called as she snapped a fresh set of bullets into Thief's Respite. "I could use the target practice anyways."
The first Fikou lunged with a shrieking cry, only to be knocked aside at a distance as the Huntress's revolvers form-shifted into long hooked chains. With a flick of her wrist she snapped her weapons back like whips, driving the sickle blades into the eyes of another spider. Emerald yanked the blinded Rahi towards her only to kick it into the approaching pack, sending it crashing into another Fikou and sending both spiders tumbling down off the web. When the remaining bugs came into melee range she let loose a flurry of swipes and slashes, cutting through chitin and metal with surgeon-like precision.
Man, spiders were already bad enough, thought the mint-haired thief as she tore her way through the Fikou. But making them the size of a small child and giving them metal armor? I don't know what kind of creator-god thought that was a good idea, but I sincerely hope they die a horribly violent death.
"Done with the chop-cutting!" announced Lewa proudly as he slung the now-loose cocoon over his shoulder. "Time to go, sprout-leaf!"
Emerald nodded and used the mask of an approaching Fikou as a springboard, leaping back towards the Toa of Air and grabbing onto his other arm. Lewa dove through the collapsing web and raced towards the jungle floor below, before flipping in mid-air and activating his mask while summoning a wind current. Immediately a cushion of air formed underneath him, which combined with the Mask of Levitation to slow his fall until he touched down with all the grace and gentleness of a dropped feather.
The Huntress cast a glance back up at the many, many Fikou who were pouring out of the trees to try and reclaim their lost meal. "Hey Lewa, mind creating another little updraft for me?" she asked as she fished out a metallic purple crystal. "I've got a little present for these things."
Lewa barked in laughter, raising his hand. "By all means, go ahead!"
A funnel of wind formed in front of Emerald, one whose wider end pointed back where they came from. She nodded in thanks and tossed the chunk of Gravity Dust into the tiny little tornado, crimson eyes tracking the volatile piece as it flew higher and higher. When it reached the apex of its flight she snapped Thief's Respite back into a revolver, aimed for a fraction of a second at the crystal, and fired.
VRMMMMMMMM…BOOM.
One bullet was all it took to detonate the elemental energy within the Dust, unleashing a burst of gravity so strong it manifested as a localized black hole. It swelled and expanded like a balloon until it grew large enough to pull the Fikou, the webbing, and even the branches themselves into its depths. Once it was big enough to fit at least five Toa it snapped back into the size of a pinhead, imploding violently with all its contents before blasting apart into a wave of pure deafening force. All that remained after the final explosion were the scarred remains of trees that once held the Fikou web…and a tiny little cube of compacted matter that dropped unceremoniously to the ground like dead weight.
The jungles of Le-Wahi went silent for a full twenty seconds before the familiar bird calls came back.
"Hah, quite the little trick-rock there sprout-leaf!" cackled Lewa, patting Emerald on the back. "Don't suppose you'd consider gift-lending some of that to me at some point?"
She let out a laugh and shook her head. "Not in a million years. You'd burn down half the jungle without even realizing it. No way I'm enabling that kind of behavior by giving you my Dust."
Besides, if you wanted to use elements other than wind and air, you should have stayed with the other Toa.
Emerald was quite proud of herself for how that fight was handled, but she was even more proud of herself for holding back her more…toxic remarks. Not that a little negativity wasn't warranted in this case - after all, Lewa was the one who had argued the most aggressively at Kini-Nui for the Toa splitting up, and he'd ended up getting exactly what he wanted. While it wasn't entirely fair to pin the blame on him, his attitude towards teamwork and the others certainly didn't help, especially considering how he reacted when Matau told him to look for his brothers and sister. So it was fair, Emerald reasoned, to at least partly blame him for splitting the Huntresses up once again, as they traveled with their own Toa to help them find their masks.
Not that Emerald actually missed Team RWBY and their goody-two-shoes leader.
At least…that was what she kept telling herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of webbing being ripped away, followed by a loud gasp. She snapped her head to see a Matoran with a light green Rau stumble out of the remains of his cocoon, falling on his knees and keeping himself up on trembling sky-blue arms. Emerald recognized who the unfortunate Matoran was almost immediately, but it still took her a second to process the information.
"Tamaru?!" she exclaimed.
"G-good to see you, true-friend!" The leaf-runner took another shaky breath. "And you, Toa Lewa! I'd be Fikou-bones if you hadn't shown up when you did."
Lewa gace a grand bow. "Always a pleasure to aid-help one of my tree-people!"
As long as they're not another Toa, you mean.
"How'd you even get stuck in there, Tamaru?" Emerald asked with a tilt of her head, pushing down another biting remark. "You're usually more attentive than that."
"Fleeing from three Rama-swarmers can distract even the best leaf-runners," admitted Tamaru sheepishly as he rose to his feet. "Buzz-fliers have been prey-stalking the jungles in small wing-teams lately, snatching up unaware tree-folk and dragging them to the shadow-dark. Managed to slip away, but ended up in the silk-web of Fikou-spiders. Still a kinder fate than getting caught by those Rahi-beasts, though."
That was…odd. From what Turaga Matau told her and Lewa, the enormous mosquito-like Nui-Rama were solitary predators when they were out hunting, and only in their hives did they tolerate the presence of others. They were vicious, violent, and highly territorial outside the nest - why would they suddenly set that aside in favor of pack hunting? She knew it had to be Makuta's doing, forcing them against their nature like this, but she didn't like the implications that came to mind.
Either Makuta is gearing up for something big, or he's looking for something or someone specific, she thought with a frown. Probably both.
Emerald shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Well, at least these bugs won't bother you anymore," she noted with a hint of disgust as she looked at the splattered guts. "Or anyone, really."
"And the same-fate will happen to any Rama-bugs we find!" Lewa puffed his chest. "Come, sprout-leaf - back to the quest-search!"
Tamaru's eyes widened. "W-wait! Should thank-bless you for saving me! Have to give-gift something…"
The green-armored giant waved his hand dismissively. "Please. A Toa-hero needs no reward-gift - "
"Oh! I know where to seek-find a Great Kanohi-mask!"
That got Lewa to change his tune. "...but it is appreciated all the same. Go on."
"It's the speed-fast mask, I think," said the little Matoran. "You can find it in a deep-cave at the southern edge of the Fau Swamp, between the two leaning great-trees. Be careful, though - the tunnels are connected to the sea-waves. When the high-tide comes in, the entire area can sink-flood in seconds."
The mint-haired Huntress tilted her head. "So you're saying that the Mask of Speed is in an underwater cave?"
"Correct, true-friend."
Lewa's sudden smile and enthusiasm vanished.
Emerald hummed thoughtfully as she processed the new information. She was an excellent swimmer; growing up as an orphan in a city with an absurd number of rivers and canals all but required knowing how to navigate currents and flooded tunnels, especially since they made great escape routes from the authorities. So she was pretty confident in her ability to handle this and get the Kanohi mask. But clearly the Toa of Air was less enthusiastic about this situation, if his tensed shoulders and clenched fist around his axe handle was any indication.
"What's the matter, big guy?" she asked with a smirk. "You've been so gung-ho about finding these masks ever since you found out about them. Don't tell me - you're not afraid of a little water to get one of those, are you?"
Lewa scoffed. "Afraid? No. Disgusted? Very-much so! Water-yuck's a place for sea-swimmers like Gali - not a high-soaring wind-flyer like me! We will keep look-searching, maybe it belongs to someone else."
That remark finally broke Emerald's sense of self-restraint. Lewa had just gotten a tip from one of his people, and his first instinct was to grouse and complain? Right in front of Tamaru, no less?! She could afford to be a little mean.
The mint-haired girl made a show of rolling her eyes. "Well gee, it sure is a shame someone didn't want to stick with the others, then. Maybe someone could have gotten it for you…"
And like that, a nerve was struck.
Glowing green eyes narrowed for a moment, then the Toa of Air crouched down and leapt away without another word. Leaves scattered down around Emerald as Lewa vanished into the trees, showering her in a storm of green and a gust of petulant wind. Part of her wondered if she'd been too mean. The rest of her wondered if she hadn't been mean enough.
"Is…everything right-well with our Toa-hero?" Tamaru asked. "He seems angry-mad. Did something happen?"
Emerald sighed and shook her head. "He's just…working through some stuff, is all. He's got this idea in his head that he doesn't need the other Toa, and that they don't need him. This came to a head during our first meeting between the Toa the other day, and…well, let's just say it didn't exactly end with everyone sitting around a campfire holding hands and singing Kumbaya."
The Le-Matoran tilted his head. "What is Kumbaya?"
"Never mind." Sensing the spirits of her friend fall, she knelt and laid a hand on his mask. "Don't worry. He's still got me, and even though I might get snippy I've got his back. I'm sure he'll realize it's better to work together soon. You know, how nice it is to be on this whole…team…thing."
Ugh. Talking about friendship and teamwork and all that junk feels exactly like having a hair at the back of my mouth. How the hell does Ruby pull out big speeches about this kind of stuff all the freaking time?!
"He must, for everyone's sake-life," said Tamaru with a worried nod, thankfully blind to her thoughts. "The legend-stories Matau sang to us always spoke of six Toa-heroes, and how they must be together-strong to face Makuta and his Rahi-beasts. Even the Rama-swarms know the power of Unity…it is what makes them and their nests and hives so dark-feared among my tree-people. I can only hope-pray that Lewa learns this too, before it is too late."
Emerald looked back at the Lewa-shaped hole in the trees, sighing as the green-armored Toa of Air grew farther and farther away - in every sense of the word.
"Yeah…me too, little buddy. Me too."
To Kopaka's immense relief, the morning sun brought an end to the snowstorm.
He stood at the edge of a cliff not too far from the shelter, casting his gaze over the snow-covered valley below. A fresh layer of white powder covered the world like a colorless blanket, reflecting the early dawn's light in dazzling beams with their brightness alone. It was hard to think that only a few hours ago this mountain was enveloped in a fierce blizzard, yet now it sat so still and calm and peaceful.
It was a stark contrast to how he felt inside, at least.
The Toa of Ice narrowed his eyes as he stared into space, his thoughts returning once again to that troubling vision Nuju had shared with him before the summons to Kini-Nui. According to the old Turaga, before the Toa confront Makuta they will awaken to a greater power than they knew, one that surpassed their own yet required a sacrifice of autonomy and independent wills. Three Toa would merge to form a champion of courage, while the other three would combine and become a warrior of wisdom. Thus would the spirits of Akamai and Wairuha walk the earth as Toa Kaita, a being born of fusion between the three Toa that combined the bodies, minds, and powers of the ones used to create them.
And this very concept chilled Kopaka to his core.
At first he wondered why such a thing would be necessary. Would they not already be powerful enough with the Huntresses at their side and a full collection of Kanohi masks at their command? Why would they need even more power on top of that? But his meeting with the other Toa and his conversation with Weiss made him realize it was a deeper issue, one he couldn't rationally explain. Was the incredible power of the Toa Kaita worth the cost of losing himself, even if only for a short time? And if the two other Toa he merged with saw the real Kopaka beneath the mask and icy armor, how would they react? What would happen after the defeat of Makuta, after the other Toa saw him for who he truly was? Would they accept him, as Weiss had when he bared his soul to her? Or would they turn on him, thinking he was too much trouble to put up with?
I know what Weiss was trying to say last night, he thought to himself. About trusting others and letting them trust you. But it's not the same - she's not expected to physically lose her own sense of self by combining with her teammates. I am.
Then again…did that matter?
"Krrrrf."
The sound of heavy breathing and crunching snow behind him snapped him out of his thoughts, and Kopaka realized that the heiress must have finally woken up to join him. He turned to face the sleepy-headed Huntress -
Only for his mask to nearly bump into the snout of a Kane-Ra as tall as he was.
Instinct kicked in as he stepped back and drew his sword and shield, ready to do battle with another one of the Makuta's beasts. But he paused as soon as he realized two things about the creature; first, it appeared to be constructed out of living pearl-white ice with light blue accents, and second, it didn't appear aggressive or hostile in the slightest. Instead, the Kane-Ra just stood there, lowing occasionally and sniffing the unfamiliar Toa.
"It's alright," said Weiss, trailing a hand alongside the spectral creature as she approached. "He won't hurt you. In fact…he won't hurt anyone unless I want him to."
Kopaka looked from the heiress to the Rahi, connecting the dots in his mind. "This is…one of your summons?" He'd heard her say she could use them before, but this was the first one he'd seen with his own eyes.
"My newest one," Weiss confirmed with a nod. "Like I said, my Semblance is…unusual, even for Remnant. It's hereditary, meaning that it's been passed down through my family line, and while the conjured glyphs can be modified with Dust to attack with fire and ice, its real power comes in the ability to call on the power of enemies that fell by my own hand. I knew I could do it with Grimm…but I hadn't thought to try it with the Rahi here until Ruby suggested it."
Her cheeks turned somewhat pink as she clutched the strip of red fabric around her neck. "...I can't wait to tell her she was right."
The summoned Kane-Ra chuffed and nudged her with its snout, which she rewarded with pats on the chin and scratches behind the horns. The Toa of Ice just watched for a moment, amazed at the change in temperament. Much like how the mountain and valley were so much calmer after the blizzard, the spectral Rahi was almost docile and gentle under her command, yet he had no doubt it could be just as fierce if its mistress wished it.
But there was something else she said that got his attention.
"This Ruby…" he said with a thoughtful gaze. "She means a lot to you."
Weiss nodded again. "More than anything."
"You could have gone with her after the meeting at Kini-Nui."
"Please. You can't get rid of me that easily."
The heiress looked up at him with a small, knowing smile. Though Kopaka's face was hidden by his mask, he found himself returning it all the same. Then he cast his gaze back at the horizon, activating his mask power as he searched the distant peaks and valleys.
"There are no other masks for us in Ko-Wahi," said the Toa of Ice after a moment. "We'll have to travel the rest of the island to find the rest. Any preference where we go first?"
"Literally anywhere that isn't a frozen block of ice, please," said Weiss with a sigh. "Maybe somewhere warm and tropical."
Kopaka nodded. "Leva Bay it is, then. Hop on."
He threw down his shield as he'd done so many times before, sword already humming with power to form a path of frost and snow. Weiss nodded and dismissed her summoned Kane-Ra in a shower of snowflakes, stepping onto the makeshift sled and kneeling as they took off. This time, it didn't escape Kopaka's notice that she leaned against his legs a lot more during this trip, or that she seemed a lot less terse and a lot more relaxed. For reasons he couldn't quite articulate, his own muscles weren't quite as stiff and the wind didn't sting quite as badly.
Maybe this was what the heiress meant when she said her friends made her feel warm.
(A/N): Aww, look, they're bonding! Looks like Kopaka has a heart after all.
Anyways, this is again where I leave you guys until I get some new chapters done! I don't know how long the story will be on hiatus - could be a few weeks, could be a few months - but I do plan to return! I've got a bunch of cool ideas in store, and I look forward to getting them down in writing.
Thanks for reading everyone! Stay safe, stay sane, and keep being awesome!