(A/N): And we're back! Sorry about the wait, I had a few other personal writing projects that needed my attention soon after that weekend retreat back in May, not to mention that I caught "the plague" not long after. But I'm okay now, I've got my muse back, and we're celebrating my return with a biiiig chapter to compensate!
One of the biggest challenges for this story has been balancing and juggling six different plot lines that all focus around the same general goal, while also writing them in a compelling and interesting way. This chapter in particular is a good example of that - I didn't want to just go "and then Tahu found X mask, and then Gali found Y mask, and then Lewa found Z mask" and call it a day, but I also don't want to bog the story down in so many chapters where it's just the Toa and the Huntresses finding masks. So I went with sort of a montage style with this one, cutting back and forth between the perspectives and showing the characters learning and growing with each new challenge. I don't intend to write too many "go around and find the masks" chapters for this fic, because I'm far more interested in telling stories with these characters rather than ticking off a collection checklist. Hope you enjoy it, and as always thanks for reading and being patient!
And now, without further ado…on with the new chapter!
Of all the Rahi on this island, Pohatu decided he liked the Fusa the least.
Sure, they seemed cute and cuddly at first, what with their long fluffy ears and their big shimmering eyes and their hunched bipedal torsos covered in soft fuzzy fur. But the metallic marsupials were anything but harmless, as their spring-powered legs and piston-enhanced arms made them dangerous close combat fighters. Their punches and kicks didn't have much reach and power, but these little fighters more than made up for it with speed and reflexes that matched even a Toa's. Worse, these Rahi didn't wear an infected mask of any kind - which meant that there was no easy way for him to pacify the one that was currently using him for target practice.
"Look, I'm sorry to bother you!" Pohatu protested as he blocked another series of punches. "I told you, we're just here for the mask you've stashed in your den! It's not like you need it - you don't even wear masks!"
The Fusa didn't seem all that keen on talking it out, instead throwing a powerful kick at the Toa of Stone that dared invade its territory. He groaned as the foot collided with his chest, denting the armor and bruising the thin layer of muscle underneath. If he didn't fight back soon, he'd be nothing but sand in the wind, and Makuta would rule over the island with one less Toa to stand in his way. He wasn't about to let one belligerent bully make that happen, no matter how cute and "innocent" it was.
"Alright, I tried to be reasonable - " He ducked under a low left hook. " - but if violence is the only language Rahi like you speak - " A right jab was swatted away. " - then shut up and listen!"
And with that Pohatu reared his foot back and drove it into the Fusa's chest, servos and gears whining and grinding in protest. The Rahi's bulbous eyes widened in shock for a split second, before the kick sent it flying off the ground and careening into the sky. If he looked up and squinted, he was certain he'd be able to see a distant speck of gray and orange sailing across the horizon before falling into a distant dune. He was reasonably certain the trip wouldn't kill it, but he wouldn't exactly be torn up if it did.
The Toa of Stone stood there in the now-empty battlefield, panting heavily as a tiny little human appeared next to him in a shower of lavender triangles.
"Do me a favor, Pebble," groaned Pohatu as he clutched his aching chest. "The next time I propose a plan to solo the highly-territorial Rahi while you hide and raid its den for the mask…for Mata Nui's sake, please try to talk me out of it."
Neopolitan raised an eyebrow, then pointed to her lips.
"...you know what I mean. Did you find it?"
The silent Huntress nodded, then pulled out the dull-gray mask she'd been holding behind her back. Most of it was clear and transparent, as though it had been shaped out of glass - particularly the triangular visor that covered where the eye holes should have rested. With a grateful nod Pohatu slipped the new mask over his own, feeling its power course through him as it shifted its color to match the color and transparency of old amber.
"Ah, many thanks." He nodded in approval and carefully ruffled her pink-brown hair. "The first of our masks has been claimed - the Kanohi Kaukau, the Great Mask…of water-breathing."
Neo's face lit up at the praise…then immediately fell when she heard what its power was. She crossed her arms and pouted, puffing out her lower lips and glaring daggers up at the Toa.
"Why such a sour look?" Pohatu asked. "You think this a worthless ability, especially in the desert? Well, I happen to believe otherwise, Pebble - I'm as dense as stone, and just as skilled a swimmer, so if I ever find myself in deep water I'll immediately sink to the bottom. I won't have my legend cut short because I fell into a river and drowned, that would just be insulting. Don't worry, I'm certain the next mask will be a little more interesting…and a little less intensive for the both of us."
His human companion rolled her eyes, but she nonetheless climbed up on his shoulder. Pohatu could tell that Neo was disappointed that her efforts had all been for a less-than-immediately-useful mask power, and to some extent he understood her frustration. While water-breathing wasn't as flashy as something like shielding or incredible strength, his main worry was that if the Makuta ever turned the waters against him, he wouldn't be able to resist them. So having the ability to breathe beneath the waves was one anxiety filed away, at least for a little while longer.
With a sigh and a soft smile he reached up and lightly tousled her hair again. "Tell you what, Pebble. I'll let you pick the next mask to seek out. We have a full map of the island from Onewa, as well as a general idea of where many of my Kanohi are hidden - I believe we are well-equipped to handle any challenges that come our way."
Neo made a show of wordlessly humming and hawing, even putting a hand to her chin as she thought. Then her eyes brightened and she snapped her fingers, forming an illusion of a green bird-like mask over her own face. Pohatu recognized it as the Kanohi Miru, the Mask of Levitation - the very same mask that he remembered belonged to the Toa of Air.
"Hah, you want us to seek Lewa's mask, then?" Pohatu grinned. "Very well, but you'll have to teach me the best way to glide once we have it. You seem far more adept in the air than I, little Pebble."
His traveling companion seemed to blush under the compliment, though she got it under control just as the illusion disappeared with another wave of her hand. Pohatu switched back to his original mask, triggered its power, and zoomed off in a cloud of dust.
One down, four to go, he thought to himself. I wonder how the other Toa are faring in their own searches?
"...so then I said, 'why don't we kiss and make up?' Then I punched him in the face."
Yang laughed softly at the memory as she told an old story, giving her mind something to focus on while her hands worked to untangle a solid knot of woven branches. The trio of Taku chicks that sat in the neighboring nest didn't seem all that amused - they were mostly wondering why this strange fleshy creature with bare arms and pulled-down overalls was still perched in their tree. The reason why, of course, was because the Great Kanohi mask was still stuck in the old tangle of branches and vines, as the limbs of the great tree had grown around and through the eye holes and vents of the Kakama that was now practically part of the Ga-Wahi scenery.
"Anyways, that's when we had a big fight," continued Yang as she pulled out another chunk of wood. "Or rather, that's when he sicced his guards on me. Then his DJ took potshots at me. Then his own pet Huntresses - the Malachite twins, I think they were called? - started kicking and scratching me. The girls were cute at least, but kinda snobbish and snooty…wonder how they're doing these days? Haven't seen 'em since Beacon fell - maybe I should send a postcard when we get back."
Below her, the pacing Toa of Fire was reaching the end of his fuse. "Is there some grand moral lesson to this story, as well?"
"Maybe, maybe not," said the blonde brawler with a smirk, putting a hand on her bare side as she looked down. "I'm just reminiscing at this point. Talking about past adventures helps pass the time with boring jobs, like getting your mask out of a tree. It's like Dad always says - a good story makes anything go faster."
"Does it truly? Because it seems you are still not finished. Perhaps a blast of fire - "
" - will burn down the tree and half the forest?" Yang shook her head. "Bad idea, big guy. Remember what we talked about? About how you keep thinking with your flames instead of your head?" She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. "Just leave this to me and my dainty little girls here. I'll have this thing out in no time, you'll see."
Tahu clearly had a biting retort planned, but clamped his mouth shut and looked away. Yang went back to working the wood around the mask, snapping away branches and pulling apart bark with concentrated precision. She was no stranger to undoing knots - hair as long and voluminous as hers didn't take care of itself, after all - but she was still glad that one of her hands was mechanical. Otherwise, she'd have to worry about two bleeding fingertips full of splinters, instead of just one.
"Sure wish Blake was here right now," she whispered to the trio of baby birds that watched her dismantle more of their tree. "Her blades would really come in handy with this, and so would her patience and delicate hands. Of course, there are other reasons I wish she was here…buuuuuuut you birdies are a little too young to know about that." Yang shot a wink to the metal-feathered Rahi, all of whom just tilted their heads in confusion. "I'll explain when you're older."
She fell into a pensive silence after that, focusing on the most delicate part of the knot. The air was filled only with the sound of snapping wood and ripping bark, along with the slow steady breathing of the blonde brawler. After several more minutes of pulling, prodding, and cursing under her breath, the Kanohi Kakama finally came loose; another moment of work later, the mask was completely free of the tree it was part of.
"Ta-daaaa!" Yang grinned, tossing the Kanohi down to the Toa waiting below. "One Mask of Speed, all yours for the taking. Now see, wasn't that much better than your plan to incinerate the tree to get it?"
Tahu stared up at her with a glare, then grunted in annoyance. "I still think my way would have been faster," he grumbled he scooped up his new mask.
"Faster, sure, but that doesn't make it right," said Yang pointedly as she snapped the straps of her overalls back into place. She gestured to the Taku in their nest, who chirped eagerly as their mother swooped in to deliver their lunch. "You see these little guys here? They'd be out of a home if you just came into the woods and started blasting, and so would a bunch of other cute little critters that rely on trees just like this one. And considering how dry and brittle the woods are right now, and how there's no chance of rain today based on the clouds, they wouldn't be the only ones who'd have their nests go up in flames - just the first. Think about that Charred Forest back in Ta-Wahi, and how dead and barren that entire stretch of trees is because of Makuta. Do you really think it's worth making another place like that, just to get one mask?"
The Toa of Fire furrowed his brow, then softened as he looked between the tree, the nest, and the Kakama in his hands. "I…I had not considered that."
"Collateral damage, buddy," said the Huntress as she hopped out of the tree and landed perfectly on her feet. "It's the difference between a hero everyone loves, and one that everyone fears. If you cause just as much chaos and destruction as what you're fighting, folks are gonna wonder if it's worth getting saved by you at all. Especially if it means they need to clean up after you once the fighting is done."
One of the Taku chicks leaned too far back during feeding time and fell out of its nest with a loud cry, flapping its malformed wings uselessly. Yang quickly leapt to catch the falling bird, cupping it gently in her palms as she landed on her feet. She looked down with a relieved smile to see the little Rahi squeaking up at her, and she kept it close to her chest as she walked back over to Tahu.
"I didn't care about that kind of thing once upon a time," she finished as she stroked the baby bird's crest with a single metallic finger, "and as you can imagine, it didn't get me a lot of friends. Trashing an entire bar and harassing the owner in my search for information not only didn't get me what I was looking for, it also put a huge target on my back. Plus I was grounded for like a week when Dad found out...but that's besides the point. Everything we do affects the lives around us, whether we realize it or not."
Yang took one of Tahu's hands in hers and moved his big metallic fingers, positioning his digits before using her other hand to place the Taku chick on his outstretched gauntlet. Instinct took over as the warbling little Rahi's feet gripped his extended finger like a branch, looking up at him with big soft eyes and adorable little chirps. For a fraction of a second, she could have sworn she saw something besides annoyance flash in the gaze of the Toa of Fire. It wasn't much, but it told her that her lessons were already taking root in the hotheaded armored giant.
"So there was a point to your story, after all." Tahu tilted his head to one side as he stared down at the nestling, watching it mirror his movement. "A lesson in how nature and the world around us live in a delicate balance…and with power such as ours, we must ensure it is both protected and maintained."
The blonde brawler smiled and nodded. "Now you're getting it." Then she smirked and folded her arms. "So why don't you be the one to put the little guy back where he came from? Preferably before his mom thinks we're keeping him."
With a nod, the Toa of Fire held out his sword and carefully balanced the chick on its tip, then walked back to the tree and slowly raised the blade back up to the branch. As soon as it came close enough the baby Taku hopped from the Toa's weapon back into its nest, safe in the protective care of its mother. After nuzzling the larger bird it looked back over the edge of the nest and chirped farewell to its new friends, making Yang's heart skip a beat at the adorable display.
"I believe I am beginning to understand now," said the Toa of Fire with a soft voice. Then he turned and bowed his head to his human companion. "Thank you for your wisdom, Yang Xiao Long. And for your assistance."
The blonde brawler chuckled and curtseyed with the hem of an imaginary skirt. "Anytime, Toa Tahu. Now come on, let's head for the next - "
Yang suddenly stopped in her tracks as a high-pitched electronic noise rang out. Tahu's head was on a swivel, instantly on guard in case some new foe was about to jump them. But the Huntress knew that nothing was attacking them, because she knew exactly what that sound was - though she could hardly believe it, as the noise seemed impossible.
It was the notification sound for her Scroll.
Which meant that she had a new message waiting for her.
Guys! Guys! Can you read this?!
Ruby waited with bated breath as she stared anxiously at her Scroll, anticipating the responses she'd get to that first message in the new group chat she'd set up. Her legs curled up tighter to her chest as she sat at the edge of a rocky cliff, doing her best to focus on the device in her hands and not on the two-hundred-foot drop that waited for her down below. She wasn't sure if it was the dizzying height or the hopeful caution that made her head feel all fuzzy, and for all she knew it might as well have been both.
"Is all well with you, little one?" asked Gali as she took a seat next to her. "Did you properly capture the vista with that device of yours?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I got a great picture of the view. But…when I went to put it away, I suddenly noticed that my Scroll had a signal again. Like I was in local transmission range with the rest of my team…but we're nowhere near each other. So I'm testing out the connection right now - and since I don't know how well the call function will work, I'm just texting my friends for now."
The Toa of Water tilted her head. "Texting…?"
Ruby suddenly realized that Gali likely had no idea what she was talking about. She cleared her throat. "Um…you know how Nokama told us that she and the other Turaga send letters to each other on the backs of trained Ussal crabs? To give reports or share news about what's happening in their villages?"
Gali nodded.
"This is like that, but without the crabs."
"Ah." The blue-armored figure hummed thoughtfully. "And so you are able to send these…crabless letters now? When you could not do so before?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," said Ruby with a sigh. "Sorry for interrupting the climb like this…"
A metallic hand ruffled her hair softly. "Do not worry, little one. I could sense that you needed a rest, for this climb is difficult even for a Toa. We still have far to go, and my Miru is likely not going anywhere. If this is important to you, then I will wait."
She sighed and tried not to think about the fact that they weren't even halfway done with their climb. "Thanks, Gali. I promise this won't take long - just a few more minutes…"
Despite her promise, she stared at the Scroll for what felt like an eternity as a thousand thoughts raced through her mind all at once. Was she only able to send messages and not receive them? Was there some kind of lag on whatever new network her device had suddenly connected to? Was she trying to send messages to too many people at once? Or what if everyone else was busy? Or unable to reach their Scrolls? Or had their notifications turned off? Or maybe they were even…
No. No, that was the fear talking. Ruby ignored the darkest explanation her mind came up with and kept waiting, fighting the urge to chew on her lower lip with each agonizing moment spent in silence.
Eventually, however, her patience was rewarded.
Ruby?! Absolute shock from Weiss.
Huh...interesting. It looks like our Scrolls are sending messages again. Mild surprise from Blake.
Sup, ladies? How's your island vacation going? Casual charm from Yang.
Salutations, friends! ^.^. And of course, infectious cheer from Penny.
Her heart warmed immediately. "It works..."
"So it would seem," said Gali as she looked over the little rose's shoulder.
Ruby smiled and nodded tightly, unaware of the tears slipping down her cheek.
I'm so glad to hear from you all! she typed excitedly, with zero regard for proper spelling. Is everyone okya? Did anyon eget hurt? How far ar youy on ur mask colectioon?
Whoa, whoa, slow down Rubes. You know we can't understand you when you speed-text. Yang's message was followed by a winking face, because of course it was.
She took a breath and steadied her trembling hands. Sorry, sorry! she replied. I just…gods…I missed this. I missed you all so much.
It's only been a day since we left Kini-Nui, you dolt. But…yes, I missed you too.
Awww.
Awwwww! ^.^
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Yang it's not a competition to see who can add the most Ws.
It is now, kitty. Yang's message was followed with a kissing face, because of course it was.
Oh! Are Yang and Blake finally dating? Congratulations! ^.^ (Also, I believe Ren owes me twenty Lien.)
Wait, what do you mean "finally"?
And what do you mean Ren owes you money?!
Ruby bit back another sniffle as she watched the girls - her girls - descend into their usual chat room antics. Weiss and Yang playfully sniped at each other (with the latter using an ungodly amount of emojis) while Blake pretended she wasn't flirting with her girlfriend and Penny capped off every cheerful message with a smiling face. There was a greater delay between each response than she expected, but what mattered was she was getting them all the same. Even across the island, Team RWBY was still united - now, more than ever.
After grousing about the bumblebee duo's obvious flirting again, Weiss shifted the conversation topic. Does anyone else think this is strange, though? How are we even able to send messages again anyways? We're nowhere near a CCT tower, and none of us are close enough for local transmissions. Why would our Scrolls suddenly have a signal now, when they didn't before?
This island does have a lot of tech we don't understand, Blake answered. Maybe it has something to do with Kini-Nui, that temple we all met at. It seemed like a pretty important place for the Matoran, and it acted weird as soon as Onua touched it. What if it's acting like a temporary comms tower for us?
Yeah, didn't the Toa all get some kind of weird brain message that called them there and showed them where it was? Yang added. It was able to broadcast something, at least - who's to say it can't also boost the range of our Scrolls, like the CCT Network used to do?
That does seem the most logical explanation, mused Penny. Perhaps your Scrolls all needed to come into contact with one another to trigger the proximity detectors within the devices, and this Kini-Nui is simply serving as a relay for transmissions. It would make sense that it would require time to adjust for hardware and software differences between Remnant and Matoran technology.
Maybe…but that doesn't explain how Ruby was able to send you a message as well, countered Weiss. You weren't at Kini-Nui with the rest of us.
True. Hmm…I will need to look into this more. Do not worry, friends! I am certain there is a logical explanation! ^.^
I'm sure it'll be long, convoluted, and go right over all our heads. Ruby could almost imagine Blake's smirk as she sent that message.
Hey, at least we don't have to understand it to use it, right? Yang sent another wink to cap off her reply. In any case, this'll be good for sending updates or asking for help. The Toa might not want to talk to each other right now, but at least we still have this. We can share whatever info we find, report any leads for other masks we come across, or even ask for help! (Not to mention share cute photos of ourselves, haha.)
Oh, that reminds me. Weiss sent a message that had a series of images attached, which looked to be screenshots of her note-taking program. I took the liberty of studying and making a cipher for the Matoran language while I was in the Sanctum of Ko-Koro. I was going to share it with all of you at Kini-Nui, but with everything that happened I never got a chance. It's a pretty easy translation between our alphabet and theirs, but don't hesitate to ask me for more details. This should help you read any signs or important information here on the island.
Ruby grinned. Wow, this is great! Thanks Weiss! You're the best partner ever!
I know. Despite the glib reply, there was no doubt the former heiress was smiling to herself.
Oh, are Ruby and Weiss also finally dating? Congratulations to you as well! ^.^ (Also, I believe Ren owes me another twenty Lien.)
…Penny, you've gotta stop betting on other people's relationships.
And I dunno if they are dating. Are they? Yet another gods-damned winking face from Yang. Ruby didn't always have thoughts of committing fratricide, but right now the option was sorely tempting.
PENNY YOU CAN';T JUST SAY THA;LH KIND OF STUFF WE;RE NOT DATING YET
Oh, my apologies then! ^.^ I will withhold my congratulations until you are properly courting one another!
Penny that doesn't help!
"Not yet" she says. Now isn't that interesting? Awww...my baby sister's growing up!
Before Ruby could once again entertain the thought of strangling her own sister in a loving and gentle sort of way, Blake finally sent the message she'd spent the last minute typing up. This has been fun, but I'll need to go for now. Onua says his next mask is in the lair of something called a Kuma-Nui. Apparently it's a giant armored rat, or something like that. We'll talk later.
Weiss took advantage of the graceful exit. Yes, Kopaka and I were about to hit a Tarakava nest for his Mask of Water-Breathing when I got Ruby's message. So this is goodbye on my part as well. Be safe everyone!
Take care ladies! Tahu just found that mask of speed, so he's itching to zoom off and try it out. HMU anytime you wanna chat!
Ruby smiled. It seemed her friends were already making good progress on their separate hunts, and with their partner Toa. Hopefully this was a sign that they would be meeting up again sooner rather than later.
Okay, back to helping Gali find her Miru! TTYL!
Goodbye Team RWBY, and good luck on your search for the masks! Oh, and Takua also sends his regards! ^.^
Slotting the Scroll back into her pocket, Ruby looked up at Gali with a nod and stood up. Then she watched as the Toa of Water crouched down to build up pressure in her bio-mechanical legs, then leapt back to the sheer cliff face and dug her hooks into the solid stone. The little rose followed her as she climbed, using the newly-carved handholds to keep herself anchored to the wall and fighting the temptation to look down.
Another mystery about the island had presented itself to Ruby Rose, and yet for once she found she was fine letting it go unanswered for a little while longer. She didn't know why her little device chose now of all times to start working, or how it was able to send and receive messages, and even if she did she wouldn't care. All that mattered was that she once again had a direct line of communication to her team, and she intended to use it.
I just hope that Emerald's doing okay, too, Ruby thought to herself as she climbed behind Gali. We never did get her number during Salem's siege, and we didn't think we had any reason to ask for it at Kini-Nui. We'll have to fix that next time we see her…but for now, I'll just have to pray that Lewa's treating her right.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Emerald swung from vine to vine through the trees, feeling the weight of her new pack with each move she made. The leafy bag wasn't that heavy - the perfect weight for leaf-running, actually - but she still felt sluggish and slow even as she darted through the jungle. Then again, anyone would feel that way when compared to the Toa of Air, who had gone from five feet ahead of her to nearly twenty in the time it had taken Radka to hand off the supplies to the Huntress.
Lewa clearly hadn't heeded her command, keeping his momentum going as he kicked off tree trunks and slid down branches. Emerald followed suit, using the chains of Thief's Respite to take shortcuts whenever possible to slowly close the gap between her and the Toa. By the time Lewa finally jumped off and landed at the mouth of a large cavern in the swampy ground, she'd caught up enough to touch down next to him a full ten seconds later. She panted for a minute, resting her hands on her knees as she willed away the building fatigue.
"You good-well, sprout-leaf?"
Oh, so now you're worried about me?
"Yeah, just need a sec to catch my breath," gasped Emerald as she looked up at the shadowy mouth of the cave ahead of her. "This the one Tamaru told us about?"
"The very self-same," said Lewa with a nod before looking down at his human accomplice. "What's in the leaf-bag?"
"Supplies from Le-Koro," she answered as she started rummaging through the contents of her new pack. "Radka handed them off to me on the way here, said something about how Matau and the Le-Matoran managed to scavenge some stuff for us."
The Toa of Air tilted his head. "That's very generous-kind of them. What do we have?"
"Looks like fruit, mostly. There's two flasks of berry juice - I'm assuming the big one's yours - some kind of flute thing, and…oh? Well now, isn't this convenient?"
Emerald pulled out a pair of smooth amber crystals that immediately started glowing like tiny little suns. The light from the stones was powerful enough to clear away some of the shadows in the yawning cave mouth, but not so bright that it hurt to look at the stone itself. Lewa's eyes lit up - almost literally - as he took one of the objects, balancing it on his palm and tossing it in the air to catch as it fell.
"Lightstones!" barked the Toa happily. "Perfect for going through the ground-dark! Surely the Great Spirit himself is smiling upon us if we get such a gift-boon at a time like this!"
"I wouldn't know anything about that," said Emerald with a shrug. "But I'll take it. Now before we go in, I have something else for you. Something that I hope you won't need to use…"
The thieving teenager reached into her own pouch and pulled out a piece of pale green crystal, one that was almost as big as her palm. She weighed it carefully in her hand, making sure it was the right size and type for the reaction she had in mind. It was smaller than the lightstone, but it hardly mattered how big it was. Even that little bit of Dust could cause a big explosion of elemental energy, especially in its crystallized form.
"Here," she said, handing the crystal over to Lewa before she could second-guess herself. "For emergencies only."
The Toa's eyes were already glowing, but they somehow lit up even more at the chunk of Dust in his hand. "Understood, sprout-leaf! Your faith-trust in me will surely be rewarded! What kind is this? Fire-blast? Thunder-spark? Gravity-crush?"
"...it's wind."
And just like that, Lewa's enthusiasm faded. "Aw. But I already command that power-force."
"You can control the air around you, sure," said Emerald pointedly. "But what if you need to fight something while you're underwater? Unless you've suddenly figured out how to create a cyclone out of nothing, your elemental powers won't help down there. That's what the Dust is for - hit that thing with your axe, and you'll have all the wind you need, wherever you need it."
When the Toa's expression didn't change, she sighed and held out her hand. "Besides…I'll take it back if you don't want it."
Predictably, Lewa pulled his prize away like a child protecting their favorite toy. Emerald chuckled, then raised her lightstone again.
"That's what I thought. Let's go."
With her light source in one hand and the handle of Thief's Respite in the other, she and Lewa descended into the darkness.
"Okay Weiss, are you ready?"
"Ready."
The Toa of Ice nodded as he crouched on his rocky perch, overlooking the underground lake and its singular stony island below them. "Remember, once I freeze the surface of the water - "
" - don't fall in," finished the Huntress. "Believe me, I know how dangerous a frozen lake is. I grew up in Solitas, remember?"
"Just making sure." Kopaka readied his sword. "On your mark."
Weiss drew Myrtenaster and held it parallel to her body, closing her eyes as she felt the familiar hum of etheric energy swirl around her. Creating a full-fledged summon took more concentration than a simple Dust-infused glyph, but the process was largely the same for both. A circular rune appeared in front of her, one that contained the consciousness of a spectral Kane-Ra that was ready to turn solid and charge towards the mechanical eels that claimed this lair - and the mask within - as their own.
"Mark."
Kopaka nodded and fired a blast of pure cold at the underground lake, turning the still surface into a solid sheet of ice. Just as the surface hardened the Huntress released the stored energy in her summon, sending the Kane-Ra lunging towards the island with a ghostly bestial roar. The Tarakava who had been lounging in the water suddenly found themselves frozen up to their necks, trapped and unable to move. The four who were on land suddenly found their lair under attack from a strange bull-like Rahi, and zoomed on tank treads across the ice to meet their attacker.
"Go!"
The heiress and the Toa leapt and landed on the frozen surface, propelling themselves forward and racing towards the newly-unguarded mask in the middle of the cave. Weiss glided across the ice like a delicate figure skater, freezing the infected masks of the trapped Rahi with blasts of icy dust as she passed them by; Kopaka followed behind while sledding on his shield, shattering the brittle Kanohi with one swing of his sword. The summoned Kane-Ra roared as it rammed against its foes and shot its neck forward, biting down on the throat of one eel and throwing another against the back wall. With the territorial Tarakava either freed from Makuta's influence or otherwise occupied, crossing the icy lake was a quick and easy task.
As they approached the main fight Weiss leapt back and landed on Kopaka's shoulders, waving her rapier like a wand to form a glyph up ahead. With a nod the Toa of Ice steered his improvised sled over the circle pulsing with Auric energy, which launched the two of them into the air and sent them soaring over the heads of the Tarakava. The heiress plunged Myrtenaster downward into the head of a Tarakava, piercing its brain and ending its struggle with a clean, surgical stab. Her ally was equally merciless, freezing the entire beast with an icy breath before smashing his weapons against the monstrous machine in one shattering blow.
"You sure killing the occupied ones was the right call?" asked Weiss as her summoned Kane-Ra faded away with a wave of her hands. "We could have freed them like the others, and Ruby said that the one she and Gali fought was quite docile after its mask was removed."
"That one was forced out of its home to serve as Makuta's attack serpent," answered Kopaka icily. "But Tarakava don't need some shadowy puppet master to be violent and aggressive. Like all Rahi, they're quite protective of their territory…and we just broke into their lair. They're not going to like us even with their masks gone."
Sure enough, Weiss heard the telltale thump, thump, thump of piston-powered fists trying to break through the ice, as well as a chorus of mechanical shrieks. She nodded tightly and turned to keep an eye on the trapped Tarakava, readying glyphs to launch should one of them break out and come back for another fight. Confident that the Huntress had their rear guarded, Kopaka turned and bolted for the unclaimed mask, while Weiss kept her pale blue eyes on the seven Rahi glaring at her with glowing red -
Wait. Seven? Didn't they unmask eight of them on the way over?
Before she could even start to double-check her counting, the sound of shattering ice and crashing waves filled the air. Weiss barely had time to yell in shock as the angry Tarakava latched its jaws around her waist, smashing through the frozen surface as it plunged back down. Her breath exploded from her lungs in a cloud of frosty bubbles, the water chilling her to her core and sapping her strength. The teeth that dug into her torso kept her from fighting back, and even though her Aura kept her from bleeding into the water, it wouldn't last long if the Rahi kept chomping down on her as it dove even deeper.
"Weiss!"
With a pained expression she looked over the Tarakava's shoulder to see Kopaka swimming down after her, Mask of Water-Breathing already in place and glowing faintly with pearl light. She grunted and whimpered in pain as more air slipped past her lips, desperately pushing against the Rahi trying to drown her. The sight of her struggle seemed to spur on the Toa of Ice, who kicked downwards with both legs and plunged his sword straight through the serpent's back. Frost pooled around the blade as he pulled it back out, scooping up the breathless Huntress and swimming back to the surface as the lifeless Tarakava sank to the bottom of the cave.
It was only a few seconds, but to Weiss and her empty lungs it felt like an eternity. Just before she blacked out she saw Kopaka cutting a new opening in the ice with his sword, pushing her out of the water and onto the frozen floor. She gasped and coughed and nearly choked on her own breath, curling up into a ball and shivering as she tried to get her bearings again. The Toa of Ice pulled himself out a moment later, turning off his mask and staring down at Weiss as she slowly sat upright.
"And that's why I told you not to fall in," he said matter-of-factly.
Weiss groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, well excuse me," she said through chattering teeth. "I d-d-d-d-didn't exactly have a choice, now did I?"
Despite her complaint, she smiled up at Kopaka. Even though his face was hidden behind the translucent Kaukau, she felt him smirking back down at her. The moment of rest was interrupted by the sound of more ice cracking and fracturing, as she saw more Tarakava trying to break free.
"...let's get out of here," she said with a cough and a shudder.
Kopaka nodded as he switched preemptively to his Mask of Shielding. "Now there's an idea. Who in their right mind would want to spend all day swimming in a cave anyways?"
"Well…there it is. Wanna be the first one in?"
Emerald looked down at the inky-black water lapping at the edge of their tunnel, then at the Toa of Air who backed away from it like a hydrophobic house cat. She rolled her eyes. Sure, the walk down was dark and spooky, but they hadn't encountered anything dangerous except what their minds made up in fear. Compared to the million possible things that lurked in the corner of the former thief's vision, a nice swim in an underground cavern was almost relaxing.
Clearly, her friend didn't feel the same.
"...you're gonna make me go in first, aren't you?"
"If you wouldn't bother-mind," squeaked Lewa.
A long beleaguered escaped her lips as she shrugged off the leafy bag of supplies and kicked off her shoes. Setting her belongings in a corner far away from the pool, Emerald dipped her bare feet into the water as she sat on the edge of the stony shore. Judging by how her feet didn't touch any kind of sloping cavern floor, she guessed that it meant that there was a sheer drop between the flooded and non-flooded parts of the cave. After taking several deep breaths to get as much air in her lungs as she possibly could, she pushed off her perch and threw herself into the underground abyss.
SPLASH!
The water was dark and murky and bitterly cold. Emerald held her breath tightly in her chest as she peered into the shadows that danced at the light's edge, letting her hair and clothes and the occasional bubble float around her as she sank. A quick glance told her that the flooded tunnel continued deeper downwards, almost like the inside of a well that plunged straight into the earth itself. If the Mask of Speed was down there, it'd be one hell of a dive to get it - but she was confident she could make the swim. So could Lewa, if she had to guess.
But would he?
She kicked back up and blew out the rest of her air, timing her exhale so she could take a nice deep breath right as she surfaced. After treading water for a moment to get her breath back she looked over at Lewa, who seemed to shrink further away from the waves even as they lapped around her neck.
"Come on, it'll be fine," spat an annoyed Emerald with a roll of her eyes. "Get in here, you big baby."
Lewa huffed and crossed his arms. "I have no idea what a 'big-baby' is, but I most certainly am not one!"
"Then prove it by getting in the water already!" She sputtered and spit out a wave that washed over her mouth. "We're wasting time here - we need to get the mask before the tide comes in and floods the whole cave. If we lose this air pocket while we're searching, we're done for."
"...I'm suddenly having second thought-guesses about this, sprout-leaf."
The thief rolled her eyes again, blowing bubbles in irritation. Much as she wanted to just dive and find the mask on her own, she didn't know what was down there and she wasn't about to face it without backup at her side. Not only that, but it would be quite hypocritical of her to do that, while also being mad at Lewa for striking out on his own from the other Toa.
So Emerald decided to use the most powerful weapon in her arsenal.
Sass.
"Awww," she cooed condescendingly, raising an eyebrow and puckering her lips. "Is the little baby-Toa too fear-scared to go for a little water-swim?"
Lewa's eyes widened in shock. "...you dare use my speech-talk to mock me, sprout-leaf?"
"Does the little baby-Toa want a nap-sleep? Maybe a little lullaby-song to help-calm his temper-tantrum?"
"You're not even saying it right-well!"
Emerald smirked as she saw metaphorical steam coming out of the Toa of Air's ears. "Maybe the little baby-Toa needs his floaty-wings if he's gonna go into the big scary wet-dark. Or his blankie-pillow. Or maybe even…some nice warm bottle-milk?"
Lewa screamed in annoyance, then let out a strangled cry before he finally ran and leapt into the water. The sound of his glorified belly flop echoed and bounced off the cave walls, and after a moment of struggling under the churning surface the green-armored figure pushed his mask into the air pocket and coughed violently. Emerald kept her distance from the flailing Toa, afraid that he'd try to latch onto her and drag her down; when he finally started clumsily treading water, she floated over to him with a satisfied grin.
"There!" sputtered Lewa. "Now we're both in the water-yuck, sprout-leaf! Are you happy?!"
"Mm-hmm." Emerald nodded. "Take a deep breath before you go down. Trust me, you'll need it. Follow my lead."
And with that, she plunged back underwater before Lewa could have the last word.
The mint-haired girl dove down with slow and powerful kicks, trying to conserve as much air and energy as possible during her descent. Lewa followed clumsily behind her, doing his best to mimic her motions whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Bubbles spilled out of her pursed lips and flowed through the gaps in his mask, but beyond that only the glow of their lightstones marked their positions.
It wasn't the deepest Emerald had swum before, not by a long shot. But she still felt her lungs ache slightly by the time her fingertips finally brushed against the sandy cavern floor, twenty-five feet below the water's surface. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that Lewa was already kicking off the bottom to scramble for the surface; after looking around for a minute longer, the former thief reluctantly did the same before her chest burst.
"Ugh!" Lewa groaned as Emerald broke the waves and gasped. "I got water-yuck in my ears!"
"Better that than your lungs," retorted Emerald. She wiped her face with her hand. "Stick close. No telling what's down there."
After the pair took a few more deep breaths, they plunged into the darkness together.
Now that she knew how deep the bottom was, diving down was easier for Emerald. She knew how much air and energy she needed to spend swimming with each search attempt, and roughly how long she had to look around once she reached the cave floor. And thanks to the fact that Aura enhanced most of her muscles - including her lungs - she could stay down at the bottom for at least two minutes at a time, before her chest started to ache and yearn for a fresh breath. Sometimes she even managed three minutes before instinct took over, propelling her towards the surface yet again.
Lewa's lungs and muscles may have been larger and stronger than hers, but he was nowhere near as good a swimmer as his human partner. He kept kicking and stroking through the water even when he wasn't moving, constantly burning energy and air with his inability to stay still. And when he did manage to focus, it was to the detriment of everything else - even basic survival instinct. More than once he lost track of when he needed to breathe, prompting Emerald to abandon her search and help the floundering Toa back for air.
Not that the search was going all that well in the first place.
Even with the lightstones, finding anything in the dark waters was an exercise in frustration. Sand and silt got kicked up with every move they made along the bottom, turning the cave floor into a cloud of soup. Seagrass and kelp and other plants grew through cracks along the walls, blocking their progress and slowing down their search. And Emerald lost count of how many times she'd spotted something that looked like metallic protodermis on the swim back up for air, only to dive back down and find out it was an old abandoned seashell or something equally worthless.
As the search dragged on, she could feel the cold water start to sap her strength. Each breath felt like it gave her less and less time to look, and each swim back up or down felt longer and more grueling than the last. Lewa's stamina outlasted hers at least in that regard, but he still struggled to dive and ascend and spot things in the darkness. Part of the Huntress wondered if they shouldn't cut their losses and come back after they found the Kanohi Kaukau, the Great Mask of Water-Breathing. The rest of her doubted the Kakama would still be there by the time they got back…if they could even find the other mask when this one kept eluding them.
If he's not regretting splitting up from the other Toa right now then he's an idiot, thought Emerald as she ascended with puffed cheeks and furrowed eyebrows. A big, stupid idiot who couldn't find water if he fell out of a damn boat.
After the eighth or so fruitless dive Emerald and Lewa hung by the surface a little longer, gasping and panting and holding onto the ledge. Fatigue, both mental and physical, clung to them and threatened to drag them back down, and no matter how much the mint-haired teenager willed her legs to kick, her body was too tired to comply. Even gripping the lightstone and keeping her head above the water felt like an impossible task, one she wasn't sure she could keep up with.
"Somebody really doesn't want us finding that power-mask," gasped Lewa as his chest heaved for breath.
Despite herself, Emerald laughed. "Well, that somebody is gonna be disappointed. Are you good to keep going?"
The Toa of Air nodded. "Maybe it's the water-yuck in my ears talking, but I almost find this stuff…tolerable right now. Might as well make one more dive-plunge."
Another sharp laugh escaped her lips, making her ribs ache. "See? It's not so bad once you get used to it!"
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, sprout-leaf," said Lewa with a laugh of his own. It wasn't much, but that little exchange seemed to invigorate the pair, giving a little bit of warmth and relief as they filled their lungs for another dive.
Sinking was almost effortless at this point. All Emerald had to do was swim deep enough to overcome her own buoyancy, and gravity and water pressure would do the rest. She was so tired she barely even kicked on the way down, which was probably gonna make the next ascent a bitch and a half. And given how her lungs started aching already, when her feet had barely even brushed against the floor, that was gonna be a problem sooner rather than -
There!
At first she almost didn't believe her eyes, believing it was just a trick of the light or wishful thinking. But shining her lightstone back on a patch of seaweed in the bottom corner debunked her delusions - the Kanohi Kakama sat there in all its triangular dull-gray glory, with kelp wrapped around the bottom wedges and woven through its empty eye holes. She signaled Lewa excitedly with a wave of her light, then drew Thief's Respite and deployed the sickle-like blade with one hand. A few clean cuts, and the mask was free to sink into her waiting hand, and she couldn't help but grin a bubbly grin as she clutched her prize.
Emerald turned to show the mask to the approaching Toa of Air -
And felt something slick and slimy wrap around her waist and yank her back.
A cry of shock escaped her throat without even realizing it, muffled and cut off by the water around her. The killer kelp slammed her against the cave floor with enough force to rattle her, making most of her breath explode from her lungs in a cloud of murky bubbles. Emerald watched her air float away with a pained expression, her body wracked with pain as the empty void in her chest threatened to collapse in on itself. Her lungs fought to breathe. Her mind fought to keep that from happening.
Of course the plants themselves want to kill us! She grit her teeth and did her best to thrash and fight despite her trembling chest. Why did I think this'd be easy?! Ruby even told all of us how Makuta can control the plants here, and how he already tried this same trick on her. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid!
Even with her senses dulled due to a lack of air, she saw Lewa swim over with concern and alarm written all over his face - or mask, as it were. The kelp lashed out to try and grab onto him, but the Toa was too quick; he either nimbly dodged the whip-like strands of seaweed, or cut them with his axe like an expert gardener. Hope swelled in her chest as she saw the green-armored figure reach forward, only for it to be dashed when more tendrils chased him away.
Ugh…this is bad…she thought to herself, trying not to focus on how badly she needed air. He can't cut me loose without slicing me to ribbons, and he can't get the mask without the plants getting him too. There's gotta be a way out of this…come on, Lewa, use your head! Think!
The Toa of Air seemed to reach the same conclusion, because he tucked the lightstone onto his hip and pulled out another crystalline object. Unlike the glowing mineral this was pale green and much smaller, seemingly humming with hidden energy. Though he said nothing, Lewa's eyes asked the question anyways, looking down at Emerald as if asking for permission. With a spasm in her throat and another gurgling stream of bubbles, she nodded fervently.
Okay, good thinking using the Dust… she thought as she braced herself as best she could. But oh gods…this is gonna hurt.
Whether it would hurt more than drowning, she couldn't say. All she knew was that as soon as Lewa tossed up the Wind Dust and slashed it with his axe, an explosion echoed through the water as the crystal shattered and its energy detonated. A local underwater cyclone surged through the waves and blew away just about everything - the sand, the silt, the stone, the kelp, and even the Toa of Air himself. Emerald was thrown back against the ground as the gale force winds battered and barraged her; it was only by some miracle that she managed to not only stay conscious through the raging storm and empty lungs, but that she managed to hold onto the Mask of Speed as well.
As soon as the windstorm subsided, however, she lost her grip on both. The last of her air slipped out of her open lips, her crimson eyes dulled, and she went as still as the water around her.
Then everything went dark.
The piercing roar of the ratlike Kuma-Nui echoed throughout the underground cavern, nearly blowing out all four of Blake's eardrums. By some miracle she managed to right herself in mid-air, landing on her feet and casting her gaze over to the armored creature that grappled with Onua. The hulking two-armed beast loomed over the Toa of Earth, its maw filled with dozens of sharp jagged teeth and its twin tank treads screaming to find traction as it pushed forward. Although Onua was using the Mask of Strength to stand his ground, the Rahi was plenty strong on its own; muscles rippled and strained to escape the gray and black steel that covered its entire body, red and yellow tubes along its arms shuddering as some kind of fluid flowed through its mechanical veins.
"Go, Blake!" shouted Onua. "Get the mask! I can handle this creature!"
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if perhaps the Kuma-Nui was too strong for even the Toa of Earth to stand against. But then she realized that with the Rahi distracted, there was nothing stopping her from grabbing the helmet-like Hau that sat on a stone pedestal - and if she was quick enough, she might even be able to help Onua anyways.
So she did as instructed, throwing the thinner half of Gambol Shroud and letting its ribbon fly loosely and form a tether between the bladed pistol and her own arm. The weapon sank into the cavern ceiling and stuck tight, letting her pull herself up into the air after using a Shadow as a stepping stone. With a flick of her wrist the weapon came free, and in one smooth motion she whipped it out again and snagged it on a nearby stalactite. Blake pumped her legs to build up momentum as she swung, giving her a perfect angle to swoop past the pedestal and snag the mask with her free hand.
As she perched on a nearby stalagmite and snapped Gambol Shroud back into her grip, she smiled to herself. Weiss had done more than just return the missing half of her weapon back at Kini-Nui - she had effectively restored the feline Faunus back to full fighting capability, as well as giving her back all her preferred mobility options. Without the lightweight component that served as a sword, heavy pistol, and grappling hook all in one, Blake had found herself grounded and slow. She always preferred a nimble, agile combat strategy…and now that she had her full weapon set, she could do just that.
Good thing, too, because Onua was clearly not handling the Kuma-Nui as well as he said. Servos strained to keep up with the Toa's feat of strength, and the giant rat hissed as it pushed forward to capitalize on his faltering resolve.
Blake kicked off her perch and swung from the ceiling on her ribbon, planting both feet against the Rahi's back in a dropkick that flowed into a leaping flip. The Kuma-Nui lost interest in the Toa of Earth and pulled its claws free to batter him away, spinning to face the irritating little creature that had dared to attack it from behind. But that was what the feline Faunus was counting on - as soon as the ratlike Rahi faced her she used another Shadow as a springboard, drawing both blades and slashing at the beast's eye as she darted past its face. Then she plunged the cleaver-sheath into a gap on its neck, switching the other weapon into a pistol that she aimed at the ceiling. With four powerful shots she broke the stone keeping a large stalactite suspended; she leapt back towards Onua seconds before the chunk of pointed stone fell and crashed into the giant rat, who just barely managed to catch it in its claws before it could be skewered.
"You were saying?" asked Blake with a raised eyebrow, looking back at the Toa of Earth.
"...perhaps I overestimated myself," admitted Onua sheepishly. "Do you have the mask?"
She nodded and handed over her prize, then looked at its twisted and warped copy - the one that protruded from the armor around the Kuma-Nui's belly. "Maybe you can't out-muscle this thing. But I'll bet with the Mask of Shielding, you can withstand its attack."
"A bold plan," said the ebony-armored Toa with a nod of his head as he slammed the new mask over his usual Pakari. Its dull-gray surface turned as coal-black as the rest of him, and Blake could see a field of energy already flow across his frame. "If I hold it down, will you be able to destroy its Infected Kanohi?"
"Count on it."
"Then let us do this together!"
With that, Onua reached forward and channeled his power into the stalactite the Kuma-Nui struggled to hold, making it explode into a shower of soil, silt, and shrapnel. With another piercing roar the ratlike Rahi leaned forward and dug its claws into the ground, steam hissing out of its extendable neck before a hidden set of linkages shot the head forward like the business end of an accordion. The Toa of Earth triggered his mask to create an emerald barrier around himself, protecting his frame as the jaws of the great beast locked around the field of energy. Blake surged forward and used her ribbon to yank herself towards the vulnerable body, shifting Gambol Shroud back into a thin sword as she swung it downwards in both hands.
SLASH!
The twisted and rusted Kanohi sat on its mounting point for a fraction of a second, before it fell to the ground in two equally disgusting halves.
All at once something shifted in the Kuma-Nui. Its head retreated back to its body, releasing its grip on the Toa of Earth and snapping back with another hiss of steam. The giant rat loomed over Blake for a moment, a low growl escaping its throat as it pulled its claws out of the ground and lowered its snout towards her face. The Huntress readied her blades in anticipation, but it was hardly necessary - after the Rahi sniffed her once, twice, three times, a long metallic tongue poked out of its jaw and started dragging itself across her ears and her hair.
"Ow! Ugh! What - why?!" she protested, doing her best to avoid the dry licks of the Kuma-Nui.
Onua chuckled as he deactivated his brand-new Hau, switching back to his usual preferred mask. "It would seem you have made a new friend today, Blake. Perhaps it sees you as one of its own in need of grooming."
"Yeah, well, I'd really rather it didn't," she said with a scoff, though she nonetheless smiled as she recognized the chittering of a happy rodent coming from the Rahi. Just…louder and deeper than most rodents she'd known.
I can only imagine what kind of ridiculous comment Yang would make if she saw this, she thought with a silent groan. Probably something about how she'd never seen a rat and a cat get along so well before…or she'd tell me to stop playing with my food.
A soft laugh escaped her lips all the same as the once-hostile Rahi started nuzzling her, and she embraced the moment of peace while it lasted.
After all, she and Onua had just found half of their masks, so maybe a little break was warranted.
Emerald didn't see what happened in the few moments where she'd blacked out. The next thing she saw was Lewa standing over her, concern in his glowing green eyes. She coughed and rolled over to vomit up whatever water she'd swallowed, then flopped onto her back to stare back up at the cavern ceiling.
"Oh, thank-praise Mata Nui…" said the Toa of Air with a sigh of relief. "I thought I'd lost you, sprout-leaf. Are you well?"
"Yeah…yeah, it's not the first time I've almost drowned," sputtered Emerald with a gasp. She groped around and found her lightstone sitting next to her, along with Matau's supplies and her shoes. "...did we get the mask?"
A sharp laugh echoed off the cave walls. "Considering how fast I swam-rushed to get you out of the water-yuck? I'd certainly say-so! How do I look?"
The Toa of Air leaned over so that his face was in plain sight, letting Emerald notice that he was indeed wearing the Kakama instead of his usual Miru. Unlike the dull-gray mask she found in the cave, it was now a vibrant and colorful green that matched the rest of its wearer.
"...not a bad look," groaned the thieving teenager. "Though I still think that Pohatu guy wore it better."
"Hah! Perhaps, but I'd like to see him try and wind-fly with that pot-bellied frame of his! Stone-breakers like him couldn't even spend a second off the ground - no way I'd be able to handle traveling with someone that slow-footed!"
Emerald's heart sank, and for a moment she wasn't sure whether her disappointment or her once-flooded lungs hurt more. Despite the search, despite the difficulty, Lewa had somehow managed to learn absolutely nothing from this encounter. While the mint-haired Huntress was comfortable with the swim, he was clearly out of his element - a fact that Makuta clearly exploited today. But how much simpler would it have been if Gali had been there to dive into the pool and get the mask for them? Or if Pohatu and Onua were here to safely drain the flooded tunnel? Instead of realizing just how useful it'd have been to have the other Toa there, the Toa of Air only seemed more confident in his independence - and now that he'd found one of his Masks of Power, she was afraid of just how high his arrogance would soar.
"Ah, but speed-racing and competitions can all come later, after we fight-win against Makuta. Can you stand-walk?"
After slipping her shoes back on, Emerald gave her best attempt at rising to her feet and failed miserably. She shook her head, clutching the leafy bag and the lightstone feebly.
"That's alright," said Lewa with a shrug. I'll just have to soar-run for both of us! Let's see just how fast this speed-mask can really go!"
Despite the fact that she hated being manhandled through the jungle, Emerald nevertheless gave no protest as the Toa of Air scooped her off the ground, triggered the power of his new Kanohi, and took off from the cavern in a burst of speed. Even if he cared nothing for the other Toa, Lewa obviously cared about her a great deal, and went out of his way to make sure she was okay above everything else. Maybe he thought that introducing the others into their little group would taint their companionship, or maybe he knew he'd get jealous if she made friends with people beside him. She didn't know. All she knew was that the Toa of Air had a single-minded devotion to her, much as she'd once had towards the enchanting and charismatic Cinder Fall.
And maybe, just maybe, there was some small dark part of her that enjoyed the constant attention.
The rain poured down Gali's mask as she dug her hooks into the slick stony cliff, water pooling and flowing down her armor before dripping off and falling to the abyss below. Her glowing yellow eyes narrowed in concentration as she focused on her climb, keeping the hundred-bio-drop as far from her mind as possible. The storm had struck suddenly and without warning in the middle of a clear sunny day; there was little doubt in the Toa's mind that this was no ordinary downpour.
So the Makuta wishes to deter me with my own element, she thought bitterly. Well, if he does not want me to get my mask, he will have to try harder than this. After all...what is a rainstorm, compared to a flood?
Then again, it wasn't her own safety she worried about. Poor little Ruby had abandoned trying to climb altogether - her tiny fleshy hands simply couldn't grip the wet face of the cliff, even with the handholds Gali was making for her. So the silver-eyed Huntress now clung tightly to the Toa's neck as she rode on her back, hood drawn uselessly over her face as she shivered in the rain. Soaked to the bone and battered by howling winds, Ruby nonetheless stayed to weather the storm…even if she had to hold onto Gali for dear life in the process.
The rest of the climb was made in silence, save for the sounds of roaring rain and straining servos. Stone chipped away in sharpened pebbles, and each new mark she made in the wall felt harder and more draining. But at last, the lip of the cliff came near enough that she could reach up and drive her hook into the rocky ledge, allowing her to press her armored feet against the side of the terrain and pool strength into her leg muscles.
"Hold tight, Ruby!" she called above the pouring rain.
"That's the plan!" wailed the little rose.
Confident that her ally was secured, she released the stored energy like a coiled spring, pushing herself off the cliff and propelling herself up at an angle. Her momentum carried her well past the ledge, and a mid-air twist of her body kept her on the right path as she flowed around the rocky face like water rising into the sky. Gali landed on the top of the cliff with the grace and poise of a falling raindrop; with a heavy pant she peered back over the ledge she had scaled, amazed that the earth could form such tall and imposing landmarks all on its own.
"Little one?" she breathed. "Are you well back there?"
Ruby's head poked excitedly over her shoulder, silver eyes shimmering like stars. "That. Was. Awesome! Do it again!"
A soft laugh escaped the Toa's throat as she stowed her hooks back into her arms, reaching up to ruffle her human friend's sopping wet hair. "Perhaps another time, Ruby. For now, let us retrieve our prize, before you get sick from the rain."
"Oh please, I'm - achooo! - totally fine!" Ruby groaned as her own body proved her wrong, then peered back behind her. "Look, there it is!"
Gali turned in the direction Ruby had pointed, glowing yellow eyes narrowing as she squinted to see what her ally saw. Sure enough, there was the Kanohi Miru sitting several dozen paces away from them, its sweeping profile and bird-like face staring back at her with empty eyeholes. According to legend, no Matoran had ever managed to make this climb - Makuta had chosen to stash her Mask of Levitation somewhere so high it was nearly impossible to claim by anyone less than a Toa.
I suppose this is his idea of a joke, mused Gali. Hiding a mask in such a place that it would be easier to reach if you already had the power it provided…perhaps if Lewa or Onua were here, the climb would not be quite so arduous…
She shook her head. Wishing that the other Toa were here would not suddenly change their minds. Instead, for now it seemed she needed to trust in her own capabilities - and in the little Huntress that followed her, of course.
"Be alert," Gali finally said with a nod. "I suspect that a sheer climb and a wild storm are merely Makuta's way of dissuading us from collecting the mask. I do not know what else he may have in store for us."
Ruby nodded and pulled out Crescent Rose in its compacted form, looking down the sights of the odd launcher-like weapon and pointing it over the Toa's shoulder. Confident that the Huntress was guarding her back - literally and figuratively - Gali took one step forward…
And nearly lost her balance when the entire cliff began to shake.
"What madness - ?!"
KRA-KOOOOOM!
Lightning fell from the darkened sky and struck the cliff with a violent flash and a thundering boom, sending sparks flying as it scorched the stone. Moments later the rocky cliff face began to split as cracks wove through the stone like the threads of a great spiderweb, crisscrossing every bio of its surface as the rumbling sound intensified. Chunks of the cliff - including the section of ground where Gali stood - began to crumble and fall away, pulled down by their own weight towards the churning seas below.
"Ruby!" The Toa of Water yelled as she leapt from one mid-air boulder to the next. "The mountain! It is breaking!"
"I noticed! Wait - the mask!"
Her head whipped back around to catch a glimpse of the dull-gray Miru slipping through a growing ravine, nearly disappearing from sight.
"We must reach it! Hold on tightly!"
With that Gali took off with a sprint down the length of her current tumbling platform, leaping to another boulder and using it as a stepping stone - almost literally - to reach another large chunk of falling rock. No sooner had she touched down than another sound joined the cacophony of chaos - loud buzzing of wings beating hundreds of times a minute.
"We've got company!" called the Huntress.
Sure enough, at least a dozen green and orange armored wasps rose around them on four wings each, with an equal number of clawed arms hanging from their joints along large rotund bodies capped off by powerful stingers. Hundreds of eyes sat behind a pair of transparent blue shields, every single one of them eyeing up the Toa and her Huntress like the potential prey they were. Barbed mandibles dripped and oozed venom from open maws, and if the giant insects had lips, they would no doubt be licking their chops as they prepared to attack.
"Nui-Kopen!" Gali cried out, recalling Turaga Nokama's vivid description of the horrific hornets that Makuta uses as aerial shock troopers. Water pooled into her hands as she prepared to fight, but a shimmer of blank protodermis reminded her of her prize that tumbled further away with each passing second. If she engaged the Rahi, the Miru would be lost forever. But if she pursued the mask, the Nui-Kopen would strike while she was distracted.
Fortunately, Ruby's presence alone made that an easy dilemma.
Before Gali could even speak she leapt off the Toa's shoulders, firing several shots from Crescent Rose into the wings of a nearby Nui-Kopen as it hovered in attack formation. The little rose unfolded her weapon as she lunged and used the recoil to launch herself at another wasp, burying the tip of her scythe between its eyes and using it as a springboard to jump even further.
"Get the mask!" barked Ruby. "I've got the bugs!"
Gali wanted to argue against this plan, but she knew there was no time. So she nodded tightly and took off running and leaping across the falling stones, the pair moving so quickly they seemed to resemble little more than red and blue blurs against the rain and rubble. As she navigated the mid-air debris, she caught glimpses of Ruby's fight with the Nui-Kopen - or rather, she caught bits and pieces of the limbs and wings that were severed in the aerial melee.
Such senseless deaths, thought the Toa of Water. I know it is necessary, and that mercy is a luxury we cannot afford right now…but I wish it were different all the same. Perhaps once I get the Miru, I may be able to turn the tide of this battle in a direction more to my liking.
Speaking of the mask, it was only a few bios away at this point. Just one more lunging leap and one more boulder used as a springboard, and the Toa of Water had her prize. Snatching the Miru out of the air and slamming it over her own mask, Gali pooled her concentration and triggered the Kanohi's latent power, hoping that there wouldn't be too much of a learning curve involved in levitating.
Immediately a cushion of invisible force flowed around her, keeping her suspended in mid-air and floating like a leaf on the wind. The mask didn't seem to have any ability to propel herself, but quick blasts of water from her palms let her right herself and hover over the battlefield. Rain pooled into her palms as she shaped whips and chains out of her element, lashing out at the distant Nui-Kopen and even slicing one completely in half with a high-powered jet of water.
Ruby whooped and hollered. "Way to go, Gali! You got your mask!"
"Indeed!" called the Toa of Water with a smile. "Now let us finish this so we can return to the sea!"
Slowly but surely, the Nui-Kopen began to fall to their combined assault. Ruby kept engaging the wasps in melee as she pulsed her Semblance and used recoil from Crescent Rose to keep herself in the air, while Gali's new Kanohi allowed her to stay afloat and launch blasts of water. She used twin streams of liquid to push herself into the path of a charging Nui-Kopen, shifting her hands into hooks and latching onto the flying Rahi as she searched for its infected mask.
"Be still, creature of the sky," she said softly as the Nui-Kopen bucked and shook to throw her off, "let me find and remove Makuta's dark touch, and then you will be free…"
She finally found it - a tainted, twisted copy of Lewa's mask sitting between its wing sockets, staring up at the sky with pale empty eyes. It was easy enough to slip one of her hooks under its edge and pry it off with one smooth motion. It was even easier to throw it away, letting it fall into the churning seas far far below.
Gali expected the Nui-Kopen to seize up, maybe even fly off. She couldn't have expected that it would not only continue trying to claw and bite her, it would do so even more fiercely. And yet, that was exactly what it did, and only her quick reflexes kept armor and legs away from its mandibles.
"I…do not understand," she said with a shake of her head as she clung tightly to the wasp. "Your infected mask is gone. Your struggle should have ceased."
"Victory will no longer be so simple and bloodless, little Toa," drawled a shadowy voice. "I have...corrected that little weakness."
The Toa of Water narrowed her eyes at the mass of shadow that formed over the mask's mounting point in the carapace, crimson eyes glaring back at her like daggers.
"Makuta," she growled. "Release this beast from your control this instant!"
"And why would I do such a thing?" The master of shadows had no mouth, yet she knew he smiled anyways. "These creatures are even more monstrous when left alone, wild and chaotic and attacking anything that moves. Were it not for me, the Nui-Kopen would have made nests on every bio of this island, and your precious Matoran would be wiped off the face of Mata Nui. These Rahi are safer now, under my control. Under my guidance."
"Do not speak to me of guidance!" she spat, water pooling into her hands. "Your words are as empty and meaningless as the shadows themselves - you do nothing but corrupt and destroy everything you touch!"
Makuta huffed in annoyance. "So you accept the tales of the Turaga as truth without ever questioning their so-called wisdom. Disappointing, but hardly surprising. But if you truly believe me to be a destroyer so fervently…then destroy I shall."
Gali's next argument was cut off by a sharp, shrill cry.
A human cry.
Her head whipped around so fast her mask nearly flew off her face. Glowing yellow eyes widened as she took in the scene before her, heartlight blinking rapidly until it resembled a strobing star. Ruby was hanging from the maw of a very large and very irritated Nui-Kopen, one that had its mandibles embedded deep into her shoulder. The Huntress's eyelids fluttered as she struggled to focus, and her limbs twitched as she tried to fight back, but something kept her from doing either. Her scythe slipped out of her hands, flipping end-over-end as it embedded itself into the rocky cliff twenty bios below. From the way she dangled like a limp doll from the wasp's mouth, a similar fate awaited Ruby Rose.
"Ruby!" called Gali. Her eyes narrowed. "Your fight is with me, Makuta! Let her go!"
Again, she could feel the master of shadows smiling at her, and a pit formed in her chest.
"...oh, what a remarkably poor choice of words."
The great Rahi opened its mandibles, and Ruby started to fall.
Gali moved without even thinking. She kicked off the face of her Nui-Kopen and surged through the sky, running on plummeting rubble and using the momentum to carry her from one falling rock to another. Chasms too great to cross with leaps alone were cleared with the power of the Miru, and though she still struggled to keep herself steady she levitated all the same. Within seconds the falling human was pulled into a tight embrace with both arms, and Gali once more triggered the power of her new mask to slow their descent.
A quick glance at her friend told her that Ruby wasn't moving or looking at her, but she was still breathing.
Thank Mata Nui for small mercies.
No sooner had she thought those words than a sharp pain flared up and raced across her body.
She peered over her back to see the very same Nui-Kopen that had wounded Ruby, now driving its mandibles into her own shoulder. Barbs strong enough to punch through Toa armor plunged into her muscles, sending sheer agony washing over her like waves of fire. Her arms and legs began to stiffen and lock up, and her vision began to blur like she was swimming in gelatin. Whatever toxin the Rahi was flooding her with, it paralyzed her body and drained her will to fight.
"You Toa are so utterly predictable," drawled the shadowy specter of Makuta as it floated over her sparking shoulder. "One day…it shall be the death of you."
Gali struggled to hold on, struggled to focus on the world around her. The human in her arms. The Rahi that poisoned her into submission. The shadowy mask that taunted her just out of sight. The blurry ground and churning sea that waited for her far, far below. She needed to fight. Needed to activate her mask power to escape. Needed to pour her will into the rain, to shape it into some kind of blade to strike…
But nothing came.
The battlefield faded in and out of focus, her yellow eyes growing dimmer and brighter with each passing second. Each instant that ticked by felt like the last few sands dropping into the bottom half of an hourglass, measuring what little time she had left in this life. Her people…no, all the people of Mata Nui…they would be at Makuta's mercy, and the Toa sent to save them would be one sister weaker if she didn't do something drastic to save herself and her human friend very soon.
That's when she noticed a blade of red and silver sticking out of the nearby cliff face.
Ruby's scythe.
"...one day, perhaps…" she groaned, her mouth feeling numb as she forced out the words. Then her eyes narrowed. "...but not this day!"
And with that, she mustered all her remaining energy and channeled it into one swift move, stowing one hook and grabbing the scythe as she swung her arm back. With a cry of exertion she buried the blade into the Nui-Kopen, driving the tip through several layers of chitin and carapace. Then she pulled the trigger near the handle as she'd seen Ruby do so many times before; the blade jerked backwards in a violent recoil, tearing the wasp apart and sending two twitching pieces plunging into the darkness below.
The good news was that the Rahi was no longer pumping venom into her veins, and Gali could feel her focus already coming back. The bad news was that there was nothing holding them aloft anymore, and she knew clarity of mind wouldn't come back soon enough. With not enough concentration - or time - to activate her mask or her elemental powers, it was all the Toa of Water could do but hold Ruby tightly as they plummeted towards the stone and the sea, twisting and turning so that she'd land first.
Forgive me, little one. I let myself get distracted…and that nearly cost you your life.
She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself the best she could.
Should we somehow both survive this…I swear I will not make the same mistake again.
The rest, after a sullen fall and a painful crash into the waves, was silence.