(A/N): And now we're back to current events, AKA where we left off in Chapter 22. Like the Kahu flight, the battle between Onua and Lewa is one of the highlights of MNOG, and I really wanted to do it justice here while still including the RWBY characters in meaningful ways. The result is another 13k word chapter that's loaded with one of my favorite action sequences in the fic so far, ranking juuuust behind the Siege of Ta-Koro from a few chapters ago. Again, hope you enjoy it!
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
Lewa is compromised. The Le-Matoran are trapped in a Nui-Rama hive in Le-Wahi. I am there with them.
Please, send help.
Every time Blake read and reread the message Penny had sent, her eyes narrowed a little more.
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
Her feline ears flattened against her head in response to the constant sound of shattering stone. The Toa of Earth was quickly tunneling through his element with the Mask of Speed active, his claws spinning like the arms of a windmill as he dug and burrowed while running. Lacking any means to dig on her own, she settled for holding onto his backplate with one white-knuckled hand, clutching her Scroll in a deathlike grip with the other. She knew that there wasn't anything she could do to quicken their pace, that she needed to rest and recover her strength from the fight with the Kanohi Dragon, but worry still plagued her mind. It was hard to focus on staying calm when everything about this situation made her anxiety shoot through the roof.
She mentally sighed and swiped her thumb across the hardlight screen, switching displays from her messages application to her half-empty Aura gauge. The defense of Ta-Koro and the fierce fight with a powerful Rahi had drained a good chunk of her protective soul armor; not only did this mean she'd need to be careful in taking hits, she'd also need to use her Semblance conservatively so as not to further drain it. Though the meter slowly ticked upwards with each second she spent staring at the yellow display, it wasn't rising fast enough - she reasoned that by the time they reached Le-Wahi, her Aura would be back to about two-thirds of its usual strength. It was all she could do but hope that would be enough for the coming challenge…she didn't like the idea of fighting a brainwashed elemental warrior with nothing but her blades, bullets, and reflexes.
But even then, that was the least of her concerns.
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
As worried as she was about herself, she feared even more for her taller, better-armored companion. The Toa of Earth had barely said two words since leaving the others, his facial features under the mask contorting in determined rage. Blake had never seen Onua get truly angry before, not even during a fight, and she wasn't sure if she liked this new side of him. Then again, why wouldn't he be mad? One of his fellow Toa had somehow gotten himself stuck with an infected Kanohi - the same tool that Makuta used to make the Rahi do his evil bidding, and Lewa would do the same so long as he wore that mask.
So there was a good chance that Onua would have to fight his brother.
Blake understood that pain a little too well.
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
She thought back to all the Faunus she'd fought after leaving the White Fang, all the radicalized brothers and sisters she'd needed to knock out just to save so many more lives. She thought back to Ilia's tearful, enraged eyes as they dueled in the burning Belladonna Manor, and how the good and evil warred within her childhood friend even as they clashed time and again. And though she desperately tried not to, she thought back to her final confrontation with the monster wearing the face of a man she once loved…and how even to his last breath, he sought only to end her and her partner above all else.
It twisted her gut into knots just thinking about it, and she refused to let Onua suffer that stress in silence.
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
"Hey," she finally said quietly, her throat tightening with each word. "I know I haven't exactly been open about my past…but I know what you're going through. I've been there, fighting a friend. It's not easy, and it never gets any easier, but I promise you won't be doing it alone. I'll be right there with you, Onua - we'll protect each other, free Lewa, and show Makuta that we're done letting him pull the strings of our friends."
The Toa of Earth said nothing, but he still nodded in determination as he continued his high-speed tunneling. Satisfied that he'd heard and understood her promise, Blake kept hanging from Onua's back, anxiously watching her Aura meter climb back slowly…
KRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCHKRNCH.
…and silently praying that Toa Lewa's story would not end the same way as the tragic tale of Adam Taurus.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Takua watched as Taipu slammed his pickaxe against the stone floor again and again, wincing slightly with each burst of sound it released. "Think he's heard it yet?"
"We Onu-Matoran have very sensitive hearing, especially when underground," said the black-and-tan digger between sharp cracks of his tool splitting the earth. "Onepu says that Onua is the same way, but the range and accuracy of his senses are enhanced by his elemental powers. According to legend, he can even hear the sound a raindrop makes when it falls on the shores of Lake Naho! Or maybe it's a snowflake on the slopes of Mount Ihu. Onepu tells me a lot of stories about Onua."
The Chronicler doubted that even a Toa of Earth's seismic senses could stretch that far, but he nodded anyway. "In that case, finding a bunch of Matoran making a lot of noise shouldn't be too hard. Keep pounding away and giving him something to look for, Taipu. If nothing else, it'll look like you're still working, which should fool the Rahi."
Taipu nodded enthusiastically. "Will do, friend!"
Satisfied, Takua turned to the second member of their hastily-planned operation - Emerald Sustrai, one of Penny's friends from Remnant. The green-haired Huntress had two fingers pressed against her temples while her jaw was clenched tightly, her other hand reaching out to the shadow-consumed Toa and trembling. A chill shot through his parts as the wall-crawling warrior of wind stared straight at him with yellow-green eyes, but nothing happened. Thanks to Emerald's Semblance, the eyes of Lewa - and Makuta - might as well have been gazing into empty space.
"You holding up okay, Emerald?" he asked, glancing up at her.
She nodded tersely. "It's a lot harder to fool Makuta and Lewa at the same time when they're looking right at us - and when they're looking for us. I've got enough Aura to keep the Hallucination up for now, but try to keep things quiet and subtle. I won't be able to account for everything."
Takua patted her leg. "You're doing great. Just watch your reserves. Penny told me that you need Aura to power your Semblances, just like how the Toa need elemental energy to control their own powers. You don't want to spend too much of it in case a fight breaks out…"
"Heh. Don't worry about me, I know my limits. Appreciate the advice, but you're preaching to the choir here, little guy. I got this."
"Good to know. And, uh…what's a choir?"
Emerald huffed. "Never mind."
With a shrug, the Chronicler walked back over to Penny, who stood alongside the other Le-Matoran with her lightstone in one hand and a fistful of teal threads in the other. The strings of her Technopathy flowed into the mechanical parts of the wounded Kahu, carefully reassembling the damaged linkages and maneuvering them around torn muscles and ligaments. Kongu stroked his noble steed along her feathery crest, Matau fed her berries to restore lost energy, and the other villagers were combing the nest floor for parts scattered by the crash landing. Bit by bit the mighty Gukko bird was regaining her strength…which she would need, if the Matoran had any chance of getting out of the nest alive.
"How's she looking, Penny?" Takua asked as he laid a hand on the Huntress's leg, restoring the life-giving connection in place of the glowing stone.
Penny looked down and smiled, tucking the lightstone back into her belt. "Vizuna is almost ready to fly again. The damage from when Lewa struck in mid-air was not too extensive - if anything, the shock of landing was far worse. But Kongu assures me that she has crashed before, and that she has always returned to the sky after recovering. She will do so again, and if we give her enough time to fully heal, she will be strong enough to carry all of us out in one trip."
"Assuming that Makuta gives us a chance to slip-leave," muttered Kongu quietly. Matau's expression darkened under his mask.
"And what about your friends?" said Takua, pointedly shifting topics. "You said that Blake responded to your message, and that she'd be coming with Onua - any updates? Is anyone else coming, or is still just her?"
"It would seem that only Blake and Onua are on their way," said the freckled Huntress with a sigh as she expanded her Scroll with her Semblance, making it levitate nearby on glowing wires. "The other girls and their Toa are exhausted from a mighty battle in Ta-Koro, so they are unable to help. I also do not have Neopolitan's contact information, so I am unable to get in touch with either her or Pohatu. As for Blake, her last message was 'be there in five minutes,' which was sent approximately…fifteen minutes ago." She gave a pensive frown. "It is a shame that the location-tracking features of our Scrolls do not seem to be active on Mata Nui…it would be quite useful for situations just like this."
Takua clasped her hand with both of his. "Just focus on fixing up Vizuna for now. One thing at a time, Penny - if anyone can put a wounded Rahi back together, it's you. We all believe in you, you know?"
She smiled and crouched to bring his fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes and sighing. "Yes…of course. Thank you, Takua."
"Anytime. Just wish there was more I could do to help…" said the Chronicler with a nod.
"You came up with the speed-plan and our part-roles to play," said Matau as the Kahu plucked another berry out of his ancient hands. "That demonstrates quick-thought and sharp-wit, especially in the face of dark-threats." The Turaga grinned wryly beneath his mask. "Are you certain you're not one of my tree-villagers in fire-spitter's colors, story-keeper? You certainly have the fast-mind of one."
"Probably not," answered Takua with an awkward laugh. "I couldn't imagine myself living in a place as awful as the jungle. No offense."
"Some taken."
The banter helped take Takua's mind off the stress that built up within him, letting him breathe easily for just a moment. Everything was going according to plan. All he had to do was wait, and see, and hope that their little gambit held up just long enough to let everyone walk away alive and unharmed.
But much like a house of masks, it all came tumbling down when one piece shifted.
The Kahu eventually pushed off the ground and lifted herself up just enough to get unsteady talons underneath her armored frame. When she found she could stand easily enough, she tested her newly-repaired wing as well with a powerful flap - and was clearly pleased with the results. She let out a shrill cry of delight and gratitude towards her healers, a sight and sound that would have been welcomed with cheers…if not for the fact that there was no way Emerald's Semblance would be able to hide that.
Sure enough, Lewa's darkened gaze stared at the great Gukko with murderous intent.
"Our cover's blown! Watch out!"
The mind-controlled Toa leapt off the wall in a gust of wind, his sharpened axe already drawn and aimed straight at Vizuna's throat. But Penny leapt with Vita fully deployed, blocking the strike in mid-air and putting herself in Lewa's path. The pair touched down and started dueling fiercely for a brief moment, with Penny swinging Luce in its tonfa form while her opponent's axe whirled around him. She parried a spinning strike with her shield and thrust an extending spear at the infected mask, only for Lewa to tilt his head and avoid the attack before blowing her away with a mighty gale. Penny's scream was cut off as the blast slammed her against the stone wall, her emerald Aura flickering faintly as she slid to the floor. Lewa turned his attention back to the Kahu, only to slink back as Vizuna repeatedly pecked and brought her beak down in earth-shattering blows. With a feral snarl, Makuta guided the Toa to fix his eyes back onto the slumped and dazed Huntress, surging forward to finish off the "easy" target.
"Penny!" Takua cried out, reflexively drawing his Chronicler's Staff in defense of his friend. Not that he needed to - Emerald was already in motion.
The chains of both her guns extended in a series of wild swings as she ran, and she whipped the bladed sickles towards the Toa of Air in complex patterns and trapping loops. Lewa leapt and twisted and spun in mid-air to avoid the flying chains and hooks, responding with slashes of razor-sharp wind that the Huntress leaned and arched her back to evade. The two continued their deadly dance for a moment, each struggling to get a hit while ensuring they were not struck in turn. That dance ended when Emerald finally hooked her chains around Lewa's ankle, pulling him off his feet while nonetheless opening herself up for a blast of gale-force wind that sent her flying backward.
With a pained grunt Emerald rolled and landed on her feet, digging one sickle blade into the ground to anchor herself. Lewa spun on the floor and whipped up arcs of wind with his arms and legs, quickly righting himself using just the momentum built up by the whirlwind-like move. Toa and Huntress alike crouched as they glared daggers at each other, pausing for just a moment before charging once again -
And then the earth between both of them erupted.
The Chronicler shielded the eyeholes of his mask to avoid the sudden shower of soil and silt. When the dust settled, he looked over to see a black-armored figure with mighty claws emerging from a new hole in the ground, steam hissing through the vent-like sides of his Kanohi Pakari. Another Huntress - this one with short-cropped dark hair, a white jacket with long coattails, two swords, and fuzzy little triangles on top of her head - hopped off his shoulder and stood next to him, folding one of her weapons into a hand-sized gun while holding the larger blade in a reverse grip.
Onua, the Toa of Earth, had arrived.
Emerald grinned as she leapt forward, landing by the friendly Toa and snapping the chains back into her weapons. "You sure took your time getting here. What, did you stop for ice cream on the way over?"
"It is good to see you again as well, Emerald." Onua nodded to the mint-haired teenager, then speared his corrupted brother with a harsh glare. "…though I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Yeah…me too," said Emerald with a sigh. "Thanks for coming, Blake."
The other Huntress just nodded, then crouched low as she stood alongside her companions to stare down the threat. Lewa said nothing when faced with the new arrivals, instead merely tilting his head like a beast sizing up its next meal. Takua could practically see the gears turning in the Toa's mind - or rather, in Makuta's mind - as he quickly calculated the new odds stacked against him. Was it worth the risk, sending his most powerful puppet to fight Onua? Kicking around Huntresses and harassing Matoran was one thing, but making him fight another Toa, especially one wielding air's opposing element, was quite another. If he lost, he might end up losing control of the Toa of Air. And if he won…?
Evidently, Makuta decided that the potential prize - another Toa under his control, and no fewer than three dead Huntresses - was well worth the risk.
The corrupted Toa of Air leapt high with his axe raised above his head, prompting Onua to launch scattered chunks of earth at him from below while Blake and Emerald opened fire. Lewa twisted to avoid the incoming projectiles, then came crashing down with a blast of wind that the trio scattered to avoid. Takua tore his gaze away from the clashing titans and ran over to his fallen friend, concern gripping his heartstone as he saw that she wasn't moving.
"Penny!" he cried as he instinctively laid hands on her. "Penny, say something!"
"Ugh…" groaned the Huntress, eyes rolling in their sockets as she shook her head. "Takua? I do not enjoy battling a Toa."
Takua chuckled and smiled as relief flooded through him…a feeling that faded as soon as he heard loud buzzing from above join the sounds of battle. He craned his head up, almost immediately regretting it as soon as he saw a dozen Nui-Rama and a half-dozen Nui-Kopen descending towards them, stings and claws bared as each one moved in to restore order. The other Le-Matoran didn't take the new arrivals laying down - they took up arms with whatever was nearby, and let out trilling battle yells as they challenged the insectoid Rahi.
"Yeah, well…good news. Looks like Makuta's sending something else for us little guys to fight."
Penny looked up at the new arrivals, and grinned as she pulled her weapons back into her hands. "Good. I can handle that."
Gunfire rang out from Thief's Respite and Gambol Shroud as their owners circled in opposite directions, the echoing booms of discharging Dust nearly drowning out the sound of Emerald's heart thumping against her chest. Though the bullets barely even scratched Lewa's frame, the volley of shots from both sides kept him off balance just long enough for Onua to move in with a powerful uppercut. The Toa of Air leaned to avoid it by a fraction of an inch, then spun to bring his axe down on his brother - a blow that was narrowly blocked by a pair of sturdy claws, which grabbed the shaft and yanked him close enough for a swift shoulder check followed by an outward arm sweep. Lewa staggered back from the sheer force of Onua's blows, but he recovered his footing just in time to block and push back against an aerial kick from Blake and a sneak attack from Emerald. The Toa of Earth rushed into melee once again, only to be assaulted by a forceful wind that made him slide backwards across the ground with an annoyed glare.
"He's a tough one to pin down," said Blake through gritted teeth as she touched down lightly. "It's like trying to nail a leaf caught in a wind tunnel, except the leaf's trying to murder us. You've fought alongside him this whole time, Em - what are our options? Any weaknesses we can exploit?"
Emerald pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she skidded to a halt. "Hmm…Lewa fights like a cross between you and Ruby. He likes to stay in the air and keep moving, basically controlling the flow of a battle by hitting from every angle. If we slow him down, though? We might have a chance."
"So, ice Dust?"
"Ice Dust," affirmed the thief, already loading her revolvers with new ammo. Her fellow Huntress ejected Gambol Shroud's current magazine, then loaded a new one with a pensive sigh.
"Alright, but fair warning," Blake noted with a sidelong glance. "This is my last clip of the stuff. Burned through most of it fighting a dragon earlier today, along with about half my Aura. Haven't gotten a chance to replenish much of either."
Emerald rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Sheesh. An actual, literal dragon?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Never a dull moment on Mata Nui, huh?"
"Nope."
With a wordless nod, Emerald brought her twin revolvers up while her ally ran to rejoin the manic melee. The iron sights focused down on Lewa, who was currently flipping and leaping through the air to avoid showers of rubble and chunks of earth that Onua threw at him. Every incoming projectile was answered with a blast of wind, which the Toa of Earth crossed his arms to weather and remain rooted. The elemental duel was interrupted when Blake came in with both swords drawn, launching into a flurry of attacks that the Toa of Air blocked effortlessly with his axe. Sparks flew as Remnant steel met protodermis again and again, before Lewa finally roared in rage and jumped to deliver a skull-splitting slash.
But that was what Blake was counting on.
At the last possible moment she darted backward with a pulse of her Semblance, leaving only a flash-formed ice statue of herself behind. The blade of the Toa's axe stuck fast inside the frozen head, wedging itself tightly and firmly in place. Blake reappeared next to Emerald even as the latter immediately opened fire on the surprised target, the feline Faunus form-shifting her sword into a pistol before doing the same. Icy rounds buried themselves into Lewa's shoulder plates and blossomed into frosty crystals, weighing him down and making the servos in his arm seize up just as the Huntresses had hoped.
"Now is our chance, girls! Hurry! Get the mask!"
All three warriors closed in at Onua's command, weapons bared as they got ready to pry the dark Kanohi off Lewa's face. But the Toa of Air would not go down so easily - he let go of his axe and dropped low to the ground, sweeping with his legs to create a breeze that erupted into a swirling vortex around him. Emerald and Blake were blown away by the sudden maelstrom, launched against the walls of the hive with enough force to make their Auras flicker in flashes of green and purple.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
The pair of Huntresses slid to the floor and clutched their sides.
"Mmnfh. That…didn't work like we hoped."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," said Emerald, wincing and casting a glance as her ally stated the obvious. "You okay?"
"I'll live," hissed Blake, glaring at the raging windstorm in the center of the fight. "Don't think we're gonna be able to get through that…not shooting through it, either."
"Which means Onua's on his own in there," growled the former thief with a sigh. "Dammit…it was nice having backup when it lasted."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," said the feline Faunus with a small smirk. "Onua may not be as fast or nimble as Lewa…but if there's one thing he's really good at, it's standing his ground."
Without much else to do, Emerald watched as Onua dug his claws into the earth to anchor himself, peering into the eye of the storm and the green-armored warrior at its heart. She shifted her gaze over to Lewa, and her brow furrowed as she saw him shatter the wind-battered ice around his forearm with a single forceful flex. Then the mind-controlled Toa grabbed his weapon and ripped it free from its icy prison, twirling it in one hand and pulling gusts of wind out of the raging storm with the other. Lewa fed more of his elemental power into the collected gales before using them to coat the head of his axe, grinning a dangerous grin beneath his infected mask as he turned towards his former ally with a poisoned glare and a sheathe full of fury.
"Spirit above, brother!" yelled Onua, his voice almost drowned out by the roaring gale. "I mean you no harm! I do not wish to fight you…but you leave me no choice! This is for your own good!"
The Toa of Earth switched to the Kanohi Hau just as Lewa leapt and lunged, triggering the power of the Mask of Shielding with resolve in his gaze. A glowing green barrier sprung into existence around him, covering the earthen warrior in a protective force field. When the head of Lewa's axe struck and met resistance, the stormy sheathe unleashed its stored power - and with nowhere else for the compressed winds to go, they exploded outward, thrusting their wielder backwards with enough force to leave a dent in the stone wall that painfully stopped the Toa's sudden flight.
WHAM!
Lewa tumbled down the wall and slammed against the ground, and a moment after he went still the raging storm fizzled out.
"…damn," said a thoroughly-impressed Emerald.
"I told you," said Blake with a validated smile. "Come on, let's get back in there."
"Do we even have to keep helping at this point?" she said jokingly. "I think he's got this under control."
"Come on, Em."
The two Huntresses ran to rejoin the tired Toa of Earth, reaching him just as he ripped his claws (and the chunks of stony wax around them) out of the earth. After wordlessly checking up on his human allies, Onua took the lead and stomped over to his fallen brother, while the girls followed and covered his flanks with drawn guns. The trio approached the still form of Lewa cautiously, keeping an eye on his unmoving frame…and when the dark-masked Toa finally did rise to his feet, their muscles tensed up for entirely different reasons.
"Gah…no…no…no…"
Onua tilted his head. "Brother? Is that you in there? Are you back in control?"
"What's…happening…to me?" Lewa groaned as his limbs spasmed and twitched. "My body…not my own…"
Blake raised her sword, but Onua told her to stay back with an outstretched claw. Emerald watched as Lewa muttered to himself and tried to get his seizing arms back under control, fingers hovering just over the triggers of her revolvers. Finally the Toa of Air let out a loud cry, throwing his head back and gripping vainly at the infected Mask.
"My mind…get out of my mind!"
He's fighting against Makuta's influence, thought the former thief proudly. That blow must've rattled his head enough for him to claw back some kind of control. That means Lewa's still in there, and he's still fighting! Way to go, buddy!…jeez, when did I get so sappy?
Unfortunately, it was clear that not even the will of a desperate Toa was enough to overpower the Master of Shadows.
The fit of inner conflict was over almost as soon as it began, and Lewa's hands slowly lowered to reveal that same glare of hatred and rage. He wordlessly raised his axe once more and swung it towards the trio, unleashing a mighty blast of air and shadows that made stone pillars crumble and overhead lightstones smash into pieces. The battlefield instantly and unnaturally plunged into darkness, obscuring all four of them in a thick black blanket that threatened to smother them in their little corner of the hive. Lacking the night vision of her allies, Emerald could only catch glimpses of the ensuing melee off the sparks that leapt whenever weapons clashed. Not that she needed to see in the dark to know that the battle was not going well - the highlighted silhouettes of Blake and Onua showed them almost entirely on the defensive, doing their best to block or counter the frenzied assault of the Toa of Air and his almost literal second wind.
We've gotta get that stupid mask off his face, thought Emerald as she fired blindly into what she hoped was the direction of the fight. It's the only way to end this fight. Of course, first we've gotta actually hit him. And to do that, we need to see him. That might not be a problem for Blake or Onua, but for me? I might as well be taking potshots at shadows in a dark alleyway.
Then a memory struck her, of a night in her checkered past when she and Mercury had been doing just that. They'd burned through nearly all their ammo trying to nail their target - a White Fang captain who'd grown a conscience two weeks before the Vytal Tournament and wanted out of Adam's "crazy plan" - in near-total darkness, while the spry little fox Faunus had nothing throwing off his aim as he shot back at them with impunity. But the tables had turned once Cinder arrived and used her stolen Maiden powers to create a flaming pillar in the alleyway, letting her good little assassins finally see (and silence) the wannabe defector they'd been chasing all night. Mercury had tried to play it cool, as he always did, but Emerald looked at her "savior" like she was an angel sent by the Gods themselves.
Ugh, I still can't believe I was so stupidly blind back then.
Emerald shook her head and turned her focus back on the battle at hand, a plan forming in her mind as she fished a crimson crystal out of her pockets. While part of her loathed drawing inspiration from that crazy bitch, she couldn't argue with the results or the logic - and while she didn't have Maiden powers herself, she also had a few tricks of her own. After checking to make sure that it was indeed a chunk of fire Dust, and that it was large enough for what she needed, she hurled it into the valley of shadows and watched it disappear in the darkness.
"Dust in the hole!" she called out. "Blake! I need you to shoot it, then cover your eyes! Oh, and make sure that you're clear first!"
"On it!"
The former thief followed her own advice and shielded her gaze just before another gunshot rang out.
FWOOOOOSH.
A pillar of wild flame exploded as soon as the crystal was struck, towering above the battlefield with all the brightness and fury of a miniature sun. While the "attack" was nowhere near her opponent, it didn't need to be. The shadows evaporated for a moment in the face of an overwhelming light source, revealing that Lewa had his back turned to her - as he stood over a maskless and prone Onua, axe raised high and poised to deliver a final crippling blow.
Got you now.
Emerald took off running towards the Toa of Air, throwing out her chains and yanking hard to slingshot herself across the battlefield. She rocketed towards the distracted Lewa, hands already outstretched to grab the mask right off his face -
And then his free hand snapped into the perfect position to snatch her by the throat.
"Gurk!"
If Emerald could have let out a better word than "gurk" - something nice and respectable, like a very strong curse word - she almost certainly would have. But the only other thing that came out of her mouth was a series of fruitless gasps and pained grunts, her weapons falling out of her hands as she tried and failed to pry away the metallic fingers curling around her neck. The rest of her body hung helplessly in mid-air, her feet kicking uselessly off the ground as the Toa lifted her high above his head and tightened his grip on her wind pipe. Each prolonged second of contact felt like it cut another year off her life…and with Onua scrambling for his fallen mask and Blake's rescue attempt met with a backswing that sent her flying, there was no one left to save her.
Not this time.
Her chest felt like it was about to cave in. Her neck felt like it was about to snap. Her crimson eyes desperately stared into the pair of yellow-green lights that glared at her, fervently searching for some sort of sign that Lewa - her Lewa - was there.
"L-Lewa…stop…" she choked with the last of her air, the words feeling like ground glass leaving her lips. "Please."
The Toa of Air's gaze softened slightly, as did his grip around her throat as he gently lowered his hand and set her down. Relief flooded through her entire body, a sensation just as welcome as the breath that flowed into her chest. She couldn't stop the tears flowing down her face as she stared up at Lewa even if she wanted to…and though she'd never admit it out loud, she didn't want to keep herself from crying this time.
"Sprout-leaf?" he whispered, disbelief flooding into a timid voice. "Is that…? Oh. Oh, no. I…I haven't hurt you, have I?"
She choked and sobbed in relief, clasping the hand that slid down to her shoulder. "Nothing that won't heal on its own. Can you get that mask off your face?"
Despite his limbs seizing up as Makuta attempted to regain control, Lewa nodded tersely. "Yes…yes, of course. Anything for…a-anything for…"
Skisssssssh.
Emerald caught a glimpse of a three-foot-long slimy snake slithering up the Toa's neck, oozing malice and darkness as its mouth opened in four separate directions. It bit down on the base of Lewa's metallic skull before she could even scream out, which ended up being a good thing - it meant that she had more air in her lungs as Lewa immediately started choking her once again. She grit her teeth and looked up at him with a pleading expression, but whatever moment of lucidity her friend had was long gone - replaced by the cold, unfeeling monster that Makuta forced him to be.
Can't…breathe… she thought desperately as darkness tinted the edges of her vision. Can't…get free. Lewa…come on buddy. You gotta fight it…
Emerald was only vaguely aware of Onua - who had finally managed to get his mask back into place - finally rising to his feet with a guttural roar and a punch that sent the Toa of Air flying, nor did she even feel the air rushing back into her tired, aching lungs. All she could think about was the brief spark of recognition in Lewa's eyes, the faintest trace of her friend…as well as that mysterious snake-thing that trailed up his neck.
Was it connected to the infected mask, somehow?
She decided she'd figure it out after a short rest, doubling over as she focused just on taking one painful breath after another. Her eyes eventually trailed back up to see Lewa's shadow towering over Blake and Onua on a funnel of wind, harassing them with slashes of his axe that created razor-sharp arcs of wind with each swing. Onua summoned walls of earth to block the barrage while Blake used her own agility to avoid them, attempting to use her ribbon to grapple up and tackle Lewa only for him to catch Gambol Shroud's tether and whip her around instead. The Toa of Earth moved to catch her before she could slam against the ground, and that was all the former thief could see before the pillar of flame snuffed itself out and shadows overtook the battlefield once again.
A low groan escaped Emerald's lips. Fighting Lewa on even footing wasn't working. They needed a plan. More importantly, they needed a miracle.
When her Scroll unexpectedly chirped with a new message, she found both.
"Orkham, Vira, bring down the Rama-swarmer on the right-flank! Shu, on your left! Everyone else, stay near either Vizuna or the fire-spitter and his friend - they'll protect you if you can't fight!"
The battle across the rest of the hive was swift and fierce. Penny caught glimpses of Kongu and the other Le-Matoran fighting like madmen, leaping and bounding off walls to grab and tear into the aerial Rahi with tools and makeshift weapons. Taipu dug up chunks of earth with his pickaxe and launched them at the flying bugs, knocking them off-course or outright knocking them unconscious. And the mighty Kahu proved to be an invaluable fighter in her own right - she knocked away three Nui-Rama with one swipe of her wing and snapped her beak through a Nui-Kopen with one cleaving bite, protecting the villagers nearby with her size and strength.
Still, numbers were not on their side. For every Nui-Rama that fell, five more flew down from the side channels to join the fray. While the mosquito-like swarmers were frail and easily dispatched, the real danger lay in the larger, wasp-like Nui-Kopen. With four clawed arms and thicker armor than their smaller cousins, they proved far more difficult to dispatch - and it did not help that their bites could paralyze their prey, as one poor Le-Matoran had already demonstrated.
So the freckled Huntress focused mostly on those Nui-Kopen, fighting them so that the Le-Matoran did not have to. At the moment she worked to distract a pair of the heavier Rahi alongside Takua, the two of them dancing just out of reach and poking them with the sharpened points of Luce and the Chronicler's Staff. Hundreds of translucent blue eyes tracked their every moment, funneling their ire onto the annoying little warriors that kept stabbing at their unguarded undersides. When one of them lobbed a barbed stinger like a bullet at Takua, Penny intercepted the projectile with an outstretched shield. And when the other lunged with clawed forelimbs at her unguarded flank, the Chronicler jumped off her shoulders and slashed the beast between the eyes.
Takua laughed as he dropped back down to the ground, watching the blinded Nui-Kopen flee in a panic and slam into a nearby wall. "Penny, did you see that? I got one! I actually got one!"
"Well done, Takua!" Penny called as she tore the six-inch-long stinger out of Vita's plates, casting a glance at the crumpled-up wasp. "Although technically, I believe that its own momentum was responsible for its death."
"Maybe, but I'm still counting it!"
"Then I will also count it as your kill, my friend." She looked over her shoulders to see Matau driving his saw-like staff into a dazed Nui-Rama lying next to him. "Turaga! How much longer until we can escape?"
"It'll take longer than we hope-thought!" Matau called back as the spinning blade cut through a vital tendon between the eyes. "The Rama-swarm's too thick to fly through - if we try to sky-flee now, we'll be shred-torn!"
The other Nui-Kopen let out a screech and tried to flee in search of easier prey, forcing Penny to reach out with her Semblance and bind its forearms in glowing threads. "But how else are we going to get out, if not by air?"
"Working on that!" cried Kongu, flipping and bouncing his throwing disk between two aerial insects. "Vizuna may be tough-fierce, but she's still weak-wounded from the crash! Even if she could wind-fly us out, there's no way she'd be able to carry all of us at once! Her rest-sleep was cut short - she's not strong enough right now!"
"What if I lead some of them through the tunnel that Onua created when he came in?" suggested Taipu as he brought his pick down on a charging Nui-Rama. "I can see well enough in the dark; if I can get some of them to safety, you can take the rest and we can meet up in the jungle later!"
"Good think-plan, but it won't work!" The Turaga used his staff to push back against the maw of a Nui-Kopen trying to bite and paralyze him. "Le-Matoran hate the underground and its tight-walls - it makes them slow-footed and panic-scared, they'll be easy prey for any Rama-swarmers that might follow you down! You cannot expect them to leave one dark-prison only to flee into another!"
"But we have to do something, Turaga!" protested the digger. "We can't fight forever without proper weapons, there's no end to the Nui-Rama, and even Onua and the Huntresses struggle against Lewa! We'll be Rahi bones if we stay here!"
Matau let out a yell as he pivoted and let his Nui-Kopen slam into the ground, driving the business end of his staff through the eye shields of the prone wasp. "Then we'll be the noblest piles of Rahi-bones in the history of Mata Nui! I may be old-worn, but I won't stop fighting until my last gasp-breath! Come take us, Makuta, if you brave-dare!"
The other Le-Matoran whooped and trilled at the declaration of their Turaga, redoubling their efforts to fight back. Penny bit her lower lip as a pit formed in her stomach, trying not to think about how dangerous the situation was - and how much worse it could get. More Rahi flew in to join the battle, but she averted her gaze. Instead, she focused on the joints within the Nui-Kopen's arms, focused on locking down the servos and motors that powered the rending claws and powerful jaw and nasty venom. The wasp-like Rahi thrashed and fought back against her power, but she kept it bound up in her Semblance, refusing to let it fly off and hurt someone else.
If only we had another Kahu to assist with the aerial rescue, she mused as she heard the brave Gukko bird let out terrifying war screeches. Or any kind of Rahi with wings, even. If only…if only…
"Penny! Look! There's something on that one's back!"
She glanced up at what Takua was pointing at on her current enemy, gasping as she saw a dull gray piece of metal sitting against an otherwise lime-green and orange frame. It resembled the mask worn by Kongu with its birdlike beak and swept edges, but for reasons she could not describe she felt an aura of energy coming from the very material itself. And unlike the twisted, rusted abomination that clung magnetically to the mounting point between the beast's wings, this mask seemed like it had been haphazardly tied against the abdomen with twine - almost like it did not originally belong there.
Lewa's Kanohi.
A bright smile spread across her face. "Takua! Gather the others and tell them that we may be able to fly out of here anyways! I believe I have a solution for all our problems!"
"What? What are you - " The Chronicler's eyes widened behind his mask. "Ohhhhh…are you gonna control that one? Like you did with those Nui-Rama on the flight over? But I thought you said your Semblance couldn't do that…"
"Perhaps it cannot, but perhaps it can! Either way, I am certainly going to try!" Penny declared as she crossed several threads of her Technopathy, weaving them into ropes and nets of teal-green energy. "I do not know if it will be possible to take full control…but I intend to find out now! Be ready for anything!"
And with that she pulled down with two fistfuls of strings, yanking the Nui-Kopen out of the air and sending it crashing to the ground. Pausing only to make sure that the life-giving lightstone was still glowing as she gripped it tightly, Penny scrambled onto its back and looped threads of her Semblance around key joints before the beast could take off again. Sure enough, the wasp-like Rahi eventually recovered, buzzed its wings angrily, and shot into the sky with its unwanted rider in tow.
"Penny!" called Takua, his cry fading as the Nui-Kopen took flight.
A scream escaped her lips as the beast thrashed and jerked, doing everything it could to buck her off and to escape the web of wires that ensnared it. The freckled Huntress held on with bare legs and tightened the loops with trembling hands, pouring more of her energy into the mechanical parts that permeated its armored frame. Servos snarled and tendons tightened as the Master of Shadows fought back against her influence, which only prompted her to focus even more of her Aura into gaining control of the creature caught in a tug-of-war between two commanding entities.
Yield to me, Rahi! Penny thought angrily, driving mental spears into the infected mask to weaken its stranglehold. You have served the will of Makuta for far too long. Now you will bend to mine!
With one final pulse of power and flash of Aura, the Nui-Kopen did just that.
Green and teal filled the Rahi's translucent blue eyes, and its struggling ceased immediately. The trance didn't last long, but it gave Penny just enough time to hook Luce around the rusted Kanohi and yank it free with one mighty tug. With Makuta's influence gone, controlling the wasp became a much easier task; she guided it by the threads of her Technopathy like she was commanding a horse by the reins. (She never noticed a three-foot-long snake launching itself at the back of her head, only to wither away as soon as the rays of the lightstone shone down on it…though she did catch a faint whiff of something burning.)
"She did it! She's actually controlling the Rahi!" Takua's cheerful whooping was loud enough to be heard even from far away, bringing a smile to her lips.
A half-dozen nearby Nui-Rama shrieked and screeched at the sight of the wasp falling into enemy hands, swooping down with claws of their own. But with a single pull on the threads she forced her mount to look up, steering it towards the incoming insects and trusting the Rahi's instincts to do the rest. Sure enough, as soon as the oversized mosquitos closed in the Nui-Kopen lashed out with all four arms, slashing the weaker bugs to pieces and splattering blood and coolant everywhere. With a triumphant grin Penny guided her new "friend" back down to Takua and Matau, making it hover gently over the ground and sending soothing thoughts across the connection as Le-Matoran gathered around.
Easy, she mentally intoned. These ones are friends. Do not worry - I will set you free once they are safe. You will be Makuta's servant no longer, I promise.
Though the Nui-Kopen said nothing, it seemed to understand her intention as it let its claws droop down like the rappelling cables on a Bullhead. The villagers seemed apprehensive at first of the Rahi, but at Matau's urging they started climbing up onto its powerful arms and hanging from its abdomen. Takua and Taipu chose to sit behind and in front of Penny respectively, while the Turaga himself used his buzzsaw-like staff to cut Lewa's mask free. Kongu clambered up into the Kahu's seat while the rest of the Le-Matoran grabbed her undercarriage, and the mighty Gukko let out a shriek as she fired up her engines and flapped her wings.
The freckled Huntress spared an errant thread to bring up her Scroll, shooting a quick message to Emerald and Blake without even touching the keypad. I have Lewa's mask! And a way to help the Le-Matoran escape! Oh, and it turns out - I CAN control Rahi with my Semblance! ^.^
Surprisingly, Emerald was the first to respond.
Great work, Penny! Bring it over to me. I have a plan…
"We must make one quick detour first," she explained to her passengers. "But after that, we shall all escape-fly together!"
Matau cackled. "That's not the word-note we usually sing, but I admire the attempt at our tree-speak all the same! Lead the way, Rahi-whisperer!"
Penny had the biggest, brightest smile on her face as she bid the Nui-Kopen to rise alongside the Kahu, carrying the captive people of Le-Koro into the air where they belonged. The Nui-Rama hung back and gave them space, likely out of fear that the machine-minded Huntress would control them next. Or maybe they just feared being torn apart by the armored wasp. Either way, they did not stop their escape.
In her opinion, things were going very well.
Blake was forced to admit that the battle with Lewa was not going well.
Under Makuta's control, the Toa of Air moved as fast as Ruby Rose and hit as hard as Yang Xiao Long. Onua did his best to trap his brother with walls of earth, only for him to either leap over them completely or blast them apart with powerful winds. Her last few ice Dust bullets missed by a country mile, and Lewa's constant attacks made sure she didn't have time to reload. Her Aura flagged with each hit she didn't avoid in time. New scratches appeared on her ally's ebon armor. Sparks flew as weapons clashed, puffs of dust were kicked up as elemental energies met, and the two-on-one duel ended when Lewa grabbed her by the ankle, slammed her against the ground, and threw her into Onua with enough force to send both of them flying.
WHAM! Dust and stone rained down on the pair as they slammed into the wall, hard enough to crack the stony wax and leave a decently-sized crater in their wake. Arcs of bioelectricity flew from Onua's cracked shoulder shoulder pauldrons, while Blake's Aura flared and flickered twice in protest. With each impact they were a little slower to get back up, which only seemed to spur on Lewa's aggressiveness and ferocity.
The feline Faunus groaned as she rolled off Onua's lap. "Ugh…he's pretty much wiping the floor with us. Has he always been this tough?"
"Doubtful," panted the Toa of Earth as he pulled himself out of the newly-formed crater. "I suspect there is a part of us that always holds back with our power, for fear of harming the people we were sworn to protect." He narrowed his eyes. "I do not think Makuta has such qualms."
Blake grumbled as she looked over at Lewa, who wasn't about to let them have a minute to recover. He immediately started swinging with his axe, preparing to summon more sharpened bursts of wind that threatened to tear them apart. It was only Onua's quick thinking that kept them from being cut into ribbons; he slammed the ground and pulsed his element, encasing the the Toa of Air and trapping him in a dome of earth so dense that not even Lewa's strongest blasts could penetrate and free him.
Not that it stopped him from trying, of course.
She watched the distant dome shake and shudder with each arc of air that flew like the winds of a hurricane. "That's not gonna hold him forever, is it?"
Onua kept one trembling claw outstretched, his fingers curling inward as he strained to keep the barrier intact. "Unfortunately not. This is a temporary measure, at best. If you have any bold plans, I am open to suggestions."
Crack. A hairline fracture formed in the surface of Lewa's prison as the winds battered it from the inside.
Blake's words were interrupted by a ping from her Scroll, and it only took a quick glance to see that new messages had come through. At first she thought it was just Yang sending more heart emojis, but after a few skims it was clear that this was far more important. A quick glance around the still, quiet cavern confirmed what she'd read - the cavern was indeed free of Matoran, Turaga, and any other combatants. Only the two Toa and their Huntresses remained, along with the near-endless hordes of Nui-Rama that mostly ignored them.
"I don't have one, but it looks like Emerald does," she explained as she swiped back to her orange-tinted Aura display. "According to her, Penny and Takua have managed to get everyone else out safely, and she got her hands on Lewa's original mask. There's no reason for you to keep holding back anymore either - so how long do you think it'll take to bring this whole place down for good?"
Onua hummed pensively for a few seconds as he looked around, then sighed as steam hissed through the vents of his mask. "More time than we have, I fear. It will take me a moment to gather enough elemental energy to create an earthquake of sufficient magnitude…a moment my brother will not give us."
Crack. The fracture grew wider, and the green of Lewa's axe was now visible as it hacked and chopped at the barrier.
Blake hummed, then narrowed her eyes and loaded a fresh Dust magazine into Gambol Shroud. Fire Dust. Bright, explosive, reliable fire Dust. "We'll see about that. Drop the dome and start charging up your power, Onua - I'll try to buy you some time."
The Toa of Earth cast a glance down at her. "You are certain of this, Blake? How much Aura do you have?"
She turned away from him, watching the crumbling dome like a bird of prey. "If I do this right? I should have just enough to finish this."
CRACK.
"And what if you do not do it right?"
Her eyes narrowed as she started walking. "I'll worry about that if it comes to it."
"Blake."
She stiffened up as Onua laid his other claw on her shoulder, gripping just gently enough to stop her. Blake finally relented and turned back to look at the Toa of Earth staring down at her with nothing but concern and fear for her.
"Blake…" Glowing emerald eyes looked at her almost pleadingly. "I want to free Lewa more than anything…but I cannot ask you to die while fighting my battles."
Her own gaze of amber softened slightly as she stared back, laying a reassuring hand on the Toa's claw. "I know. Which is why I won't die. There's too many people waiting for me back home…too many people waiting for me here, even. I know I haven't exactly been giving you a lot of reasons to trust me…but believe me when I say that I can do this. Not just for you, or for Lewa - but for everyone that's depending on you. Depending on us."
CRACK. The twisted gaze of a corrupted Toa glared out of the ever-widening divide.
"Besides…" she added with a confident smirk, "…this wouldn't be the first time I've had to stall a giant robot long enough for a partner to gather his strength for one final, ultimate attack." At the look of fascination that perked up under Onua's mask, she laughed softly. "I'll tell you all about it once we make it out of this…but until then, you're gonna have to trust me."
The Toa of Earth still seemed conflicted about this current course of action, but he nodded all the same as green energy pooled into his claws. "I already trust you, Blake. Do what you must, but please be safe."
She nodded and drew both her swords, mounting her Scroll on her hip as her finger hovered over the icon of the Kakama. "You too, Onua. I'll see you on the other side of this."
CRACK! The earthen dome holding the Toa of Air finally shattered, and in that first split-second of freedom, Blake acted.
She tapped the button and ran while channeling the power of the Mask of Speed, rushing towards Lewa in a black-and-white blur and crossing the battlefield in the span of a single heartbeat. Everything but her seemed to move at a snail's pace; Onua, the Nui-Rama, and most importantly Lewa himself. Her increased momentum flowed and carried over as she leapt, flipping in mid-air and planting both boots against the Toa's chest in one mighty dropkick. As he stumbled backwards, seemingly in slow-motion, Blake lashed out with the ribbon of Gambol Shroud and wove it around Lewa's armored ankle. Once the connection was taut she swapped from the Kakama to the Pakari, feeling incredible strength flood into her limbs as the world around her snapped back to its usual speed. The Toa of Air suddenly accelerated to what felt like a million miles a minute, threatening to tear the ribbon and her arms apart from sheer sudden tension. She merely grit her teeth and yanked back hard with the Mask of Strength, giving her enough raw power to snap him back towards her, grab his leg, and slam him into the ground with an overhead smash and a feral yell.
WHAMMM!
Disoriented, smashed, and suffering from severe whiplash, Makuta's efforts to get Lewa back on his feet were far slower than usual. Blake took advantage of this and stayed on the offensive, aiming a mask-enhanced kick at his side that sent the Toa of Air flying like a ragdoll. Satisfied, she once again tapped the Pakari icon to turn off the effect, the burst of strength replaced by a wave of weariness. Still, she couldn't afford to pause now - she took just enough of a breath to reinvigorate herself, and lunged back into the fray.
Lewa bounced and tumbled harshly across the battlefield, but before he could slam into another wall he flipped and righted himself. He'd just managed to dig his heels and his axe into the ground to stop his flight when Blake leapt and launched into a flurry of furious dual-weapon attacks, resembling little more than a whirling ebon-edged blender as she slashed and swiped at incredible speeds. The Toa of Air blocked her barrage as best as he could, but some blows from the storm of swords still got past his guard and left shallow scratches against his armor. When he finally retaliated with a spinning sweep of his weapon, Blake circled around him and pulsed her Semblance three times in rapid succession, staying just ahead of the razor-sharp axe head and leaving three burning copies of herself behind before leaping away.
BOOOOM!
The flaming Shadows erupted into gouts of fire, trapping the Toa of Air in a ring of scorching heat and blinding ash. Not only did this stagger and disorient Lewa even further, it gave Blake the perfect smokescreen she needed to rush back in with further dashes and slashes to keep her opponent off-balance. More phantom clones of herself appeared to serve as momentary stepping stones and launch points, letting her move almost too fast for the eye to track - even the eye of Makuta himself. Lewa groaned and snarled and tried to fight back, but her perpetual assault from every angle kept the taller figure trapped in an endless cycle of pain and suffering. It didn't matter that fatigue flooded into her limbs. It didn't matter that she felt Aura strain against her muscles from the near-constant Semblance usage. All that mattered was keeping the brainwashed Toa locked in combat for a few moments longer, and she would give up every ounce of blood in her body to do exactly that.
And she almost did.
Lewa finally got a chance to lash out and get a hit, more out of dumb luck than anything else. The head of his axe tore across her back before she got a chance to react, drawing a scream as it ripped through her white coat - dammit come on she just got that coat - along with a good four inches of skin between her shoulders. Hot, searing pain shot through her spine as the impact sent her flying like a ragdoll, before she finally landed less-than-gracefully and tumbled across the floor. Despite the agony and the sight of her Aura finally shattering in a haze of violet sparks, she grit her teeth, tossed away her cleaver, and snapped Gambol Shroud back into a pistol. She rolled to her feet and aimed down the sights to fire once, twice, three times at the Toa charging towards her like a wild animal. The shots bounced off the armor in small tongues of flame and sparks, but it got the shadowy puppetmaster's attention all the same. His complete, undivided, murderous attention.
That's it, Makuta… she mentally growled as her bare, bloodied arms trembled and shook with each bark of the gun. Focus on the stupid little Huntress who showed up out of nowhere and ruined your perfect world…pay no attention to the Toa who came here to do the exact same thing.
CLICK. Her pistol loudly protested that it was empty yet again. With a groan she pushed herself to roll across the ground just as Lewa brought his axe down where her head had been seconds earlier, ejecting the old magazine and throwing it at the brainwashed Toa. It bounced against his infected mask, prompting him to snap his gaze at her and unleash another razor-sharp slash of wind. She somersaulted yet again and took off running, scooped up the tattered remains of her jacket, and hastily fished for more ammo - all while ducking and leaning to avoid more bladed gusts. The Toa of Air leapt once more and swung his weapon in a downward slam. Blake dodged out of the way and reloaded with practiced ease, coming out of her tumble into a crouch as she returned fire yet again.
Talk about…cutting it close… Her teeth clenched as each fragmented thought was punctuated by another gunshot. The world around her seemed to move in slow-motion, as if she was still channeling the Mask of Speed, with each whizzing bullet Blake fired and each move Lewa made playing out at a fraction of its usual pace. She did her best to ignore the blood burning like lava as it flowed freely down her back, robbing her of a little more strength with each second the deep cut went untreated. No time to patch it up. No time to come up with a better plan. No time to do anything except fire, reload, dodge when necessary, and repeat.
Can already feel…the blood loss…kicking in. Even thinking was getting hard at this point. Can't…keep Lewa back…forever. But I have…to keep fighting. I promised Yang…and Ruby…and everyone else, too. No…more…running…
"Blake! I am ready!"
…unless it's part of the plan.
Time resumed its unrelenting march yet again. She tore her gaze away from Lewa and took off in a mad sprint with the last of her strength, vaulting behind a low wall and bracing herself (and her ears) for what came next.
"Do it now, Onua!"
The Toa of Earth raised his energized claws and let out a mighty roar as he drove both fists against the ground, sending out a mighty tremor that rumbled through the entire hive. Walls trembled and shook violently before they finally split apart, allowing fading sunlight to pour through widening cracks to the outside world. Sounds of splitting stone and rending rock filled the air, creating an echoing cacophony of noise that threatened to drown and deafen anyone foolish enough to listen. Nui-Rama and Nui-Kopen poured out from their channels in confusion and hysteria as their home fell to pieces around them, turning their claws and stingers against one another as the chaos drove them into a mindless frenzy. And the ceiling cracked and crumbled and rained down in huge chunks of rubble, crashing into each other to become falling meteors that threatened to crush anything below it.
And all that destruction was centered on one target.
Lewa.
The Toa of Air - or perhaps the Makuta controlling him - let out an unholy shriek and swiftly backpedaled, hoping to avoid the coming landslide with his speed and reflexes. But Onua's aim with his element was true and precise; the falling rubble sought him out like guided missiles, not stopping until they either collided with the ground or they were slashed to bits by Lewa's frantic swings. He tried to dodge and defend himself as best he could as the hive crumbled around him, but it wasn't enough. Showers of slate and layers of limestone crashed against his armor, pummeling and pounding him and sapping his strength with each strike.
Onua still wasn't done. With a twist of his claw he called forth pillars of compacted shale from the ground, aiming them towards Lewa and smashing into him from underfoot. The rock and stone in the walls shot out and hardened into flying bricks, tracking the warrior's movements and crashing against his armor. The Toa of Air's attempts at avoiding the attacks or standing his ground became more feral and angry, yet less effective all the same - and whenever one bullet-like brick or pillar found their mark, a dozen more immediately followed to further smash into him and wear him down.
…is it wrong that part of me hopes that the Toa can come back to Remnant with us? Blake idly wondered as she watched her companion unleash his elemental wrath. I'd like to see what Salem can do against someone who can literally shape the mountains themselves.
That train of thought would have to wait, as Onua's display of raw power finally reached its end. The nearby tremors ceased, the rumbling and barrage of earthen projectiles stopped, and the deafening roar of collapsing rock faded into an equally-potent silence. Though the walls still shook and the ceiling still cracked throughout the rest of the structure, now they did so entirely on their own - the Toa of Earth had no part in those as he ripped his claws free and glared at his battered and bruised brother, who barely managed to stand on unsteady feet as sparks of bioelectricity shot from every broken joint.
"Getting tired already, Makuta?" panted Onua between heavy breaths of his own. "And here I thought that my brother had boundless energy."
As usual, Lewa said nothing coherent under the shadowy schemer's control, though the withering death glare spoke volumes all on its own. So focused was he on the other Toa that he failed to notice a green blur moving into position just behind him. To maintain the ruse, Blake pretended she didn't see her ally either.
"Hmm…perhaps your control is not as absolute as you claim it is," he said with a soft chuckle. "Perhaps you have spread yourself too thin with the amount of Rahi you have enthralled, or perhaps it takes more effort to keep a Toa under your control. Either way, let this be a lesson to you, something for you to ponder while you cower in the shadows - whether we are from Remnant or Mata Nui, we protect our own."
That was when Emerald finally struck.
The mint-haired teenager leapt out of her Hallucination and swung with the blade of Thief's Respite, catching the edge of the infected mask and pulling it off Lewa's face - then pulling it apart. An echoing scream sounded from the shadows as the rusted Kanohi shattered, joined by a shrill screech as a serpent-like object rose from the Toa's gearbox. Emerald just responded by tossing out the chain of her weapon and winding it tightly around the creature's neck, ripping it free as her momentum carried her over Lewa's shoulder and brought her into a rough but triumphant landing.
A newly-maskless Lewa blinked and gasped, his gaze darting left and right as he sank to his knees. "Wh-what? What…where…how…? Sprout-leaf? Brother? What has…happened?"
"Here," said Emerald, tossing a dull gray Miru over to her taller friend. "I think you're gonna need this. You can thank Penny, by the way - she's the one who got it from the Rahi slacking off on guard duty."
Lewa caught the mask with his free hand, then stared at it for a long moment as if he was debating whether he was worthy to wear it. Finally he took a breath and pressed it against his face, letting out a sigh of relief as energy surged within him once more. The Kanohi Miru went from a lifeless gray to a rich, vibrant green - the same color as his armor and weapon, and the same color as the leaves of a strong and healthy tree.
The battle, at long last, was over.
Blake trudged over with tired, heavy pants, managing to make it about halfway before she sank to her knees. Onua noticed her fall and immediately rushed to her side with the Mask of Speed, catching her before she could completely topple forward. In contrast to how he'd been moments before, the Toa of Earth was once again calm and gentle with his movements, handling the half-conscious Huntress with the softest of touches.
"You are wounded," he said matter-of-factly. Then he tilted his head. "Tell me how best to treat you."
"My coat…" she managed to hiss through grit teeth, gesturing to the mangled wad of white cloth and threads that she held in a death grip. "Take one of the sleeves and…tear it off, then push the middle of it against the wound. It'll keep me from bleeding out…for now, at least."
He nodded, then did as instructed. A sharp, searing pain shot across her nerves, but she managed to suppress her full-on scream into a quiet whimper. Her hands groped around for the ends of her sleeve, pulling them together and tying them across her chest to tighten the loop and apply pressure to the wound. Another small whine slipped through her lips at the further agony, but at least she wouldn't lose any more blood with the cloth in place. Hopefully.
"There," rumbled Onua slowly drew his claw back. "Will that suffice?"
"Until I can get it bandaged properly, yeah." Blake let out a sigh of relief, then leaned against Onua. "Wouldn't say no to you carrying me for a while, though."
The Toa of Earth chuckled, hefting her up around the waist and letting her nuzzle into his chestplate. "Blake Belladonna, you helped me save and liberate my brother from Makuta's shadow, to say nothing of how you fought alongside me in two great battles today. For that and so much more, I would carry you to the ends of Mata Nui if you asked."
"Just out of the hive is fine for now," she retorted with a small smile. "But…thanks. I'm glad I could help."
Onua nodded, then cradled her in his arms as he turned to rejoin Lewa and Emerald. The former was still groaning and regaining his senses, while the latter still had her chains wrapped around the serpentine creature as it shrieked and writhed against its restraints. Blake had never seen anything like it before…and for that, she was grateful.
"Ugh…I…" The Toa of Air clutched his head, shaking it slowly. "I…cannot thank you enough, sprout-leaf. Nor can I properly repay you, brother, or your shadow-stepping ally. I…apologize for fighting you, I was not…myself…"
"Save your words and your strength, brother," said Onua as he narrowed his eyes. "Believe me, there will be time for both of them later." He looked down at the slug that strained against Emerald's chain. "But perhaps you can spare a few of the former to shed light on this…thing. What is it?"
"No idea," grunted the former thief, planting her shoe against the creature to keep it from squirming and spitting at her. "I just saw the little bastard slithering along his neck earlier, right when it looked like he was breaking out of the brainwashing. If I had to guess, that infected mask wasn't the only thing keeping Lewa in line - whatever this is, it must've been like…a backup leash, or a failsafe of some kind. You know, in case Makuta ever thought he'd lose control of him."
"A Kraata," growled Lewa as he narrowed his gaze. "That's what the dark-voice in my head called creatures like them. 'Pieces of the Makuta', drawn from his very essence…his shadow-self, given physical shape. I don't remember-know much from the last few days, but I recall using these to infect the Kanohi of Rahi-beasts before planting them inside their armor. This is how the Makuta controls them, even with the evil-masks removed. Through the Kraata."
The Toa of Air's axe-arm moved so fast it was almost a blur, and when it passed the "Kraata" was laying still against the floor, headless and lifeless.
"At the very least, he won't be using this one anymore."
Blake's gaze lingered on the dead creature for a moment, her ears twitching as she watched it dissolve into sickly green smoke. The essence of Makuta, given a tangible form…it sounded an awful lot like how the Grimm could multiply and spawn from just about anywhere, so long as there remained even one pool of their primordial shadowy ooze for them to crawl out of. Was this the face of the true enemy they had been fighting this entire time? Would every one of these Kraata need to be hunted down and eradicated in order to defeat Makuta? And was there a way to remove them without hurting the Rahi themselves, another easy way to free them from the control of the Master of Shadows? She didn't know, but what she did know was that this new information changed everything and nothing all at once.
A distant rumble made her hair stand on end, forcing her to snap back to attention. "We should probably get out of here," she noted. "Not much reason to stick around, and there'll be even less reason once the tremors stop."
"Agreed," said Lewa with a nod. "I've seen enough of this ugly-dark place to last a lifetime - or several. Let's go, brother."
Onua nodded and switched to the Mask of Speed once more, watching as Lewa summoned his own Kakama and scooped up Emerald. The pair of Toa took off in black and green blurs, leaving the crumbling nest far behind them as they rushed into the jungle. Blake groaned as she clung tightly to Onua, who thankfully stopped after just a few seconds of moving at a gut-twisting velocity. The green streak did not stop alongside them, instead shooting off into the trees and disappearing into the yellow-orange sky.
"Nice of them to stick around, huh?" huffed Blake with a roll of her eyes. "We free Lewa from Makuta's control, and we barely even get a 'thank you' out of it."
"He must see to his people's safety first and foremost," explained Onua patiently. "I do not blame my brother for his flightiness…not in this case, at least. Besides, as I said, I will talk with him - later, though, when this whole ordeal is less painful to discuss."
That sounded reasonable, though the Huntress still let out a tired sigh. Her companion shifted his grip to let her settle into a more comfortable position, switching back to his usual Pakari with a faint gleam of interest in his eyes. Unlike the flighty Toa of Air, Onua was a stalwart companion - a strong foundation to stand on, one that could weather even the fiercest of storms.
"In the meantime, I believe you promised me a story after the battle. A tale from your past, yes? Speak, if you wish. I will listen."
Blake let a bittersweet smile spread across her lips, leaning against the strong arms of the Toa of Earth.
"Right…" she said as her companion took slow, deliberate steps through the jungle. "So, you know how I said I was different from the other girls when you asked about my extra ears? Well back on Remnant, there's an entire race of people just like me, people who are just different enough from regular humans in unique but similar ways. We call ourselves the Faunus. The story of my people and their fight for equality began long before I was born, but for me personally? It all started with an organization called the White Fang, and a young bull Faunus named Adam Taurus…"
And so, as the sun set on another victory, Blake finally opened up about her shadowy past as Onua listened with rapt attention.
(A/N): Man…it's chapters like these that make me wish I knew how to animate, haha.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed this! I hope I did this iconic scene justice for Bionicle fans, and I hope I managed to capture the spirit of the show for RWBY fans! This was definitely something I was looking forward to writing, and though it took a while, I'm super proud of how it turned out!
Also! While I have you here, I want to tell you all that WE'RE GOING BACK TO WEEKLY UPDATES! YAAAAY! I've got at least four chapter drafts in the queue and a bunch of future writing done for the big set pieces at the end, and judging by the current pace of my writing I think we'll be able to go non-stop until the end! Of course, that might change if my energy or time run low, but for now, I'd like to go back to once-a-week updates and see how that shakes out. See you next time for a significantly calmer chapter! Stay safe, stay sane, and keep being awesome!