Story Co-Authored by Omicron the IceQueen and Sinead Rivka
Love in the Light
Chapter Five:
Ta-Suva
"-And THAT is the training grounds for the Guard," Takua said pointing with his free left hand, holding River's hand with the other. "I should bring you back when the Guard is training in formation."
"I think I saw a glimpse of it when we arrived," the human murmured. "But I was distracted and not feeling too good after Taka decided it was a good idea to bring a newbie lava-boarding."
Takua started to swing his arms, and River's by extension, "I like lava boarding! Maybe we can get Toa Tahu to make you a heat shield and I can show you the inside of the Volcano!" He started to bounce on the equivalent of the 'balls' of his feet. "The flows are slow this time of year and not that many flash floods."
"I don't know how your frame handles being dunked in lava, but mine wouldn't stand a chance, heat shield or no." River chuckled, enjoying walking beside Takua, even with all the niggling in the back of her mind that she had met him before ...somewhere.
"Weeeellll, being dunked IN lava kills most everything but a few Rahi, Tahu and Storm." Takua said with a sheepish look, "And I still have a double board."
"Good to know that you have the same motivation to stay out of the lava that I do," River murmured, looking around. She pointed over towards a more ornate building than most of the rest. "What's that?"
"That's the Ta-Kini, the temple of fire and Tahu, as well as the great spirit." Takua said pausing mid-step and looking over, "Want to see? We can teleport over to Tahu's Suva from there!"
Something clicked. Something clicked and stayed clicked in her mind, but she didn't let on that she had made a major revelation. "Why not? I mean, I'd like to have a working knowledge of your people, and I know only what you've told me, and the limited amount that Takanuva's told me."
Takua reminded her distinctly of Takanuva and his unquenchable bright-hearted nature.
Giving River's hand a light squeeze the Chronicler pulled her over to the temple that was in truth, big enough to let the Toa wander in and out without ducking. Unfazed at the size scale Takua bounced over to a side door that lead to stairs, larger in the middle but smaller on the sides.
"See this?" Takua paused to touch a carved mask in the wall, looking back at the human, "This is the Kanohi Hau, the mask of shielding Tahu used before it changed."
Looking at the carved mask, River looked over at Takua. "Can I touch it, too?" Everything was different in this world, even touch.
"Sure! You can touch pretty much anything that isn't, you know, lava or has a lot of energy in it." Takua reached over to put River's hand on the carved mask, "And this is just cooled and polished lava rock. Most everything in Ta-Koro is come to think about it..."
Feeling it carefully, River let her hand touch all the surfaces. "How do I tell if something has a lot of energy in it?"
"Oh you know before you come near enough to touch it." Takua said in a tone that hinted that he had touched what you shouldn't.
More than once.
Giving him a look, River asked, "Matoran might be able to, but remember that I'm human. My eyes might not see things that yours can, and my senses might not pick up on things either."
"Huh...can you feel element energy?" Takua asked shaking out of a memory, pulling out disk with a flame design on it that had a faint... not really glow but a live feeling to it as he offered it to River.
Frowning, River pulled her hand off of the mask and brought it out to take the stone. She turned it between her hands, feeling...something... "It's like there's flame inside of it." She looked up at Takua with a light shock on her face. "It's a happy warmth."
"That's elemental energy of fire. Toa Tahu gave it to me if I needed him, all the Toa gave me a summoning disk." Takua turned the disk over to point at the little white circle letters, "See?"
"You're going to have to teach me your alphabet, too, because I can't make head nor tail of it." But she looked at it anyway. "So... was I right on what the element feels like?"
Takua hummed in embarrassment, "Sorry, here." He snuggled up close, this Matoran had a shear lack of personal space, and pointed to the first word, "This is Toa Tahu's name, the next is his element and the other lines are... ah, well...it says 'to my little fire-spitter that gets in over his head, let this help guide me to him when it happens' ...more or less."
This Matoran just had to be related to Takanuva somehow. Hm. Grinning, she looked at his mask and chuckled, "Sounds like he's got a special place for you in his heart, like a big brother does with little siblings." Oh. Good way to ask. "By the way, how are families formed here?"
Takua ducked his head, taking back the stone disk and retuning it carefully in a slot of his light armor. "What? Oh!" He plunked down on a step and patted the spot next to him. "You mean family as in a Ga-Matoran and another Matoran?"
"Ga-Matoran... they're of the water, right?" River sat beside him on the step. Every stone was warm and comforting here. Nothing cold unless they wanted it cold. "Why would they be necessary for a family?"
"Ga- means water yes, but Ga-Matoran are all girls." Takua sighed, "Their really nice...and cute..." he trailed off.
"So they're the only girls on Mata Nui?" River asked, incredulous. She blinked twice before grinning broadly. "And you have a crush on one of them!"
"Who doesn't?" the words were barely there as he hummed louder before Takua looked up, tilting his blue mask up at the human. "Ga-Matoran are the only girls on the island, but they're not all in Ga-Koro. They live in other villages too, some more than others.
"But, when a Ga-Matoran and another Matoran want a little Matoran," Takua started, pausing to keep form laughing, or giggling. He got teased enough for doing that as it was, "They make a new spirit with, by," he reached up to touch his heart light. "After the Turaga help them make a new little body for the child."
She didn't need to know the mechanics of it, but the way it was phrased was well enough. "So... is the pairing a forever pairing? Or just long enough until the little one is ready to be independent?"
Takua tilted his head, thinking, "Well, sometimes it's forever, but not all the time. But the two Matoran have to love each other in order for, a, that kind of...unity to...work."
"You don't have to explain it in detail. We have ways of making little ones that I'm sure you'd get weird-ed out by." Grinning, she gently shoved the Matoran to one side. "But I'm glad that each little Matoran comes into the world because there's a deep, loving relationship between their parents."
"Why else wouldn't there be?" Takua said as he righted himself, having fallen over on his side in over dramatics. Then he bounced up, "Come on, the teleportation system is the next level up."
"So, do Toa make baby Toas, then?" River asked as they walked up the staircase.
Takua nearly doubled over laughing at the mental image of Tahu or Kopaka the question gave him. "Toa... hehehhe, don't-" Takua paused to gasp and then, "Toa can't breed anymore."
"Can't?" Sad existence ...they had to protect and they didn't have any way to relieve tension afterwards? Damn. No wonder Takanuva was fidgety. "Wait. Why can't Toa have littles?"
"Well," Takua put his hands behind his head as he climbed the stairs, "For one thing Toa, and Kora are sterile, there's no drive. The other," He frowned, "Toa Kopaka told me there's mental blocks to keep them feeling that kind of unity passion to each other as well... I don't know why really you should ask a Toa."
"If that's the case, I don't want to be a Toa, and if they ask, I'll refuse," River stated with the sort of finality that came from a good, firm decision. She frowned at the fact that there were mental blocks, though. "Who were the last Toa to be born from, ah, unity passion?"
It just sounded silly when she said it.
"The first several Toa Hordika the Great Beings made, I think they could." Takua guessed, "Toa and Matoran are both Bionicle. I know Mata Nui, the Great Spirit made the Toa Nuva though. Actually, you know I don't think anyone knows where Turaga come from anyways, but they're Bionicle too..."
Missing pieces in the puzzle ...River made a mental note to talk with Takanuva about all this, since he seemed to be from a sort of future version of this universe. "Have you asked them about that?"
"Yeah...I think I should have asked Turaga Nokama, and a better time than a Bohrok attack. Turaga Onewa smacked me with his staff and told me to get back into formation... heh." Takua rubbed at the side of his mask, looking guilty.
"Well, your job is to gather facts." River shrugged before looking up. "So what else is in this place?"
"The temple proper is down on the first level." Takua said as he bounced off into the room the stairs lead into, there were six pillars, in the middle was a small platform and an opening in the roof let them see the sky, as well as six stars that were visible in the day. Takua was pushing and shifting some stones on the pillar with red on it.
She found herself gazing up at the stars. Funny thing about all the peace that she was experiencing... it was... like it'd always been in her heart, undiscovered until she was here. "Actually, do you know where Takanuva is?"
"He was with the Toa Nuva." Takua said pressing a white stone trigger with one hand, grab River's again and darted to the center, "When I tell you, jump as high as you can- no wait," Despite being a bit shorter Takua pulled and shifted and somehow ended up with River in his arms, "Hold on..." he crouched low, ready to jump as he watched the gathering energies.
Takua may not be extremely strong by Ta-Matoran standards but he's REALLY fast and nimble. It was what made him a great Kohlii player. But he was more than strong enough to carry River for this, plus it was safer.
Seriously, could Takanuva and Takua ... wait.
Naw. No shit.
Oh, she was going to have a field day with Takanuva when she got a chance to talk privately with him again. "Okay."
"Ready?" Takua tensed, near vibrating with the energies flooding him.
"Yep."
Jumping through portals with a past or present version of Takanuva was starting to show a bit of a pattern.
Takua jumped, as high as he could and the energies snared both as the Matoran curled up with the human. For a moment, or minute there was only a blinding light that washed everything out. It wasn't like the portal Takanuva made, more...friendly. And then they popped out with a yelp before landing in the grasp of a Toa with quick reflexes.
"Mata Nui little ones!"
"Takua!"
"Heeeh..." Takua grinned at Tahu upside-down, noting that another set of Toa hands had caught River. "Toa Lewa!" The Chronicler attempted to bow but that was a bit hard to do at the moment within Tahu's grip.
River clung to whoever had caught her while she tried to regain her bearings. "Takua, once my head stops spinning, you'll wish you had warned me about that. Start running. You'll need the head-start. 'Scuse me, need to put me down, or I'm going to be sick on someone." She calmly struggled her way free and found a wall to sit against with her head hanging between her knees.
Frigging Chronicler/Toa of Light-to-be.
The claws that had caught River lowered her down but one hand hovered near. The most notable thing, other than the vibrant green hue was that the claws of this new person were larger than Takanuva's, and not blunted. "Ah, so this is the strangeweird humino you are waytraveling with Toa brother of light."
She just needed to be on solid ground for a moment, but if someone wanted to offer physical contact, that was good. Drawing her breaths in slowly through her nose and releasing them out through her mouth, River cracked an eye to see if the room was still spinning, found it stable, then used that eye to find Takanuva and glare at him half-heartedly. "Leave a note next time before you decide to take off, please. You're lucky that Kapura had a translation-stone."
The Toa was balancing on the edge of a shelf that ran around the room they were all in, but Takanuva was behind another Toa. The red giant was a head shorter than Takanuva, but still broad in the chest and shoulders and powerful looking, as well as radiating heat off his person.
...And letting Takua scramble up to his shoulder, and launched at Takanuva who reached out to catch him, chuckling.
"Still made at you, Takanuva." River rested her head down on her knees before drawing in a deep breath and looking up at the two other Toa. "Sorry for the bad first-impression. Apparently I don't play well with portals, and they decide to make things unhappy for me on the landing side."
"Someone else should know better." The red Toa said looking over at the grinning Takua who hid behind Takanuva's leg as he stood in his Suva. Toa don't have a set 'home' since they could go so long without sleep or food, but when they do rest it's in their Suvas more often than not, it's also where they kept their masks and other little things given to them by the Matoran.
"Turaga Vakama said no lava surfing without you Tahu, and there's a lot of Rahi around." The Matoran said in a tiny voice.
"Easypeace brothers," The green Toa said rising up to his feet as well, holding out his hands, "The little fire-spitter did goodright bring the strangeweird little one here using the teleport." He paused and grinned, waving a clawed finger at Takua, "Next time set it for Matoran, not Toa."
"...heh...oops?"
River stretched her arms, then stood up carefully, looking up at the Toa before finding herself edging towards the red one that was radiating warmth. Pausing her movements, she looked up at the trio again, unsure now that she was among them.
Tahu's burning gaze of red and yellow turned down to her, after a moment his gaze softened. "It is alright little one, we will not hurt you." he crouched down and offered his hand to the human, the fingers relaxed.
Grinning despite herself, she rested her hand within his, nodding. "I know. You're like Taka; you protect." And he was warm. She shivered momentarily, then grinned sheepishly.
"All true Toa protect," Tahu rumbled softly looking at the small hand on the side of his palm.
"That's what Toaheroes do!" Lewa grinned, nodding as Takua jumped ship to him.
River smiled and nodded. "I wish that we had more people like you on my home world. We need more people who are willing to protect." She looked at Tahu. "Do you mind if I leech heat off of you? I think I'm still recovering from the fire-fever."
The Toa of fire sank down into the classic Bionicle pose seemingly automatically. Lewa grinned as he too sat down as Takanuva slipped down from his perch carefully. "Is muchstrange to see a humino, with the grateways of the two words sealed." The green elemental said.
Shifting so that she was sitting on his lap, curled close to his torso, River felt her body warming up again almost immediately. "Well, at least you know what I am, instead of my reaction of thinking that I was going to get landed on by a rogue metal sculpture falling from the sky." Tahu seemed to be the gruff kind, but kind once it came down to things.
Tahu looked down, raising an eye ridge at her and then at Takanuva who shrugged. Reaching up and back he used a fisted hand to thump the wall behind him, "Kora!" he called.
There was a pause and then a half whine came from somewhere above.
"Leave Ta-Gi alone," Lewa said shaking his head, "You had her running for two days."
Grinning at the whine, River asked, "Been a hard taskmaster?" Looking up to Takanuva, watching his face, his expressions after a full day of being around Takua, it was easy for her to tell that they were one and the same.
He was looking up with interest, though the Toa started as something dark red dropped down. But neither of the other two Toa twitched as the smaller form landed in a push-up possession, shifted into a crouch and stood stretching.
"Oooooy...blah." The Kora 'said,' Standing she was about half the size of a Toa, but at the moment she staggered over to flop beside Tahu and put her head on his leg, "Five more days of sleep Tahu.."
The Toa chuckled resting his hand on the Kora's masked face, "Meka, this is my fire-sister, Storm."
Watching the Kora, seeing the easy relationship that they had, River grinned sympathetically. "Sounds like you've been all work and no play." Meanwhile, Takua considers his own job to be all play and no work.
"Wee...That's what Kora are for...not." Storm actually flipped Tahu off, the Toa snorted in return. "There was another out-break of infected masks."
"But it is goodright now." Lewa said as he leaned over to brush the backs of his claws against the Kora's shoulder and neck. "Now, Toa brother," he looked back over at Takanuva, using one hand to boost Takua up to his shoulder, "You and your waytravelig friend must come to Le-Koro! It would give the Matoran brighthope like it has for the firespitters if you do."
"Hm? Brighthope for what?" River asked, using the Bionicle words that Lewa had mashed together. She was starting to recognize the sounds that were the actual words, and the difference between them and what her mind was telling her they were saying.
Takanuva looked over and said before anyone else, "I'm a Toa of Light, River. The one that can defeat the living shadows of Makuta. Though I'm not from this world, that will have its own Toa of light soon," He looked at Tahu like re-pointing out a point that had been said before, "I am a symbol of hope to our kind, the Bionicle."
"Mm. Right. Gotcha." She nodded and looked up at Tahu before looking back at Takanuva. Something was going on between them. "Then I suppose that we'd better make that trip to Le-Koro, shouldn't we?" He may be a Toa of Light, but if River was any judge of people, she knew that there would need to be a Toa of Balance to keep these two in check. "Just one question: Will I get to meet Turaga Vakama before we leave here?"
"Of course," Takanuva nodded, than he smirked a little, "You'd need to go back with Tahu though. He can make the best heat shield."
Lewa started snickering off to the side. This had the air of a play on something that had happened just a little bit ago, "Little firespitter wish to windfly with me?"
"Yes Toa Lewa!" Takua nodded excitedly at Tahu rolled his eyes.
River looked up at Tahu dubiously. "You know what? I'll wait to visit the Turaga until later. Portals aren't my favorite thing in the world right now, and I know for a fact that lava-boarding isn't something I want to deal with."
"The Kini's teleport here does not work the other way." Tahu rumbled, "The fastest way back to the Koro is by the flow just outside." He tilted his head to one wall.
Takanuva snickered.
River's face fell and she turned to glare at Takua. "Gee. Someone failed to mention that detail."
"...oops?" Takua offered with a sheepish look, ducking his head behind Lewa's.
"Next time stay with your Rahi little firespitter." Lewa reached up patting the Matoran.
Grinning, River replied, "I'll consider forgiving if you promise to tell me more stories." Finally finished shivering, she merely rested against the warm Toa. His very presence was unyielding and firm, comforting.
Takua peeked back over Lewa's shoulder, "Deal!"