Story Co-Authored by Omicron the IceQueen and Sinead Rivka

Love in the Light

Chapter Eight:

A quiet moment in excitement

River watched the wind through the leaves, her mind on the past day. Despite being what had to be the busiest Koro, there was a distinct amount of peace to be found, if one could but find a quiet place.

She had found one such place and was enjoying leaning against a pillar up in Lewa's home near the top levels. She smiled and breathed deeply. The party the night before had been amazing, and whatever drinks they had, they certainly got her drunk. And yet she hadn't gotten a hangover the next morning from the excessive drinking.

There was a thud on the roof of the open Suva, unlike Tahu's home that was carved out of a cliff. Lewa's home was wide open with six mane spires that held up the roof. It was mostly empty on the floor but up under the roof and in the rafters were bits and things that had been given to Lewa. As well as a loosely folded up hammock that was stuffed into a niche.

There were sounds on the roof and then Lewa dropped down, catching himself with one hand and yawning. He swung himself into his Suva, "Ah, little Mekafriend goodright after that longsleep?"

She grinned and looked up at his kind face. "Yes, thank you. I'm wondering if I'll be just as comfortable in the other regions ... I don't remember what they're called ... as I have been while at Toa Tahu's home city and in yours. There was comfort in the heat of his home, and comfort in the free, warm air of yours."

Lewa dropped down into a crouch and then was sitting, stretching out his long legs. "Heh, thank you little one. You had muchfun last night?"

Nodding and feeling the wind play with her hair, she tried to pull it away from her face, then gave up and let the playful breeze have its way. She'd untangle it later. "I did! Your people are wonderful."

"Should visit in the sunfestival, or the goodright festival of light and life." The Toa said as he leaned back on one of the main pillars supporting his Suva. He glanced to his right where the wind was coming from and gave a deep rumble, "Easypeace..."

The wind notably dropped to a softer breeze.

Coughing in surprise, River turned to look at the Toa. She had seen Tahu play with lava, and seen how Takanuva would absorb light to rejuvenate himself, and Gali when she had done the silver water thing... But to have an actually noticeable difference in the atmosphere around her... it seemed to be hitting her differently now that she'd begun to really see the Toa as the guardians that they were.

They were part of their elements, not just a user of an element.

"That's really interesting how you can control the wind."

"I am Lewa, Toa Nuva of air little one." The green Bionicle chuckled, smiling as he put a hand over his heart-light. "Like my Toabrothers and Korasisters, I am a living elemental. I am the air, it forms to my will."

"We don't have anything like you on my world," she murmured, moving to sit beside him, watching the wind play with the trees in the distance.

River would find herself pulled up within the Toa grasp to be almost cradled in his arms. "Takabrother said you have no Toaheroes. But while you are here on our homeisland," He held out a small (in comparison to him) disk between two fingers. "You will be protected little Mekasiser."

She looked up at him, then down at the disk with a blush and a smile. Taking it gently, River looked at it, tracing her fingers across the surface. "I'm honored, Toa Lewa. Thank you. It... it's a special feeling, knowing that I'm protected."

"If you ever are in badhard treble in Le-Wahi, call Lewa on this." He extended the claw of a finger to tap the very tip on the center of the disk, making a soft green glow there and the symbles of his name.

There was a tingle as well, the elemental energy of air. It made the thick jungle air seem a little clearer for a moment.

Blinking, she looked up at him, then stowed the stone carefully in a pouch she had begun to carry, careful to make sure that it would stay right where she wanted it to. "What's it like, being able to control your element?"

"It is..." Lewa looked up and smiled, "It is goodright, once my Toabrothers and I lost out power... was not so goodright." He shifted and sighed, and tried again, "It is freedom, the air."

River grinned and nodded. "I think that your brothers and sister would agree with you that their element is pure freedom to them."

Lewa let out a purr in agreement, "Here," He rocked up onto his clawed feet, the equivalent of the balls of the feet. At the same time started to boost River up to his shoulder where she climb over to his back, "Would Meka sister like to see Le-Koro? The Matoran are doing the swing dance."

She tried not to yelp when she was half-tossed onto his shoulder, but stifled it in lieu of holding onto his armor and settling herself. The Matoran could get used to this, so she certainly would! "Of course! But... what's the swing dance?"

A... look came from Lewa as he tried to see River, just barely able to glimpse her with one green, yellow and red eye, "Is a muchfun! Griptight little one." he added as he walked to the open sides.

Swallowing and holding tight, she grinned and said, "I'm gonna regret asking, aren't I?"

"Is muchfun!" Lewa said again, more playful as he flipped his blades out of subspace and tipped off the edge of his Suva and into free fall. The Toa was relaxed, having done this so many times before his mask activated and than he was flying.

Yelling first in fear, then in glee, River laughed as his flight leveled off and they were darting around the air currents. She ducked her head down to where her eyes wouldn't water and she could continue to see the landscape around them while they flew. It was beautiful. The Toa's Suva wasn't far from the village, another tree over and higher up. So it was easy enough to half glide over and onto one of the many platforms that were use for landings, dance platforms and whatever else.

A bridge away Takanuva was laughing as he caught what had to be the Kora of air. They spun around and Takanuva tossed the younger elemental back up.

Pointing over to what had to be an intricate dance she had ever seen, River asked, "Is that it?"

She wasn't sure she wanted to participate anymore...

Lewa crouched down so if the human wanted off she could just hope down, "Almost, hear the music?"

The young woman didn't know if she should get down or not. "So... I'm guessing that they also fly through the air in this dance?"

The Toa shook his head, "No windflying in the spin dance."

"Meka-River!" Takua's voice called from a level above, "Want to come dance? Or go net jumping?"

"Is muchfun!" Added another Matoran with bright green and blue coloring and a green mask, both peering over the boardwalk above.

Jumping down off of Lewa's back in a controlled movement borne from years of climbing trees and rocks, River looked up at the Toa of Light with a smile that had none of her usual pain. "Why not? What's net-jumping?"

The air elemental tapped River's shoulder and pointed out to the open air, "Jumping out to landfall in the safety nets all around Le-Koro. Matoran and Kora think it's muchfun."

"IT IS!" No less than ten Matoran voices call from here and there.

"Well, I'll look before I leap, but I'd like to try it at least once... is there a starter net that is big and isn't too far away from a landing?" she asked, finding her pouch and making sure that it was securely tied shut.

"There is nets all over." The Kora of air said flipping in the air using her power until Lewa stood to snatch her out of the air and pull the Kora close to press his mask to hers for a moment and tossed her again.

Laughing the Kora grabbed the edge of the boardwalk and swung herself back up. "Highgood greetings Riverfriend." She said coming over, "I am Lee, the Kora Nata of air."

Smiling at the show of affection between the siblings, River looked up at the Kora with another smile. "Hi. It's an honor to meet you." And truly, it was. There was something special about those who were chosen to be 'part' of an element.

Lee gave a bow as Takanuva came to the other side of the bridge. The larger of the two Toa sighed and rolled his copper and wide eyes. He was just too heavy for the bridge proper, "Feeling better River?" he called.

"Much," she replied, smiling and peering up at him, walking over so that he didn't have to stand at the beginning of the bridge.

Takanuva knelt down, one arm on his bent knee, "This time I didn't wander off," he flashed a grin, "You did. I should have warned you about the pinks drinks, sorry."

"Well, I don't even remember wandering, so, I think that it's fair game." She smiled up and touched his mask gently with one hand. "It's just interesting that the drinks here don't cause hangovers."

The Toa of light made a motion to Lewa, the other Toa nodding before distracting the others, "Turaga Vakama said that you wanted to talk to me? Heh. We really didn't have that much time last night."

Nodding, she smiled to the Matoran. "You're going to have to show me how to go net-jumping a little later, but I do want to learn!" River looked over at Lewa and Le before grinning. "That goes for you two as well!" She looked back at Takanuva. "Can we find something to eat while we talk?"

"Of course, want a ride?" Takanuva nodded and asked, there was fruit just about everywhere in Le-Koro thanks to grafting and planted bushes.

She nodded, and swung up to settle upon the now-familiar position of being upon a Toa's back.

Takanuva shifted making sure the human was on before starting to climb up, though his claws weren't as large or sharp as Lewa he could still get up. after a few minutes The Toa was settling down at the base of a branch that a car could drive, with his back to the main trunk and a bag that was picked up along the way was now up ended so a verity of fruits and barriers were there to pick from.

She dug in gratefully, munching on some of the berries before settling down, facing him and sitting cross-legged. After a moment, she asked softly, "Can anyone overhear us here?"

The Toa tilted his head, stretching out his senses, "No one's close enough to at the moment."

Nodding, River formed her thoughts before she spoke. Looking up at his deep, amazing gaze, she asked, "How come you didn't tell me that you had been Takua?"

Takanuva blinked, looking up from taking something purple colored and pare shaped, "It's been a long while, but I haven't really had the chance to."

"So then... what's your story? How did you go from being the Matoran Takua to being Toa Takanuva?"

Takanuva was quite for several deep breaths, "Its... a bit of a long story, one that will repeat here in a few passes of Bara if I'm not mistaken, from what I gathered."

"I'm not sure how long that will be in my reckoning. Are you saying that we may be here for that?" She leaned in and watched him carefully, not wanting to push him too far. She knew from her own experiences when someone was trying to delicately avoid a subject.

"No, not any time soon." He motioned for River to get closer and pulled her up into his lap, pointing up to a gap in the canopy above, "That's Bara Magna, the planet we're orbiting. It's around a year, at least for us, that it makes two full pass in the sky. So we won't be here for that in this world."

"Mmkay. Sounds like a plan. So... what's it like... meeting a former version of yourself?" Leaning back against his chest with another piece of fruit, she looked up at the planet again, wondering what resided upon its surface.

"It's not the first time, but made me understand how the Nuva felt," He chuckled, reaching up to touch his golden mask, "The Avohkii, made and helped me grow in several ways."

Looking up at his face, then twisting so that she could look at him without craning her neck, River murmured, "There are times in our lives where we're forced to grow and change, taking a different path than the one we thought we should take. Taka... you're to me like what I'm betting that mask is to you."

Takanuva shifted so he could lift River and bent enough to tap his mask carefully to the top of her head. "My destiny is to defeat the Makuta, I've done that a few times but Mata Nui... in my world is lost to us. I used the mask of paths once to warn the rest of the Nuva about what would happen when core was opened." he took a deep breath and sighed. "Now I'm using it to find Mata Nui."

"Looking to find him?" This didn't make sense, but she moved so that she could rest against him while he continued his story. "Why?"

Pain and lost flickered over his mask and then a deep, growl that River would find was a throwback to the Hordika ancestors of all Bionicle. "Teridax, the same Makuta that lurks here and spreads his shadows, took over Mata Nui's body, but Mata Nui's spirit is trapped in the mask of life. The Ignika was sent away, and now I'm trying to find it, and him."

Thinking upon that for a long moment, River chewed thoughtfully upon a mouthful of fruit. Swallowing, she asked, "And you have no idea where the Ignika went, which universe it became a part of?"

"It's still in my world. That much I do know. But like I told you before, the mask of paths takes you where you need to be before taking you where you want to go." Takanuva took out the copper mask he used before and tapped it, "Some Kanohi are alive in a way, this knows where I want to be and that's where's the Ignika is. I have to ride out this journey until then."

Holding the smaller human with his left arm, Takanuva leaned over to grab a long red-ish thing that he crushed one end of it. The fruit was a juicy one, thus letting the Toa use it to draw, moving with swift and sure movements. A rather good drawing of the last form of what the mask of life looked like, there for River to see, even if it was made from a fruit.

She moved so that her head rested against his while he drew, her arm going around the back of his neck to hold on. She stared at the drawing for a moment before saying, "And Mata Nui is in this form in every universe?"

"No, not really. His spirit was sealed inside the mask, I've been to worlds where the shadows never came and he still has his body, the Matoran Universe..." Takanuva tilted his head a little to what was to him was like a kiss. "If I can get the mask, bring it home than we- What's left of the Toa, can try and reverse what happen and return Mata Nui. And be rid of the Matuka's darkness once and for all."

Smiling up at him, she replied, "I'll help you however I can, whatever's within my power to do." Rubbing her cheek against his, she settled back upon his lap. "So, do you know what you have to do in this universe?"

Takanuva shrugged after a few moments of thinking, "I'm not sure, fully. Not yet. The mask of paths hasn't recharged yet so I, we, haven't been near the reason yet."

Finding reasons could be both hard and easy, River thought, but at least while she was around Takanuva, they were going to have fun, dammit!

Jumping to her feet, River grabbed his hand and tugged on it. "C'mon! You were a Matoran once, and you know how to have all the best fun! Your reason for visiting my world was to find me, and to help me learn what it's like to be happy! Don't you dare think that you can go without having fun, either!"

Takanuva blinked, and then laughed, "There's some things I'm just too big for, but I know a few places." He stood, stretching out and his colors changed, turning from gold and silver to copper and brown.

She blinked at the color change. "Okay, chameleon, what'd you do that for?"

"Habit, and I like changing color." The Toa shrugged.

"So that you're not readily recognized?" she guessed, packing up the berries and fruit back into the bag and swinging that over her shoulder.

"You try being a Toa, let alone one that is destined to save all Matoran." Takanuva quirked up and eye ridge at the human; random glompings were common but in Le-Koro it was like ever five steps sometimes. It interfered with walking.

Giggling, having seen Takanuva trying to negotiate his way along a branch and almost falling off three times already, River nodded. "Well, makes sense, then." Securing the bag over her shoulder, she clambered up to settle herself upon his back for the trek back to where everyone else was.

"You should try the net-jumping," Takanuva encouraged, "I used to do it every time coming to Le-Koro back before becoming a Toa."

"Well, fine! I guess you're going to have to show me! Hyah, mule!" she laughed, patting his shoulder.

Takanuva paused, glancing over his shoulder with a look that was like his old Matoran self. An instant later he was in a full out run, truly stretching out his long legs and leapt out into the open air. As a Matoran he hadn't had a lot of armor so it let Takanuva, as Takua, be extremely athletic and flexible.

Now, despite being in a larger, stronger body, Takanuva still had those same skills he'd had as a Matoran as well as that un-nerving, almost un-natural grace all Toa where blessed with. Takanuva didn't know every trick of this Le-Koro like Lewa but it was a thrill that no roller costar had. By the time he was thudding down on a platform, Takanuva was back to the gold and silver coloring, hinting that his colors changed with his mood as the heat shifted with Tahu's.

Shrieking and laughing with glee by turns, River held on as she continued to laugh breathlessly at the insane ride around the place. "Woow. I wish I could do that the way that you do!"

"Maybe you can, you never know." Takanuva grinned as he knelt down, spotting some odd Matoran bounding over, including Takua with the 'pack' of Le-Matoran.

Grinning at the Chronicler, River found her way down to stand beside the Toa while he greeted the Matoran.

"Mekafrind!" A tall green Matoran pounced, "Remember me? Kren? Takuabrother and I will show you around! The wiseold Turaga Matau wants a quick speachword with the ToaHero and said to show you whatever you wishwant to see!"

"Net-jumping!" she replied instantly, "And then... well, what are some of the other best things to do in Le-Koro?"

"Go on, I'll track you down." Takanuva said as he stood, two young Matoran clinging to his back as another was trying to push the back of his leg, all excited about their first job of fetching the new Toa for the village elder.

Takua grasped River's left hand, "You'll like it! Kern knows the best spots, but we won't fall too far down."