LEGEND OF THE TOA
Chronicle of the Shadowed One
With dark forces pushing Matoran defenses backwards and backwards until the point of demise, the once-peaceful island of Mata Nui is facing its most dangerous trial yet. The only thing keeping the Matoran fighting for their lives is their faith in the arrival of six brave warriors, called Toa, but their Turaga leaders have finally become uncertain... and one Matoran is making sure the Toa never arrive.
Chapter Two
"Open the gates! Takua the Chronicler is back!" Kapura yelled, then blowing his horn.
Kapura was a black-masked Ta-Matoran, and the second-in-command of the Ta-Koro Guards. He was one of Takua's many friends, and had also been Takua's mentor when the Chronicler had been training to be a Guard himself. Just when he had been about to pass the test, Turaga Vakama made him the Chronicler instead.
Takua smiled and waved at Kapura as he entered the village. The only way you could get in was being allowed by the Guards, who would then blow a horn and small magma islands, which were floating in the lava surrounding Ta-Koro, would come together and form a bridge. After the bridge was formed, the village gates would open.
As Takua, riding his Rahi pet Pewkuu the crab, entered his home village, he received a round of applause from the Matoran there. He waved at their cheers, though not knowing what he had done to make them so pleased. He had not told anyone about his encounter in Mangaia with the Tarakava.
The crowd of Ta-Matoran stepped to one side to form a path. Walking in the path was Turaga Vakama, elder and leader of Ta-Koro. He had grown old and used his Fire Staff to help him keep upright. Behind the Turaga was Jaller, Captain of the Guards and Takua's best friend. Takua waved, but Jaller gave him an embarrassed look telling the Chronicler to stop at once.
"Brave Chronicler, at last you have returned!" Turaga Vakama spoke with a proud voice.
"Yes, Turaga Vakama, I'm back!" Takua said, and turned around lifting his arms into the air. The Ta-Matoran crowd went wild with cheers.
"Silence!" Jaller roared, and the crowd calmed down, except for one female Ta-Matoran who shouted: "I love you, Takua!"
Takua blew a kiss in the Matoran's direction, but then Jaller knocked on the Chronicler's mask with the hilt of his staff.
"Do you have the Mask, Chronicler?" Turaga Vakama asked.
"What Mask?"
"The one you were sent out to retrieve, Chronicler..." Turaga Vakama sighed, shaking his head. "Please do not tell me that you just went exploring again!"
"Actually, Turaga, I can tell you that I didn't go exploring because, truth is, I was captured by infected Rahi and taken to Mangaia, lair of the Makuta, and some Tarakava were trying to pry information out of my head by implanting some sort of dream device in my circuits." Takua said.
"Do you really expect Turaga Vakama to believe that, Takua?" Jaller asked.
"Yes, I do!" Takua replied.
"Why?"
"Because it's true, Jaller!"
"So... If this is true, Chronicler, then you know where Mangaia is?" Turaga Vakama pondered.
"What are you saying, Turaga? That we send all of the Matoran to Mangaia and vanquish the Makuta ourselves? Turaga, you know that won't happen because the prophecy said that only the six Toa could defeat the master of shadows!" Takua said.
"What prophecy?" Jaller asked, stepping forward.
"Uh oh..." Takua gulped.
"What prophecy?!" the crowd of Ta-Matoran went wild again.
"Tell us, Takua!"
"Yeah, Chronicler, or I'll put another dream device in your thick head!"
"What's this prophecy, Takua?"
"SILENCE!" Turaga Vakama's booming voice silenced the inquisitive Matoran, and then he spoke in a more controlled voice, yet strict. "Takua, Jaller, come with me."
The great Turaga led the two Matoran to his quarters, where he keeps all of his interesting finds and even things only Takua knew of.
"Turaga Vakama, what's this prophecy? I thought the only one there was, was the one about six Toa arriving!" Jaller exclaimed.
"You are correct, Jaller. But Mata Nui has given us yet another prophecy. This time filling in some of the blanks. There are to be seven Toa. However, there has never been a seventh Toa before." Turaga Vakama explained.
"Wait? You mean there have been other Toa? So this means that the arrival of the six... I mean, seven... is more likely to happen as it has happened before!" Jaller leapt up and down with joy.
"Except there has never been a known seventh Toa, meaning that there will probably be six. The prophecy said that only the powers of the seventh Toa combined with the six destined ones will vanquish the Makuta." Turaga Vakama explained.
"So even if the six Toa arrive, we're still doomed?" Takua asked.
"Not just yet, Chronicler. I sent you on your mission to retrieve a Great Kanohi, a Mask which come show us the light even in the darkest of times and places. Without this Mask, Chronicler, we really are doomed." Turaga Vakama explained.
"Then we should go after it! We need to find this Kanohi, it may even be a clue to how we can find our seventh Toa, that is if he doesn't come with the other six." Jaller said.
"Jaller... he won't be coming with the other six. The prophecy said we must find him deep within our heartlights." Vakama said.
"By the name of Mata Nui, what does that even mean?" Takua asked.
"I... don't know..." Turaga Vakama solemnly dropped his head.
"Anyway, I'll organise a patrol of Guards to go hunt down this Great Kanohi and we'll find it almos-" Jaller said.
"No, Jaller. You and Takua alone will search for this Kanohi. You may take some others if you wish to bring them along with you, but few, and only from other villages. We don't want the other villages to think we want to keep all of the powers of this Kanohi for ourselves."
"You're right, Turaga Vakama." Jaller said, and then left. His head poked back inside, agitated. "Come on, Takua!"
"Coming!" the Chronicler raced after his friend. "Who are we bringing with us?"
"Onepu from Onu-Koro and Hahli from Ga-Koro. That alright?" Jaller asked.
"You're only bringing Hahli along because you love her!" Takua teased.
"That is not true, Chronicler! She's great at pinpointing locations and she's very fast, good for communicating with other Matoran if we need to. It's just a coincidence that we happen to get along so well." Jaller smiled.
Takua laughed but didn't reply. Instead his mind was clouded with dark thoughts.
What did Turaga Vakama mean with the prophecy? Evern with this Kanohi, if we can't find the seventh Toa, we're still going to die!