Author's Note: For those of you who have read Tale of the Toa, I haven't adherred exactly to the events in Chapter 10 for this story. It's in that chapter that the Toa really discover that de-masking a Rahi can temporarily cure it, while in my story it's already a regular practice among the Toa. So I've omitted the whole underwater conversation between Onua, Gali, and Kopaka. The next few chapters will be focusing on Kopaka, Pohatu, and Lewa. They're just so much fun to write about when they're together.

Also, the other day I was reading Time Trap by Greg Farshtey, and I got a sudden inspiration for a Bionicle/Doctor Who crossover story. You can find it on my profile or in the crossovers section. It's just a short story I whipped up in a few hours and it's meant to be corny and humorous, not to be taken too seriously even though the summary sounds dreary.

18% quoted from Tale of the Toa, Chapter 10, by C.A. Hapka

Chapter 15

Soon they were on the beach after a quick intervention by Gali and Onua. Tahu was still glaring at the grinning Toa of Air, but they had avoided another argument this time. With the aid of a few Akaku bearers, the Toa team was able to locate the Kanohi's exact location, which was almost predictably guarded by a large Tarakava.

When the topic of who would fetch them came up, Lewa loudly voiced his displeasure. "Not again! I already took one wet-dive to get my Mask of Speed. I still haven't got all the water-yuck out of my ears." To emphasize this, he tilted his head and whacked the side of his head. No water appeared though.

"Don't be foolish," Kopaka snapped. He was getting very tired with his teammates' stupidity. "Obviously, only those among us who already hold the Kanohi Kaukau should go on from here. Pohatu, Lewa, Tahu – you can wait on the beach."

While Tahu turned his ever-present glare to the Toa of Ice, Lewa tipped his head to the sky and sighed. "Oh, thank you."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Tahu growled. "But it's my Mask we're after, and my villager was the one who revealed its location. I think I should be the one to decide whether or not I go."

"It would be helpful to have several of us standing guard on the beach, brother Tahu," Gali intervened before Kopaka could refute their leader's "logic."

"That's true," he consented after a moment. "Go with good fortune, Gali. We'll keep careful watch for danger while we wait for your return."

The trio quickly retrieved the Kanohi Miru and dispatched the Tarakava. Kopaka observed that Onua, despite his stocky build, was actually a good swimmer. Gali was understandably better than both of them, and he discerned that she held back and let Onua and him handle things on their own to gain experience. When they surfaced near shore, they saw Lewa and Tahu arguing with Pohatu attempting to referee.

Gali sunk her head under the water and muttered something before storming onto the beach. "Brothers! What is going on?" All three began telling their side. "Quiet," she ordered, waving her hooks in exasperation. "Pohatu, what happened?"

The Toa of Stone cleared his throat and ignored the looks he was getting from the other two. "Well, uh, you see, we were just standing here, keeping watch, when Lewa started throwing – "

" – dropping," Lewa interjected.

" – twigs on Tahu while calling them scorpions."

"We were supposed to be keeping watch and he," Tahu pointed accusingly at the Toa of Air, "won't stop goofing off."

"I like to think of it as keeping you alert-wary," Lewa said happily. He took a cautious step back as Tahu's sword lit up. He chuckled nervously. "Okay, maybe it was a bad time-place for a joke."

"Tahu, calm down," Gali advised. "We will only accomplish the Makuta's goal if we fight among ourselves."

The Toa of Fire put out his flame and noticed Onua holding the dull grey Miru. "You found it." When he placed it over his Hau, Lewa was the first to speak what went through everyone's mind.

"You look like me." He laughed liked it was some great joke. Whatever composure Tahu gathered vanished with an angry growl.

"Perhaps," the Toa of Stone said loudly enough to attract everyone's attention, "we should split into smaller teams."

"That is a sound idea," Gali agreed with a nod. "That way we will still be practicing unity while covering more ground. What do you say, Tahu?"

"Yes," Tahu grumbled.


Pohatu, Kopaka, and Lewa stayed in Po-Wahi while Tahu's group headed south. Lewa quickly began complaining about the heat and asking why they could not just use their Kakama. As often as necessary, Pohatu patiently answered that since they were searching they needed to go slowly. Kopaka was not a fan of staying in the heat like this either, but he suffered in silence. Lewa fell down a few sand dunes, several times, taking Pohatu down with him once. Sometimes they came across some uninfected Rahi, and Lewa drilled Pohatu with questions about the strange new creatures.

After a quick stop in Po-Koro, the trio learned that a Kaukau was discovered in a canyon guarded by several infected Nui-Jaga. The Po-Matoran who discovered it led them to its location, saving them the trouble. At the bottom of the cliff were the restless scorpions. At the top were the three Toa and the Matoran. In the middle was the Mask of Underwater Breathing. The tight space at the bottom made a fight unappealing. It would be too easy to get overwhelmed by their numbers.

"I'll fall-fly and retrieve it," Lewa volunteered after a few moments of silence as the Toa thought about how to fetch the Kanohi.

"Don't be stupid," Kopaka snapped. "You'll only end up killing yourself – and making a mess for the rest of us to clean up."

"Will not."

"Yes, you will."

"Will not. I've thought it through."

"I highly doubt that."

"Perhaps," Pohatu interjected, "our icy brother is right, Lewa. If you miss your mark and fall…" The giant, angry scorpions started hitting the walls with their venomous stingers, shaking the entire cliff. "Well, I'm sure we can find another way if we put our minds together."

Lewa shrugged, indifferent to the dangerous situation. "Why worry-bother? After all, this way is so much more fun." His last words were lost to the wind as he leapt without warning, laughing mischievously.

"That fool," Kopaka hissed, grabbing his sword. He hoped he had enough time to freeze the Rahi before Lewa hit the ground. Lewa grabbed the Kanohi but he kept falling. Flinging his arms in the air, Lewa stopped his free fall with a strong breeze. Now with the power of his Miru, he hung in the air safely out of reach of the Nui-Jaga. Turning his grinning face upward, he began ascending using only his Kanohi. Kopaka knew from its name that the Kanohi could allow its user to float, but he did not know it could manipulate flight.

"He uses the Mask of Levitation well," he murmured with grudging admiration. He had been quick to dismiss the attention deficient Toa as incapable of such a level of concentration. There is so much I do not know about my fellow Toa, he thought. Information that I would never learn if I quested alone. Then he recalled how quick Lewa was to act on his own plant after being warned not to. He still could've killed himself, Kopaka thought with a frown.

The Toa of Air was breathless when he finally reached the top. "One Kanohi Kaukau, as ordered," he joked between gasps, handing the Mask to Pohatu. "Hope it fits, because I'd sorry-hate to return it."