A/N: So I'm back from the dead. *Nervous chuckle* Hope you guys don't mob me for the delay. That is, if anyone's reading this. Anyways, I've decided to treat y'all to some bonus chapters. And yes, the plot thickens…

5: Attack!

1003 PGC

Spherus Magna

Zahnya gazed at the vast plains north of Ignika Magna, the capital of Spherus Magna. After the defeat of Makuta, peace had settled over much of the land. Of course, Bone Hunters, Vorox, Skrall and Skakdi still roamed the lands and terrorized trading convoys, but they were in ever-decreasing numbers.

"Hey Zahnya! What are you think-wondering about?" her escort partner and Toa of Air, Korra, called out as he flopped down on the grassy dirt next to her.

"Where the Skrall could be regrouping—the Sisters would lock them out of the Black Spikes and Roxtus is held by us now," She replied, "Besides, a convoy is due to arrive from Tajun today. Need to be ready for them."

The last time a supply convoy used the Northern Pass, they were ambushed 10 kios from the Ignika Magna city limits. By the time a Glatorian-Toa team could be scrambled, the goods they were delivering had been captured or destroyed and the drivers killed or captured.

Unfortunately, the Pass was the only way into Ignika Magna from Tajun, unless you wanted to take a 0.1 mio detour and drive through the safer and more open East Gate. Which was why they were sitting at the entrance to the Pass and waiting for the convoy—they were for security. Nothing short of an enraged Skopio would try to take them on.

"I think that's them! Want me to quick-run ahead?" Korra cried over-enthusiastically, pointing to a black speck which was getting bigger as it got nearer.

Zahnya nodded as Korra grabbed his Air Machete and Thornax Launcher and raced ahead. He had barely run a few bios when a rock beside him exploded into a giant robot. Its sleek and metallic skin shone silver. Barely a fraction of a second had passed before the robot slammed its saw-shield into the lanky Toa's torso, seriously wounding him and throwing him a good distance.

Zahnya reacted on instinct and threw a ball of lightning at the figure while it pounced toward a dazed Korra. The attack wasn't very powerful as she neglected her Toa Tool, a Lightning Halberd which was laying half a bio away. However, her aim was mostly unaffected and it clipped its target's shoulder.

A normal Skrall or Skakdi would have shrugged off the blast with mild to severe burns, but the robot was blown to the side. It then lay in the dirt, spasming and throwing off sparks now and then. Zahnya gasped—that meant Korra's assaulter was purely mechanical, with no organic parts. Like Exo-Toa or Rahkshi armor.

She shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind as she ran to assist her partner, not bothering to pick up her Toa Tool. He lay bleeding protodermis next to a rock, moaning in pain.

However, as she approached him, her Kanohi Rode buzzed and the rock turned into another one of the giant robots. With no time to slow down, she threw another lightning strike which short-circuited her enemy. Coming to an abrupt halt in front of her fallen comrade, she fell to her knees and retrieved the small vial of healing balm given to her by a kind Ga-Matoran. Just then, Korra came to.

"Ugh, don't… waste it on me," he groaned, trying pushing her arm away.

Zahnya was about to protest when, to her amazement, his mask began to buzz and glow a bit. The bleeding stopped and the biomechanical muscle and tissue on both sides of the gash began to reach out like tendrils towards each other. They then fused together; the only hint that remained of the wound was the huge diagonal gash in his armor. Healing done, the Toa of Air promptly closed his eyes and groaned. Healing took a lot out of you.

The Toa of Lightning cursed herself for her stupidity. How could she have forgotten that Korra possessed a Mask of Healing? Stowing the vial, she used her Kanohi Rode to scan the surrounding environment. Two trees a bio away from the rock-turned-robot promptly turned into the robots as well.

Odd, why haven't they attacked us? she thought. Not letting the opportunity slip by, she quickly picked up Korra's machete and fired off a bolt of lightning at the first enemy. It flew half a bio from the explosive force of the impact before skidding to a halt, spitting sparks.

Just after the first bolt was loose, Zahnya turned to face her second opponent, only to get slammed in the face by said robot. She flew two bios from the blow and struggled to clear the stars from her vision.

The robot stalked towards her to finish off its prey, but was interrupted by an explosion that blew off a good chunk of its head. The body stumbled forward another step before falling to the ground, revealing Toa Korra with his still smoking Thornax Launcher standing behind it.

"Mata Nui! Are you alright sister?" he called out as he ran towards her.

Still shaking her head to recover from the blow, she reached out and grabbed her comrade's offered hand, "I'm fine. But the convoy might not be. Let's pick those robots off from a distance and warn the Agori leading the convoy—Berix, I think."

"You know, you sure do a lot of second-thinking for a Lightning Toa-hero." Korra complimented as he readied his Launcher.

One hour, 20 scared Matoran and Agori and five more dead hostiles later, the convoy arrived in Ignika Magna with its load of water and seafood. Immediately the two Toa stormed the Coliseum.

Directly after the Battle in the Sky, a team of 15 Gravity, Stone and Earth Toa managed to remove the Coliseum from its foundations in Metru Nui and transport it out of the giant robot's body. They were immediately administered Elemental Masks and confined to bed by Ga-Matoran healers, as well as being branded heroes.

In a story that was fast becoming legend, the place where they set the ancient building down became the site for the new capital city of Spherus Magna, now rivalled in size only by New Atero, which was more of a giant arena with a village built around it.

Now, the Coliseum served as the military and political hub of the planet, which was why both Toa were running through the halls into Turaga Dume's and Elder Raanu's office.

"Turaga! Elder! There's trouble-danger quick-coming at the North Pass!" Korra panted as he threw the dismembered head of one of the robots down on the desk.

Dume merely looked troubled, having been through more than his fair share of conflict, but Raanu straight out jumped from his seat, all colour draining from his mask.

"Wh-where did you get th-that… thing?!" he exclaimed, fear showing clearly in his voice.

Everyone in the room immediately turned to look at the venerated Agori. After some questioning regarding his health and words of reassurances, he finally accepted his seat and a glass of water, and began to tell his tale.

The old Agori elder's face was solemn as he spoke, "What I am about to tell you happened in a time long past, even before the Great Beings built the Mata Nui robot. One that spans tens of thousands of years, maybe more—I'm not sure. One of death and destruction and tragedy…"

A/N: Like I said, sorry for the delay, school got in the way. Oh hey, that rhymed! Anyways, translations next:

Rode: Kanohi Mask of Truth, it can see through any disguise, lie or deception. Matau's Mahiki cannot bypass the Rode.

Ignika Magna: Literally "Enormous/Vast Life", named in honour of Mata Nui's sacrifice to turn a dead Spherus Magna into a garden planet.