Macku held a hand over her eyes to block out the harsh sunlight. She could see better this way, but the effort was still futile: the vast plains of sand all looked the same to her.

"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction?"

"Positive," answered Vhisola, who walked several paces ahead. "I've been keeping track of the rock formations we've passed, and we're on the right path."

Macku looked around again. There were a few rocks scattered about, but…

"Don't tell me an experienced explorer like you can't tell the difference?"

With a grunt, Macku said, "I've never gone this deep into Po-Wahi, so of course I don't know how to tell one rock from the next. This place is a deathtrap I have no desire to return to."

"Just keep moving. We're almost to Po-Koro."

Macku's pace remained slow until she could see carvings lining the path ahead. She squinted, able to make out the village walls through the sunlight, and then overtook Vhisola and rushed right up to the gate. Two Po-Matoran saluted at their approach: one with a black Matatu, another with a brown Kakama.

"Welcome to Po-Koro!" greeted the former. "We don't see Ga-Matoran up here very often. Is there something we can help you with?"

Vhisola had caught up by now. "We are on a mission of great importance for Turaga Nokama. Allow us to rest here for the night."

"…Please," Macku added.

One of the guards—the one with the Kakama—was staring at her. Facing him, she asked, "Something…wrong?"

"Oh, uh, no!" the guard said. "I apologize—that was rude of me. Why don't I take you to see Turaga Onewa? He can arrange a place for you to stay, and he would probably like to hear about your mission as well."

"Alright, let's be off," Vhisola said.

The Po-Matoran waved to his companion. "You alright to watch by yourself, Ally?"

"Of course. I can easily handle a few angry Rahi on my own, Hewkii."

Hewkii nodded, then motioned for the Ga-Matoran to follow him. The inside of Po-Koro was no less sandy than the exterior, but was crowded with many huts, bazaar stands, and Matoran in contrast to the emptiness of its surrounding area. Immediately to their left was one hut that was larger than the others. Hewkii walked up to the doorframe and cleared his throat.

"Turaga Onewa! Two Matoran from Ga-Koro are here, claiming to be on a mission for Turaga Nokama."

"For Nokama?" replied a voice from inside the hut. "That's strange. Well, come in, all of you! I'd like to know more."

Hewkii ushered the other two inside, hanging back near the door while they stepped forward. The hut was fairly empty, but line upon line of expertly-made carvings were set upon stone shelves, making it almost seem like a meeting place. On one side, under a window, was a desk and seat, where a tan-armored being was working on a small stone with a hammer and chisel. A longer, staff-like hammer lay against the edge of the desk.

"I hope you'll forgive me—I want to carve in these details before I forget," the Turaga said, looking over his shoulder for just a moment. "Set it down too long and I'll lose the idea I had for this piece. I tell you, nothing sadder than picking up an incomplete carving and not being able to see its finished state any more…"

"We take no offense, Turaga," Macku said. "Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice."

"Yes, notice," Onewa said. "That's what's odd—Nokama usually sends word if anyone comes up here on a mission. Really, Nokama isn't one to give out 'missions' at all. I'm guessing you two left on short notice too?"

"We did," Vhisola said. "You see, Turaga, one of the masks of power was stolen from the Ga-Suva, and though—"

"Oh, yes, yes," Onewa interrupted. He paused to blow some dust off of his sculpture. "It's been gone for some time now, hasn't it? Nokama's mentioned that. But as I recall, those who have gone in search of it…haven't come back."

"This time will be different!" Vhisola declared proudly. "We have a prophecy to guide us now!"

"A very vague prophecy derived through untested means," Macku clarified. "But…yeah. A prophecy."

Irritated by Macku's lack of conviction, Vhisola clenched one fist and said, "I'm sure it's accurate. We're on our way to Onu-Wahi, where something is being guarded by corrupted souls. What else could it be?"

Onewa chiseled in something and chuckled. "Eh, prophecies. Never did get the big deal about those. Still, I guess it's something the others didn't have…and if it works, I certainly won't argue. We've lost far too many good Matoran."

He set down his tools. Grabbing his hammer staff, Onewa got to his feet, picked up the carving, and turned around. The sculpture was only a few inches tall, and depicted a large armored being with a curious Kanohi brandishing two drills.

"There, all done. What do you think?"

Vhisola and Macku exchanged glances. Half-heartedly, Macku said, "Um…it's very nice."

"It's excellent, Turaga!" Hewkii said. "Your craftsmanship is surely second to none!"

Onewa sighed. "I guess some cultural differences will always exist. Well, that's not important."

He started to wrap the sculpture in cloth as he said, "To be honest, I wish there was something I could stay to stop you two. But, if you're out here, then that must mean that you and Nokama have all accepted the risks involved. And by now I know better than to argue when Nokama's made up her mind. So!"

The Turaga tightened the cloth and held out the carving. "All I will ask is that you deliver this to Whenua for me, since Onu-Koro is along your way."

Macku took the gift and put it in her pack. "Of course, Turaga. That will be no trouble at all."

Vhisola nodded. After a moment, she bowed a bit awkwardly. "Thank you for respecting our resolve, Turaga."

Onewa smiled. "Hewkii, would you mind escorting our guests while I find some suitable arrangements for them?"

Hewkii bowed. "It shall be done, Turaga."

With that, the three Matoran left the hut, and Hewkii led the Ga-Matoran through the village. A few Po-Matoran looked up in curiosity, but none of them seemed bothered.

"What does he mean 'escort'?" Macku asked.

"We just like to keep a member of the Guard with our honored guests," Hewkii said. "It helps keep the others from pestering you, and this way I can get you anything you need without any delay."

Macku grumbled, "Right, sure. So we're just wandering around until the Turaga comes back, are we? I know you can't be pleased with this."

This remark was directed at Vhisola. Shifting a bit, she replied, "I'd rather be furthering our quest, of course, but…Turaga Nokama says we should pace ourselves, especially given how dangerous the island is right now. I can manage staying here until morning."

"Ugh, it's always Nokama Nokama Nokama with you."

"She's our Turaga! We owe her so much—how can you not look up to her?"

Shrugging off Vhisola, Macku tapped Hewkii's shoulder. "Where's the koli field? You Po-Matoran always talk a good game, and I want to see if you can live up to it."

Hewkii smiled. "Oh, you won't be disappointed. Right this way."

The stands surrounding the field were empty, but a small number of Matoran could be seen practicing their kicks inside the arena. Macku ran up to a stray ball and kicked it against the wall—it bounced back, so she blocked it with her head and then pinned it to the ground with her foot.

"Now this might just make the trip worth it! Who's up for a match?"

Two Po-Matoran heard her challenge and came closer. Vhisola was long gone (Macku saw her in the stands out of the corner of her eye), so Hewkii stepped up and said, "I'm in."

Macku looked him up and down. "I thought you were a guard?"

Hewkii puffed out his chest. "Yes, but I'm also the greatest koli player in Po-Koro!"

"Best on the whole island is more like it," said one of the other Matoran.

"The whole island, huh?" Macku said. "Hm…alright, you—watch my goal. Hewkii, you and I will play the field."

While the other two went to the goalposts, Hewkii said, "I see you're interested in a challenge."

"Oh, it's not so much that. It's more that I want to take that fancy title away from you."

The ball was set in the center of the field, with Macku and Hewkii both a short distance away from it. Another Matoran had been called over to referee, and, after making sure everyone was in place, gave the call to start.

Hewkii leapt at the ball right away, but Macku remained perfectly still. The Po-Matoran kicked the ball lightly, intending to lead into a maneuver for getting down the field, but suddenly, Macku lunged and snatched the ball right out from under him, and rushed down the field with it. Adjusting quickly, Hewkii followed her. Macku cut right to try to throw Hewkii; he followed closely, though he wasn't able to get the ball back. When the Ga-Matoran headed for the goal, Hewkii moved around to block her, so she kicked it up into the air and jumped. Hewkii jumped too, but Macku had expected this—she kicked the ball back down and, as soon as she dropped, sent it flying right beneath Hewkii and directly into the goal.

The goalkeeper was stunned. Hewkii ran over to him, saying, "Hey, show some effort! You can't just stand around like that or you might get hurt."

"Sorry, I just…wasn't expecting that."

"What, that shot?"

"I mean, I wasn't expecting her to be this good…"

Hewkii frowned. "You should've been able to tell by now that she's an expert. Just don't let your guard down again, okay?"

"Er, right."

Hewkii brought the ball back to the center and took his position.

"I'll give you a chance to replace your goalkeeper if you want," Macku offered.

"No, he's good now. Let's keep going!"

As the second round started, Vhisola leaned back in her seat, bored already. She closed her eyes for a moment to get some rest. However, she soon felt a shadow cast over her. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see a Po-Matoran wearing a jet black Rau over his face, smirking down at her with barely concealed arrogance.

"Hello," he greeted. "Welcome to Po-Koro. Hey, I bet a Ga-Matoran like you would be interested in buying a pet Ghekula, right?"

Vhisola sat up. "…Why would I want a pet Ghekula?"

The Po-Matoran leaned in closer. "These aren't any old Ghekula. These are lucky Ghekula. Guaranteed to make all your wishes come true, and for a very reasonable price."

Vhisola's expression changed slightly. Something for granting her wishes would certainly be nice, but…

"What was your name?"

He extended his hand. "Ahkmou. Nice to meet you."

A puzzling thing happened. Vhisola was sure they had never met before, but for some reason, just hearing that name made her skin crawl. Regardless, she shook his hand and replied, "Vhisola. So…where do you get these lucky Ghekula?"

"Oh, it's a very dangerous place. I can't stand the thought of my fellow Matoran endangering themselves, so I'll get one for you if you'd like."

No, you just want to be the one to profit, Vhisola thought.

"How do you know that they're lucky? Do you have some sort of proof?"

"I've seen them in action myself! I can't even begin to tell you how many great things I've seen them do."

Well, I believe that last part.

"No thanks. I wouldn't be able to take it with me on my mission anyway."

Ahkmou cocked his head. "Mission? What do you mean?"

Vhisola smiled and said, "I'm on an important quest for Turaga Nokama. She has lost something important, and it's my duty to get it back for her."

"Something important, huh…" Ahkmou muttered. After saying something under his breath, he added, "Well, I see, then. Good luck in your quest, Vhisola."

He left rather quickly. Vhisola was a little confused at his haste, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes glanced back over to the field, seeing that both teams were now tied at one point each and were about to start another round.

Macku got the ball first, again. This time, however, Hewkii was able to keep up with her, and took the ball over to the corner of the field. Macku blocked him off; he shuffled around a bit, looking for an opening, until Macku kicked the ball free with one swift motion so that it bounced off the wall and onto the open field. She took control of it then, managing to almost make it to the goal before Hewkii kicked it away from her, and then pursued him as he tried to double back.

Hewkii pulled his leg back to kick, but Macku suddenly did a sliding dash, sending the ball flying out towards the wall again. It ricocheted with immense force, and Macku jumped and flipped, kicking the ball while she was upside down in mid-air, sending it screaming all the way down the field and right into the goal.

"That was…amazing!" Hewkii said.

Macku landed and stood back up with a shrug. "Oh, that? That was nothing."

They moved back towards the middle of the field, and Hewkii said, "Come to think of it, we didn't properly introduce ourselves, did we? I'm Hewkii."

"And I'm Macku, the actual best koli player on the whole island. But I'll admit, Hewkii, you're the best opponent I've had in a long time."

Hewkii laughed. "I'm glad to hear you say that! Okay, next round!"

As she watched, something suddenly clicked in Vhisola's mind. She wondered if she should do something, but then her attention was soon drawn away by the arrival of Turaga Onewa, which also brought the game to a halt. She regrouped with Macku and the Turaga said he would take them to the hut where they would be staying the night.

"Well, thanks for playing," Hewkii said. "Hey, um…if you'd like, you could come back to play more later. It's a lot of fun playing with you, so I'd be honored."

Grinning, Macku said, "It's definitely fun, but trekking through the desert is really exhausting when you're not a Po-Matoran. I need to get some rest, but…I don't know, I might come back if I feel up to it later."

"Okay! I'll be here practicing for the rest of the day, probably, so whenever."

He waved as Macku left with Vhisola and Onewa. Vhisola watched him very closely for a moment, and then turned to face where she was going.

Macku yawned and looked up at the ceiling. The hut was small—there was hardly enough space for the two beds—but it didn't really matter if they were just staying for one night. If nothing else, it was cool inside, which was all Macku was really asking for. It was still the late afternoon, but—

"Macku?"

She turned to look at Vhisola. Her companion was facing away, so Macku wasn't sure she had actually heard her.

"Are you going to go back to the koli field?"

Macku looked back at the ceiling and answered, "I don't know. Why do you ask? I'm surprised to see you invested in my activities."

The hut fell silent for a few moments.

"I think you should go back," Vhisola said quietly.

"Huh? Why?"

"That Po-Matoran…he said he would still be there."

"Yes, but I didn't say for sure that I would be back. Staying here won't be the same as cancelling on him."

"…He's fond of you."

Macku sat up. "What?"

"He cares about what you think. He was trying to impress you, and he really wants to see you again."

"Okay…what makes you say that?"

"It's just something I know how to notice."

Macku rolled her eyes. "Alright. But still: why do you care? I don't get it."

Vhisola said nothing at first. Then, very slowly, she said, "When you care about someone…when they don't acknowledge you…it leaves you with a terrible, unyielding feeling of emptiness. There aren't words to describe how horrible that feeling is."

Whatever response Macku was expecting, it certainly wasn't this.

"It's probably not that severe—you two just met, after all. But sometimes you feel a bond with a person the instant you lay eyes on them. It might be nothing, but…I mean, we have to leave tomorrow, to get back on the trail of Turaga Nokama's mask."

Suddenly, Macku understood.

Vhisola sighed. "Nevermind…I probably shouldn't have said anything."

The silence returned. It was broken when Macku got on her feet.

"I guess I've rested enough for now. Besides, he is pretty fun to play against. I'll see you later, alright?"

Vhisola grunted in reply. Macku stared at her for a moment, and then headed outside and back down the street.

"Did we really need to get up so early?" Macku asked, trying not to yawn.

"I told you, I don't want to waste any time," Vhisola said. "Besides, if we leave while the sun is low, we'll be underground before it gets too hot."

"I guess that makes sense…"

The two of them trudged on through the desert. Eventually, Vhisola asked, "So…how was the game with Hewkii?"

Macku smiled as she said, "It was…fun. He almost beat me, actually. I might actually make the trip back up here to play him again."

"Good," Vhisola said, nodding jerkily. "Good."

They didn't exchange any more words until they came upon a cave entrance built into the rocky wall of a small hill. An Onu-Matoran sat on a rock next to the entrance, with a pen of ussal crabs just behind him. He stood up when he spotted the travelers.

"Hello there! My name is Midak. If you're on your way to Onu-Koro, I can lead you there on these ussal crabs, free of charge."

"Oh, Midak!" Macku said. "You're the one Nixie told us about."

"She told you about me, you say?" Midak replied. "Well, that was sweet of her! I hope she told you good things, haha!"

"How long will it take us to get to Onu-Koro by ussal?" Vhisola asked.

Midak turned to the pen and narrowed his eyes. "Hm…those three look to be in good shape this morning," he said, making a vague pointing gesture. "I'd say it'll only take an hour at most."

"That's fantastic!" Vhisola said. "Let's go, right away!"

As Midak got the crabs saddled, Macku asked, "Are you sure we don't need to pay you?"

"I don't do this for money, I do it because I love it. I'd be insulted if you paid me! Now, be sure to hang on tight—ussals can be a bumpy ride if you're not used to them, and I don't want anyone getting injured."

When all three had mounted their Rahi, Midak directed his into the tunnel opening and urged it forward. Macku and Vhisola followed. As the sounds of the crabs faded away, another Matoran pulled up to the entrance, this one riding on a dikapi.

"Hmhmhm…you're really going for it, then."

Ahkmou dismounted and stood at the tunnel's entrance. "Thanks for the info, Vhisola. This is sure to win me some points."

Notes:

The main reason I sent the duo through Po-Koro was because I wanted to write the first meeting of Macku and Hewkii—even if love isn't canon, their relationship is still one of the defining qualities of both of them, and I wanted to try to come up with some explanation as to why they took an interest in each other. Plus, this allowed a glimpse into Vhisola's workings, both for us and for Macku. I like how that scene turned out.

And of course, Ahkmou's here! What a jerk. He's always looking for an excuse to cause trouble.

My biggest regret about this part? Not including the souvenir stand with the iconic "My friend went to Po-Koro and all I got was this lousy rock" rock.