Dutiful Destruction

by Joey245

Three months after the defeat of Makuta and Team RWBY's return to Remnant, a new foe emerges with one goal: to eradicate everything on the island of Mata Nui. With Salem casting her shadow on Vacuo and tensions mounting among the refugees of Atlas, Ruby and her friends may find themselves strained as they fight for the worlds of Man, Matoran, and more. (Sequel to Destiny's Divide.)

5. The Calm After The Storm

(A/N): Alright, time to slow things down and catch our breath so we can process just what the heck is going on. What's up with the Order of Mata Nui? What are characters from BIONICLE's Bara Magna arc doing on Remnant? And how are things faring over in Ta-Koro after the Toa took their leave?

Read on to find out in this extra-long chapter!

(Also, note that I'm playing fast and loose with what characters are or aren't aware of the Order of Mata Nui, if not outright members themselves. Sorry in advance for any canon inconsistencies! I'm also taking some liberties with Bara Magna character backstories, so don't assume that everything's the same. Also, just to clear up any confusion, Azina is an original Agori character, much like Radka or Sonya were original Matoran characters in Destiny's Divide.)

---

"The…Order of Mata Nui? I do not understand."

Penny did not quite let her guard down, but she had to admit her interest was piqued. She cast a critical eye on each of the four titanic figures in front of her, who just moments earlier had been fighting to restrain her. They did not seem hostile any longer…or at the very least, not actively hostile.

The shortest among the strangers - a ten-foot-tall female clad in wiry, weathered blue armor - gave a mirthless smile. "Your reaction is understandable, and quite typical. Our Order is a secretive one, serving in the shadows beyond the gaze of the Toa, the Matoran, and most other sentient species. Yet make no mistake about our purpose - we serve only the will of Mata Nui himself, and wish to see him restored to his former glory just as you do."

A pensive hum escaped her lips as the Maiden of Mata Nui weighed her options against the words of the lead figure. Her magic still worked here, as did her Semblance and Aura, but the one power she needed - the ability to open portals into the Via Magna, and cross worlds through the space between - was not working for some reason. This Order of Mata Nui seemed mysterious and potentially dangerous…but what other choice did she have right now, except to believe them? Why would they abduct her only to fill her head with lies? It made no sense.

"…I see," she finally said as she relaxed her stance. "So you are also servants of the Great Spirit, then? In that case, I apologize for attacking your friends - it is a natural response of the human body to fight when it is threatened. You can imagine that I felt very threatened when this…Botar…grabbed me."

The tallest figure just growled through a mouthful of bronze fangs.

"Such a survival drive is common in all living things," said the axe-wielding titan clad in silver armor. "As a warrior myself, I understand quite well. My name is Axonn, as you may have already surmised. This is my colleague, Brutaka…"

He gestured first to the golden-armored warrior, who scowled behind his massive mask.

"…this is Botar, though you are likely already familiar with him…"

Penny cast a wary eye to the tallest figure with an aggressive posture and far too many teeth, not quite comfortable with his presence yet.

Finally, Axonn pointed to the female. "…and this is our esteemed leader, Toa Helryx. Her wisdom guides us all."

"You should have learned by now the dangers of flattering me, Axonn."

The Maiden blinked slowly. "Toa…Helryx? I…but I thought there were only six Toa. The ones on the island of Mata Nui, the ones who defeated the Makuta. Tahu, Gali, Pohatu, Kopaka, Lewa, and Onua. Are you…are you like them?"

Brutaka snickered. Botar chuckled. An icy glare from Helryx made both of them stop, giving her the chance to elaborate.

"While it is true that I am a Toa - the first Toa, in fact, created by the Great Spirit himself - I am beholden to no team other than the Order itself." Helryx gestured with well-worn hands and began to pace around Penny as she spoke. "The Toa that you mentioned are just one of many teams of elementally-empowered guardians; though they are unique in a way most are not, they are hardly the only Toa in existence. All across the Matoran Universe, legions of Toa protect hundreds of thousands of Matoran…their noble heroics and simplified worldviews keep Mata Nui's workers safe from the most common of threats, while we observe and keep order from the shadows."

Questions swirled in Penny's mind. There were…many Toa, beyond just the ones she knew? Were they all like Tahu, and Gali, and the others? What kind of powers did they have? What did they look like? And why were they not on the island of Mata Nui, protecting the Matoran during the thousand years of darkness?

Focus, she reminded herself. I can ponder the greater mysteries later. Right now, I need to concentrate on the Order of Mata Nui, and who they are.

"But…" Penny mused warily. "…if you are a Toa, then why not aid the Toa? Why must this Order of Mata Nui be so secret, if what you are doing is good?" She hugged one bare arm close to herself and rubbed a freckled shoulder tepidly, bitter memories rising to her mind. "I have…worked with people in the past who kept secrets from each other, for what they truly believed was a good cause, and it has never ended well for anyone. So why hide? And why bring me here in the first place?"

"Because we are responsible for safeguarding and restoring an entire universe, Penny Polendina," intoned the ancient Toa of Water, "one that rests within the body of the Great Spirit as he slumbers. Our opponents are not wild Rahi or other obvious dangers; the forces of evil that we fight confine themselves to the darkest shadows of the Matoran Universe, so to fight them effectively we must do the same. As for why we brought you here…that is, admittedly, a little more complicated."

After humming thoughtfully and looking the Maiden over from behind, Helryx continued as she idly grabbed a handful of burnt-orange hair for closer examination. "We've known for some time that the Great Spirit transferred some of his power into a…creature like you -"

"Human." She whirled around and speared Helryx with her withering gaze, pushing the Toa's hands away and clutching her ribbon-laced braids protectively. "I am human. A girl. A Huntress. A Maiden. You will refer to me by any of those words or my name, and nothing else."

Brutaka opened his mouth, likely to issue another threat, but Axonn's hand on his shoulder made him reconsider. Botar scoffed and snarled, and an icy glare from Penny made him back down quickly. She had spent much of her life being referred to by others as an object - or worse, as an "it." She refused to allow such treatment any longer, even from mysterious towering titans.

If the leading Order member was annoyed at being interrupted or told what to do, she hid it well and merely continued pacing while folding her hands behind her back.

"…as you wish, Penny Polendina," said Helryx. "In any case, we have been keeping an eye on you from the shadows, watching and studying you as you lived among the Matoran in that distant island. For a very long time we were…blind…to that situation, as the original Order member we stationed above to monitor the island had passed away without our knowledge. In the moons since we have attempted to correct that…but there was only so much we could learn about you through observation alone. If we wished to know more, making direct contact was necessary."

The Maiden frowned, never taking her eyes off the Toa of Water circling her like a hungry shark. "Then why abduct me? Why not simply approach me when I was not among the Matoran or Toa? Surely if you had been studying me, you would have had plenty of chances to do so."

"We couldn't risk you running off and revealing our Order to the other islanders."

"And stealing me away while I am in the company of friends is less risky?" She scoffed. "More to the point, why would you do so now? Tahu and the others need my help - the Bohrok are actively destroying Mata Nui, and -"

"Bohrok?" Helryx blinked and stopped in her tracks for a moment, the tubes connected to her mask hissing. "The…Bohrok are active? Right now?"

"…yes," said Penny slowly with a raised eyebrow. "They had just attacked Ta-Koro, but my friends and I worked with the Toa to drive them off. You…know about them?"

Axonn and Brutaka shared a glance. Botar narrowed his eyes. The ancient Toa of Water hummed thoughtfully for a moment, putting one fist against her mask before once more resuming her pacing.

"…interesting. I will have to send a team of Order agents to the surface once more, so that they can monitor that situation as it develops. To think that their awakening would occur so soon after the power transfer…perhaps they are connected in some way? If so, then what about the rest of Artakha's Labors?…Botar, can you confirm what she says?"

A low snarl escaped the armored titan's teeth.

"And yet you said nothing?"

Another grumble.

"I don't care if you thought it unimportant. I decide that, not you. This had best not become a habit."

Penny took a small amount of pleasure in seeing her abductor get scolded - even if it was by a Toa who had threatened to drown her on dry land.

After muttering to herself for a moment longer, Helryx shook her head and faced the Maiden once more. "Regardless, it would seem that the Great Spirit's timing aligns with our own. If the Bohrok are active, then it means that things are progressing faster than we realized. There is much work to be done in restoring order to this chaotic universe, in repairing the damage done during the Great Cataclysm. Assuming you truly possess the power of Mata Nui himself, Penny Polendina, as you say you do…we would be glad to have your aid, if you wish to provide it."

Emerald eyes stared unconvinced at the Toa coming to a stop in front of her. "And if I do not wish to provide my aid?"

Mechanical hands twitched towards the mace and shield slung across an armored back, silently answering the Maiden's question.

Ah. So I can work willingly as a guest, or unwillingly as a prisoner. Penny's brow furrowed. That does not feel like much of a choice…but at least it is one.

"I wish to see where you would have me working," she said with a harsh stare, "before I decide anything one way or another. I would also like to write a letter - a message to my friends - that explains my circumstances, one that can be covertly delivered by your agents when they go to the surface. I presume that Botar would not take me back to speak with my friends in person, even if I asked him to?"

A snarl from the bronze giant answered that question quite clearly.

"Then those are my demands," finished the Maiden of Mata Nui, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. "A letter to reassure my friends and loved ones, and a look at where I will be working. That is what you must give, for me to even consider helping you. This is how agreements are made on my world - and if you truly are servants of the Great Spirit, you will respect me and my cultural traditions."

Helryx stared down at Penny for an intensely long moment, glowing white eyes narrowing in consideration. She met the stare with one of her own, blinking only when it felt like her eyeballs were going to shrivel up and crumble. However harshly the ancient Toa of Water was judging her defiance did not matter - she would not allow some authority figure concerned with the greater good to tread over her own wants and needs again.

Once was more than enough.

After appraising the Maiden's resolve, Helryx relented by folding her hands behind her back once again. "We find your demands…agreeable, Penny Polendina. A scribe will give you the tools needed to carve a message slate later, and once we have reviewed it we will pass it along to the team heading for Mata Nui. For now, you will see the situation with your own eyes. Botar, take us to the office of Turaga Dume."

…there are more than six Turaga, as well?

Before she could even finish her thought, the entity known as Botar had scooped all of them up for a moment before setting them down. A heartbeat later the featureless gray dome was replaced by a silvery room awash in natural light, one with six colored banners and countless metallic disks hung along the circular wall. Penny gasped first in shock, then in awe as she tapped her bare feet against the metallic floor. Unlike where she'd been seconds earlier, this metal felt…warm. Soft. Alive, somehow.

"You know how I feel about your brute bringing guests here unannounced, Helryx. Iruini already sees me as suspicious, and I would much rather not validate his paranoia."

She spun around to find the source of the droll, annoyed voice that spoke out, only to come face-to-face with a hunched figure standing behind a steel-gray desk. The unfamiliar Turaga - at least, Penny assumed he was the Turaga in question - was quite different from Vakama and Matau and the other village elders, though his overall build and stature were similar enough. His crimson-silver robes sparkled in the light flowing through a window of transparent steel. A red-and-black Kanohi Mask with sweeping curves concealed a pensive face and sharp golden eyes. And there was no staff or cane-like tool in sight; the elder instead held a maroon chisel as large as his hand, one that he kept dragging across a slate of smooth stone with sharp, precise chips.

"And you know that I never have him do so without sufficient reason," intoned the ancient Toa of Water as she urged Penny forward. "Turaga Dume, this is our newest charge. She will be staying here for some time, to work with us and enforce the will of the Great Spirit."

Biting back a protest about how she had made no such promise yet, Penny put on her best smile as she approached and waved to the unfamiliar elder. "Salutations, Turaga Dume! I am Penny Polendina, Maiden of Mata Nui. It is a pleasure to meet you!"

The Turaga did not even look up at her until he finished his current line of circles, at which point he brushed the leftover stone chips towards Penny with a hint of annoyance. Only then did he give her a cursory glance with an almost-bored expression behind his mask, lazily scanning her and her frame with uninterested golden optics. She did her best to keep her smile wide and her demeanor cheerful, even as it became apparent that her politeness would not be returned in kind.

"…curious," drawled Dume when he finally spoke. "I never knew that the Order was extending membership to Archive exhibits nowadays. I wonder…in what shadowy corner did you find this hideous beast, Helryx? Perhaps you took pity on a rejected Brotherhood creation during a raid on their bases? One that even Mutran found too ugly to care for?"

Though the words within the insults were unfamiliar, Penny's heart sank all the same. …oh, she realized with a crestfallen expression. This Turaga is not very nice.

Axonn stepped forward and gently laid a massive hand atop her head, the other ever-so-subtly reaching for his axe. "This is no wild Rahi, Dume, nor is she a twisted experiment. Penny Polendina is a great warrior born among the stars, coming from a world in the universe beyond our own. She has been infused with a fraction of the Great Spirit's power, and wields it with all the might and valor of a Toa." Seeing Dume's continued lack of interest, he sighed. "She is also the reason that you noticed the spike in Mata Nui's neural activity several moons ago."

That suddenly got the Turaga's attention, who finally looked up from his slate and rose to his feet. "Is she now? Well, in that case…perhaps I can spare a few moments in my busy day to play tour guide for your little pet. Come."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Penny took a few awkward steps around Dume's desk as he shuffled towards the metallic window, slotting his chisel into a notch and twisting it with a click. The back of the office slid downwards into the floor, revealing a doorway that led to an ivory-plated balcony. Judging by how the wind rushed to fill the now-open office, the Maiden could only guess that wherever they were…they were somewhere very high up.

She was proven right as soon as she stepped up to the railing.

"…oh." Penny gasped. "Wow."

There was no other word to describe what she saw from atop a massive silver tower. No other word that did justice to the grand skyline that encircled her, illuminated by two glowing semi-circles shining from high above. Atlas and Vale were both renowned for their architecture, but even the most advanced cities of Remnant could not hold a candle to the sprawling mechanical metropolis she found herself in. On one side of her, massive crimson-plated foundries and furnaces hummed and burned with plumes of smoke. On the other, enormous crystal spires reached for the heavens. A sandy field of stone and sculptures was nestled between one district full of glistening canals and another containing obsidian hexagons reaching out of yawning chasms. And the entire city was joined by a crisscrossing network of huge, clear tubes - which all seemed to feed into a jungle of green steel on the southern edge.

Dume allowed a fraction of cheer and pride to seep into his voice as he spoke above the whispering winds. "Welcome, Penny Polendina, to the once-great city of Metru Nui."

"It is…beautiful," she breathed as she clutched the balcony railing, emerald eyes sparkling in wonder.

"Yes…" The crimson-clad Turaga sighed. "Yes, it was. Perhaps one day, it can be beautiful once again. Perhaps one day, the work of that foolish Makuta can be undone…"

She took her eyes away from the skies of Metru Nui and faced Turaga Dume with a sudden frown. "You mean…this city was attacked? By…Makuta?"

"Indeed…he stole this city and its Matoran away from me, all while wearing my mask as his own." Dume sighed once more. "The Visorak occupation hardly made things much better, though at least we finally managed to clean up all the webbing those damned spiders left behind. Now we 'only' have the damages from the Great Cataclysm itself left to fix."

The Maiden of Mata Nui frowned. Visorak? Webbing? Great Cataclysm? What happened here?!

Unaware of the questions reeling within his guest, Dume continued speaking. "Do not let appearances deceive you, Penny Polendina. What you see now is but a hollow husk of the Great Spirit's central processing unit, which once kept Mata Nui awake and aware and infused with near-limitless power. That age has long since passed, ended by a shadowy usurper in his bid for complete control over a universe that never belonged to him. Though it may glitter even after a thousand years of decay, Metru Nui no longer functions as it once did - or as it should."

The elder of a ruined city sighed. "Streets once bustling with Matoran workers are now empty and lifeless. Critical systems lie dormant after centuries of neglect, and our meager attempts to restart them have all been in vain. And if this city remains in disrepair for too long, if the stores of energy propping up an ever-darkening universe run dry…then one day, perhaps sooner than we all fear, there may not even be a Great Spirit to awaken. And the death of Mata Nui would mean the death of everything."

Penny's mind raced at the implications of Turaga Dume's tale, as well as the words of Helryx following her abduction. Thoughts spiraled and swirled like the wind whipping through her hair and dress, both sensations sending chills down her spine and shivers across her freckled skin. As much as she wanted to immediately dismiss their explanations as nonsense, she felt compelled to believe them. They did not seem dishonest…not about this, at the very least.

So we are inside the robotic body of Mata Nui right now… she mused. He said himself that he contained an entire universe within his frame, one that Makuta had ravaged in his attempt to seize power. This, then, must be the equivalent to his brain and mind, which lies dormant in his slumber. Is this why the Order of Mata Nui sought me out? Do they think that I can help restore this city to its former functionality? To keep the Great Spirit robot from shutting down - permanently?

Her heart felt heavy as she weighed her options. On one hand, she clearly recognized that this was a manipulation tactic on Helryx's part: show her something wondrous and awe-inducing to sell her on living down here, and give her a new task to distract her from the fact that she was practically a prisoner. She also knew that for every moment she spent down here, her friends on the island would spend a lifetime worrying about her, beyond even a letter's ability to assuage. Considering that the pouch containing her Scroll was lost during her brief struggle with Botar, and that she currently lacked the ability to create portals through the Via Magna, she was completely unable to contact the people she loved…unable to tell them about where she was, who had taken her, or even that she was alive. That, more than anything else, demanded her immediate attention - finding a way back to her friends, and helping them stop the Bohrok.

And yet…if this city was so vital to the health of the Great Spirit, then did it not also demand her attention? What if the Bohrok were a distraction from the real issue, that being the failing health of Mata Nui? What if they were rampaging now because the Great Spirit had weakened? Was that why she could not access the Via Magna? Would repairing Metru Nui grant him more strength, or restore her ability to create portals? Would it bring him closer to his awakening? The Order of Mata Nui certainly seemed to think so, and they seemed to think she could help…and perhaps she could. Surely fixing a few key systems would not take that long, would it? Especially with her Semblance…

Oh! Her Semblance!

Penny crouched low and placed her palms against the floor of the balcony, teal strings spooling from glowing fingertips and disappearing into the tower. Yes…yes…she could feel the flow of energy in every atom of this place. Faint echoes of the Great Spirit's power permeated the entire city, from the tallest skyscraper to the smallest speck of dust. It was barely a tepid trickle where it may have once been a roaring river…but it was there all the same, pulsating faintly in a pattern that felt like a heart pounding during the deepest of slumbers.

Yet even here, when she was in direct contact with the very mind of Mata Nui, the voice of the Great Spirit was silent. Just as it had been for months, ever since her reawakening as a Maiden.

Perhaps that, too, was a sign that she was needed here.

She withdrew her Technopathy a moment later and stood back up, fighting to keep her wobbly knees from completely collapsing. Her hands toyed with the hem of her skirt, the ruffles along her dress, the ribbons in her hair. Anything to keep herself calm as she prepared to make the most difficult decision of her life.

Ruby…Papa…Takua… she thought with a pursed frown. Please wait a little longer for my return. There is something I must do here. Then I will come back to you.

Penny finally took a breath to steel herself, then turned to face each Order of Mata Nui member as they approached. The dour Dume. The affable Axonn. The bored Brutaka. The brutish Botar. And finally, the hard-to-read Helryx.

"I do not yet know if I can truly be part of your Order," she declared. "But if the Great Spirit suffers because Metru Nui lies in ruins…then I cannot allow it to be in ruins any longer. I will help you repair the city. Where would you have me start?"

If anyone was smiling at her declaration, they hid it well.

---

And so the Toa and their human partners set out hours before the sun began to set, intent on collecting the Krana and solving the mystery of the Bohrok swarm.

Takua sighed as he set aside his Chronicler's Staff, looking down at what he'd just written in the soft slab of clay in front of his yellow-plated feet. After rereading it a few times he shook his head and ran crimson-armored hands over the circular letters, kneading out the fresh cuts and erasing the words for what felt like the millionth time that day. He knew it was his job to transcribe history as it happened, and to keep a record of the past for the sake of the future. But nothing he wrote down felt like it was good enough to log just what had happened in Ta-Koro hours earlier, or how devastating the first battle with the Bohrok had been.

Besides…it all felt so futile without her by his side.

Everyone else was too busy to proofread his attempts at writing down history. The Ta-Koro Guard were all too focused on resecuring their shattered defenses and maintaining tenuous order. Lava farmers prioritized collecting resources from the Lake of Fire, dropping off buckets of fresh magma that smiths and masons could use to patch up the crumbling village. And Turaga Vakama was busy sending messages to the other village elders, hoping that the trained Ussal crabs bearing stone tablets were faster than the Bohrok. Nobody wanted to relive the past right now - not when they'd already lived it once.

But Penny would've understood. She always did. He heaved another sigh as he laid a hand on the blue-shelled crab nearby, one that was bigger than he was.

"I'm a coward, Pewku," said the mournful Chronicler. "Look at me. I'm the Matoran who led the Company that defended Kini-Nui. I went with Penny on all her crazy adventures. I even braved the depths of Mangaia by her side when she needed me most. And what do I do when those Bohrok things come marching on our village? I run and hide like an idiot. I didn't help during the defense. I barely caught glimpses of the Toa and the humans fighting for our sakes. I didn't even dare to come any closer than I needed to while Vakama was explaining the Krana, not even to greet old friends. All because I was afraid."

His loyal companion chittered and nuzzled his side in an unsuccessful attempt to cheer him up. He didn't have the energy to stop her.

"Sometimes, fear is the appropriate response."

Takua looked up from his blank block of clay to see a human male walking towards him. Well, "walking" might have been the wrong word - it was more accurate to say that he was being carted over by a chair, which itself was being carried by four robotic legs. But that didn't really faze him. He was more interested in the gentle face of the person himself, one who looked so different from his freckled friend and yet was so similar in other ways.

"Doctor Polendina," he said as he stood up, giving a curt bow of respect. "It's good to meet you in person."

The man chuckled as he swiped and tapped a rectangle hovering over his lap. "Likewise, Takua. And please, call me 'Pietro.' No need to be so formal around me."

"Well, if you say so," said the Chronicler with a small smile. "Although I hope you weren't expecting me to call you 'papa' like Penny does - whatever that means."

Pietro smiled back, then frowned and let out a breathy sigh. "Like I was saying, you're not a coward for wanting to live in the face of danger. If Jaller and his Guardsman, the best fighters among the Matoran, couldn't do much of anything against the Bohrok…then it's not fair to expect more of yourself. You might want to put the blame all on your own shoulders, lose yourself in the past and pick out some flaw that you overlooked, some mistake you made that could have changed everything. Don't fall for that. It's a trap your own grief lays for you, to keep you from healing and moving forward."

He tilted his head in confusion, yellow optics blinking slowly behind a sky-blue Pakari. "If…if that's supposed to make me feel better, then I'm sorry to say it isn't working."

Pietro laughed again, though this time it was bittersweet. "Ah…never said it was supposed to help you feel better. Just sharing some stuff I've had to learn for myself, after losing…well, almost everything…"

…right. Takua was talking to a man whose home kingdom had fallen to ruin, and who'd lost his daughter countless times. What right did the Chronicler have to complain, when he had a village that still partially stood and a friend who was only missing instead of gone forever?

"You're allowed to be sad, and scared, and confused," added Pietro, as if he could read Takua's thoughts. "No one can take that away from you. It's what makes us alive. It's what makes us human…or Matoran, as the case may be."

Takua let out a forced laugh as he nodded in vague understanding. "I…think I get what you mean, Pietro. Thanks."

He stared hard at the glowing rectangle over his lap, which Pietro was manipulating without the wires he'd seen Penny use to operate her Scroll. Thinking about his missing friend didn't seem to make him feel any better, so why not focus on something new? It wasn't every day that Mata Nui saw visitors, after all.

"What's that you're working on?" He asked with a tilt of his head. "You said something earlier about the CCT network and a program that lets Ruby and the others use Kanohi powers. Is this related to those?"

"Oh, I figured out the comms issue hours ago," said the man with another sharp laugh. "Both audio and video calls are working across the entire island now, which are a lot more efficient than the text messages Ruby and the kids had to use the last time they were here. On the other hand, the mask powers app is…a bit more complicated than I thought. It's written in some odd coding language I've never seen before…might take a while longer to get that up and running for everyone who didn't have it last time."

Takua was almost sorry he asked.

"No, what I'm working on now is something new - something that should help the Toa and the Hunters in their mission. Here, check this out."

He flipped the screen around to reveal what looked like a grid of rectangular rubbery faces, all but one of which were dark and colorless and ugly as sin. Names were printed along the top and side of the chart, with text written in both Remnant and Matoran alphabets. Takua recognized the names along the side as the different Bohrok swarms that Vakama mentioned, while the row at the very top contained odd words like Ja, Vu, and Yo.

"Vakama's been filling me in on the different breeds of Krana and what they can do," explained Pietro as he pointed. "There's a lot more of these to collect than there were Masks of Power, and last time around the different teams didn't have an easy way to share what they've all found and how far they were progressing. With the Toa being spread out this time, each having their own battles against the Bohrok, they'll need a way to check who's gotten what Krana from which kind of swarm - both to avoid grabbing duplicates and to keep tabs on each other.

"So I'm just throwing together a quick-and-dirty spreadsheet that any of the Hunters can edit and consult on the fly. This thing lists the proper names of each Krana, the swarm they came from based on color, and the powers they give their Bohrok host. Whenever they get a new Krana, they can mark it down here; the darkened entries are for ones they don't have yet, and the bright ones are Krana they have collected. Not only should this help with keeping track of who's got what, it should also help them identify what kind of Krana a Bohrok is carrying before engaging - and what kind of abilities they should expect in a fight."

Takua blinked as he tried to understand, before it finally clicked. "Oh! So it's like a checklist to keep track of what you need to do! A Krana…tracker!"

Pietro laughed again, though this time he coughed at the end. "Well, damn. That's a lot better than what I was gonna call it. I nicknamed it the 'Facial Abomination Real-time Tracking Software' in my notes…but I like 'Krana Tracker' way more. Rolls off the tongue better, too. Mind if I use that?"

"Go right ahead." The Chronicler chuckled, then sighed. "Glad I could help with that, at least. Even if it's not much."

"Sometimes the small things are all we can do," intoned Pietro with a small smile, which soon faded into a frown. "No matter how much we wish we could do more…I…oh…Penny…"

It soon became clear to Takua that he wasn't the only one trying to distract himself.

The good doctor adjusted his glasses and wiped his eyes. "Dammit…" he mumbled under his breath. "I took my hand off of her for not even a second, and she's just…gone. Again. Stolen away in the blink of an eye, during the one time we were all focusing on something else. It's not fair…it's just not fair."

Pietro coughed bitterly and shook his head. "…why? Why can't Penny just get a chance to live, like she deserves? Why can't the universe leave my baby girl alone? Hasn't she suffered enough? Haven't I suffered enough as her father? Haven't I already paid for my sin against life and death by now? Is my daughter being happy, alive, and loved really such a crime against the natural order of things?…"

Takua's gaze softened as he walked over and reached up to lay a hand on the weeping man's arm, a gesture he'd often done with Penny to soothe her and calm her down. Luckily, it seemed some things were universal, as Pietro's breathing steadied and his eyes dried out. After one silent, solemn moment that spoke volumes, he clasped the little Matoran's wrist and squeezed it gently.

"Oh, bless you Takua," he said with a slight cough. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. I…I just can't help but worry about her, you know? She's my daughter…my whole world. If something terrible happened to her, I…"

Pietro shook his head mournfully. "…I'm not strong enough to lose her again."

The Chronicler nodded in understanding. "I don't think I am, either. I'd search the entire island for her twice over, if I could."

…actually. Who's to say he couldn't?

An inkling of an idea in his mind took root and started to grow, as he looked down at the bed of clay he'd spent hours mucking around with. Why was he so focused on writing down words that might disappear tomorrow, when history was being carved into stone with each passing second? The island of Mata Nui was a beautiful, wonderful place - even the parts Takua didn't like very much - and if the Bohrok had their way it would all be gone forever.

Well, I'm the Chronicler. Takua's brow furrowed. Nothing will be gone, lost, or forgotten forever. Not while my heartlight still glows, and not while I can still see and hear the world around me.

Pietro looked down at him apprehensively, then took a hesitant breath before pulling a worn white rectangle out of his pocket. "Here," he said, depositing the item into Takua's hands. "If you're planning what I think you're planning, you'll want this. Penny must have dropped it just before she disappeared…you know how to use it, right? How to read our language?"

The Chronicler looked down at Penny's Scroll in shock, then looked up at the owner's father somberly. "I do, but…are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely," said the doctor with a teary nod. "You'll need a way to contact Ruby and the others, in case things get too dangerous on your journey. I've already pulled and copied all the data I can off it, so it's nothing but dead weight if it just sits in my pocket - and without Penny here to boost its connection range with her Semblance, we can't contact Remnant anyway. And who knows? It might even lead you back to her, somehow. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part…but stranger things have happened here, right?"

Takua gingerly set the Scroll into his rucksack, stashing it between the Codex and the inactive Toa Stones. "Yeah…I guess they have. I'll treat it with the utmost care, Pietro. Thank you."

Pietro gave him one more gentle smile, then patted him on his mask. "I can see why Penny took such a shine to you, Takua. You'd better get moving before the sun gets too low - or before those Bohrok decide to come back. Call me or Ruby if you run into trouble, or see any sign of her. I promise someone will answer."

With one final determined nod, Takua collapsed his Chronicler's Staff and tucked it over one shoulder. After checking his sack to make sure everything else was in proper place - the Le-Koronan flute-knife, a collapsible lavaboard, and a brand-new heatstone sealed in a fresh marble canister - he hoisted that onto his back and over the obsidian throwing disk slotted into his armor. Satisfied, he climbed onto Pewku and secured himself in the crimson saddle, directing her to the remains of the village gate with two clicks and a light tap.

But as they crossed the threshold into another island-spanning adventure, a new voice stopped them both in their tracks.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Takua mentally cursed as the Captain's words rang out behind him. "I'm heading to Po-Koro for a vacation," he snapped sarcastically. "Want me to bring you back a rock?"

Jaller's footsteps echoed like thunder as he walked up behind Pewku with a loud sigh. "If you can find two stones that the Bohrok haven't separated yet, you can bring those to me. Those things are destroying everything in their path - my scouts can't even accurately track their movements across the island, what with how quick they're moving."

"Exactly," said the Chronicler. "At the rate they're spreading, there might not even be much of an island left to save by the end of it all. Even if the Toa and the Hunters succeed in stopping them…even if Penny comes back from wherever she is…things won't be the same. Things might not ever be the same as they were before the Bohrok attacked."

He tightened the strap of his familiar rucksack with one hand and patted Pewku reassuringly with the other. "Which is why, if these are the last days of Mata Nui as we know it…I want to be out there recording it, before it's lost forever. I want to hear the stories of the other villages as they make their stands like we did, so that future generations can know we didn't go down without a fight. And if Penny is out there somewhere, I want to find her. I need to find her. She's always been the one to pull me out of the fire and the darkness…I couldn't call myself her friend if I wasn't willing to do the same."

"All by yourself, Takua?"

"Only if you don't count Pewku."

The loyal Ussal crab chirped in determination. Clearly Jaller didn't count a Rahi steed as adequate protection, because he stomped his foot in defiance.

"No. Absolutely not." The yellow-masked Matoran's voice took on an even harder edge than it did before. "I am not letting you go out there alone, Takua. Not with those things running around."

Takua groaned. This felt familiar. "Really? We're doing this again? How are you gonna stop me this time, oh great Captain of the Guard?"

"Easy. I'm coming with you."

"Oh yeah? Well, fine then! Do whatever you want! See if I - wait, what?"

The Chronicler finally turned around to see the veteran soldier hoisting himself up into the second seat of the saddle, his stout armored frame laden with weapons. Jaller had two spears slung across his back, a shield mounted on his arm, an obsidian throwing disk tucked between his shoulders, and a collapsible knife resting against his hip. Most Matoran would chafe or collapse under the weight of an entire armory, but the Captain barely looked encumbered. It was a testament to his own natural strength, in both body and spirit, that he could carry this many armaments - and Takua knew from experience that the sharpness of Jaller's mind rivaled that of all his blades put together.

"Someone needs to go with you, to make sure you're safe on your journey," explained Jaller as he strapped himself in. "Someone with both the combat expertise to get you out of danger, and the common sense to keep you from getting into it in the first place. And since Penny's missing in action, and all the other Hunters already left with the Toa, it might as well be me. Don't exactly see anyone else volunteering."

Takua raised an eyebrow as he looked around the ruined village. "But…what about Ta-Koro? Don't you need to stay here and coordinate the defenses?"

The Captain scoffed harshly. "What defenses? You saw the attack today, and the aftermath of the victory. It took the Bohrok minutes to tear down what we spent centuries building up, and nothing we've got left has any chance of withstanding them. Besides, I have officers within the Guard that can run things in my absence - they'll know what to do without me, in case there's an emergency. And this way, by traveling with you, I can evaluate the situation with my own eyes…and maybe even learn how best to fight these things."

It took Takua a moment, but he finally read the unspoken intentions behind his friend's words. Not long ago the Chronicler - who at the time was nothing more than a selfish troublemaker - had proposed a crazy plan: gather the Toa Stones from every village and use them to attempt a ritual that would call down the Toa. He'd met resistance every step of the way, including outright banishment from Ta-Koro, but the fiercest pushback in the days leading up to his crime had come from the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard. Jaller clearly felt an immense amount of guilt for trying to stop him from doing something that had, ultimately, saved everyone…this must have been his attempt to make things right, by standing with Takua on an island-wide journey when he'd been too scared to do so before.

Despite the danger, despite how his heartstone ached in Penny's absence, he felt warmth in knowing that he still had a friend in his corner.

"I…well. I guess I can deal with your company, if I don't have a choice in the matter." Takua shook his head with a knowing smirk after a moment. "Thanks, Captain."

Jaller nodded, a smile beneath his own mask. "Lead the way, Chronicler, and I'll follow."

And so, as the sun crested the western horizon, Takua and Jaller set off on Pewku and left the fires of Ta-Koro behind.

---

The air was filled with a chorus of smacking lips and gnashing teeth, as the otherworldly visitors messily tore into the offered meal. Yang cast a furtive glance at the Glatorian guests as they scooped handfuls of roasted grubs and baked crab meat into their leathery faces, chewing loudly and taking sharp breaths even as they ate. The smaller Agori were just as ravenously hungry - three of them were slurping their bowls of crevice worms like it was the nectar of life, while the other made at least some attempt to use the fork and knife to cut into her slab of crustacean meat. Everyone else at the table within the private dwelling - Jaune, Blake, Emerald, Winter, and especially Team CFVY - just stared in awe and horror, their own meals suddenly far less appetizing with each bite the alien warriors scarfed down.

"Healthy appetites, huh?" Yang said with a nervous laugh.

Jaune gulped quietly as he looked over with a thousand-yard-stare. "And here I thought watching Nora eat was terrifying enough…"

"I will never be able to enjoy mole crab steak again after tonight," intoned Yatsuhashi gravely.

"Little late for that on my end…" mumbled a queasy-sounding Blake under her breath.

"Does it look anywhere near as bad as it sounds?" Fox asked. "Because it sounds…bad."

"It's worse," groaned Coco. "I knew we should've traded patrol shifts with Team SSSN…should've let the boys have supper with the hungry aliens."

Emerald chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. "Well now we definitely know these guys aren't from Mata Nui. The fact that they're eating at all is…a far cry from how the Toa and Matoran got their energy." Then she frowned. "Not sure if that's better or worse than…well, this."

"This is still preferable to Klein's 'pasta surprise,'" noted Winter as she sipped her tea.

Oblivious to the horror of their human (and Faunus) caretakers, the Bara Magna Outreach Committee happily feasted away in the safety of their larger-than-usual prefab house. Decorations were sparse aside from the large table in the center of the room…which wasn't surprising, considering the alien delegates had only moved in hours earlier, following their tour of Vacuo's main city. While the newest structure within the quickly-expanding Glass District was originally meant for a mid-sized Atlesian noble family, Winter had managed to pull some strings so that the Magnans would be the exclusive occupants instead. (The Marigolds were most unhappy upon receiving the news, but few were willing to complain to the Winter Maiden's face.)

"This is an absolutely incredible food!" Gresh exclaimed as he swallowed a mouthful of lightly-toasted rye, eyes widening in delight. He looked at the rest of his loaf with a wondrous smile, then looked at Velvet. "It's so soft, and warm, and delicious, and no matter how full I feel I still want more! This…this meal, this…miracle of taste and texture…what is it?"

The rabbit-eared Faunus shrank slightly under the sudden attention. "Um, it's…bread?"

"Bread…" repeated Gresh, awe in his voice. "Bread! I love it! What's in it?"

"Uh…" Velvet squirmed nervously in her seat. "Wheat flour, water, yeast, salt…"

"Salt?" The green Glatorian inspected his loaf carefully, shaking it upside-down. "You mean rocks? There's rocks in this…bread? I didn't taste any…and my teeth didn't break this time…"

Fox laughed and gestured with his hands, picking up the explanation for his anxious teammate. "They're, uh…very small rocks. More like a fine powder, really. We mostly use it for seasoning other foods, but it also comes in handy for curing and preserving meats for long-term storage." He dropped his voice to a stage whisper and spoke behind one hand. "Some people even say that Winter uses it to flavor her tea."

"I heard that," warned the Maiden. "And I do no such thing."

Gresh's eyes sparkled again. "Whoa…small rocks that make food taste better. Amazing."

On the other side of the table, a blue-clad Agori named Berix lowered his bowl and let out a loud belch. "Spirits above…I haven't had a feast like this since Tarix beat Strakk five-to-one a few centuries ago! I don't think I could eat another bite! Hey, excuse me - are you gonna finish that?"

Coco looked down at her own untouched dish of cave beetles, moaning queasily before sliding it unceremoniously down to the blue-clad Agori. "All yours, little buddy. I'm trying to cut down on calories anyway."

Berix licked his chops and dug into the new dish, mumbling a quick "thank you" between handfuls of cooked chitin. That earned a glare from Kiina, at which point Berix just shrugged and passed the bowl down to her. The blue-armored Glatorian scooped up one handful of beetles and shoved it into her mouth, never taking her eyes off of her smaller counterpart - no matter how much he tried to act innocuous.

The oldest Glatorian - Ackar, Yang remembered - suddenly cleared his throat and bowed as he pushed his newly-empty plate towards the center of the table. "On behalf of both myself and my companions, I'd like to thank you for your hospitality. Not only have you saved us from the situation earlier, you've secured us shelter and given us some much-needed sustenance. Your kindness is greatly appreciated, and will be repaid in full one day."

Yang smirked as she nodded. "Not a problem, big guy. Blake, Emerald and I had folks looking out for us when we fell into an alien world. Only feels right to pay it forward, y'know?"

Blake smiled and nodded as well. "Agreed. Plus, Mom usually doesn't get to cook for big groups often, so coming over here to serve you was a nice change of pace for her."

"It's an incredible honor to make your first dinner on Remnant," said Mrs. Belladonna with a soft smile, stepping over to the table and collecting any empty dishes. "I hope all the food was good enough - I'm still learning the ropes of Vacuo-style cooking, and I had no idea what you all liked…or even could digest."

"Considering we were choking down on cold Thornax soup for the whole trip?" Gelu - the Glatorian in white armor - let out a harsh laugh as he wiped his mouth. "Anything'll taste good compared to that."

"I still think it would've been better to save those Thornax fruits for ammo," said Metus as he popped a cave beetle into his mouth with a light crunch.

Raanu regarded his ivory ally with a skeptical glare. "Would you rather our people have starved atop a pile of useless weapons?"

"No, but we could have bartered them away for food and water," countered the smooth-talking Agori. "I'm sure these fine folk would've been quite appreciative of an explosive fruit stockpile, considering they seem to have a pest control problem."

"Well now that you mention it…" joked Fox.

"Please don't encourage him," groaned Raanu. Then he looked over at the green-armored Agori sitting on his other side, who'd finally managed to mimic the motions she'd seen earlier. "Did you get enough to eat, Azina? Are you well? Those things didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Azina rolled her eyes, though Yang could see a shadow of a smile. "Don't worry about me - I can take care of myself. Even with those monsters running around."

"Speaking of which, what exactly were those things that attacked us?" Gresh asked through a mouthful of crab. "They didn't look like Skrall to me."

"Definitely not Skrall," said Kiina as she snapped off another meaty leg from her sandgull roast. "They kinda reminded me of the Vorox, actually, what with how mindless and aggressive they were."

"The Creatures of Grimm," intoned Winter gravely, setting down her drained teacup and furrowing her brow. "Shadows and nightmares given physical form, with no needs or behaviors beyond an endless hunger for destruction. For as long as Man has walked the face of our world, the Grimm have plagued and hunted us…and until we discovered ways to fight back, they nearly succeeded in wiping us out. In recent times, even that hasn't always been enough to protect us."

Yang wanted to chime in that the truth about the Grimm was a little more complicated, but the Winter Maiden's explanation got the general idea across. The Glatorians and Agori all visibly deflated, their dreams of a new paradise dashed against the rocks.

"It's not all bad, though," offered Velvet sympathetically. "There are people trained to fight them - Huntsmen and Huntresses, just like us. Our Auras and Dust and Semblances let us stand a chance against the creatures of Grimm…I don't know if all of that will work for you, but we can still teach you what we've learned about fighting them."

Jaune nodded. "One of our Academies - schools and training grounds where students learn how to be Hunters - isn't too far from the house we picked out for you. If you wanted, we could see if Headmaster Theodore would let you sit in on a few classes, or even work alongside the student teams as they go on missions. That'd be a good way for you to get familiar with how we live, and what you can expect."

"Might also be a good idea to get some of our people out on your ship," mused Emerald. "You know, just in case that weird light show ever stops doing…whatever it's doing. Plus, they can teach the Glatorians that are staying for guard duty, to train you guys up even faster, and they can learn more about you just by living with the rest of your folks. Assuming you're comfortable with that, of course."

"All excellent ideas," said Raanu with a warm smile. "We can make arrangements with your Tribe leaders to implement all of those, and find people among you who would best fit among the Ark's crew. I'm certain that Perditus, our chief science officer, will more than welcome an opportunity for a cultural exchange…and our crew coordinator, Tarix, would certainly appreciate having a few extra hands helping out."

Ackar agreed with a nod of his own. "It shouldn't be too hard to integrate your arts of war into our own. We're warriors at our core, after all, so fighting for survival is hardly anything new to us. And while their numbers and natural weapons are formidable, at least each individual Grimm goes down easily enough…and I'll gladly face a hundred more of those things than a single Skrall."

"You've mentioned that word a few times now," noted Blake. "What exactly is a Skrall? And just how dangerous were things back home for you?"

The party of Magnans looked at each other, as if they were uncertain if it was okay to share. After a silent series of nods, Ackar spoke with gravity in his voice.

"Our homeworld, Bara Magna…imagine a desert like this one, a harsh and unforgiving wasteland with little capacity for life. Now imagine that it encompassed the entire planet, with no open oceans, no lush forests, no rich veins of elemental ore. That's been all we've known for over a hundred thousand years…all that was left after the Core Wars tore the planet of Spherus Magna apart, in every sense of the word."

Yang's heart was already starting to sink.

"It was never an easy existence on the best of days," added Raanu. "Food was scarce, and water was even scarcer. The people who were still alive after the Shattering - which included civilians like us Agori and soldiers like the Glatorians - were left to fend for ourselves in a world that was slowly withering away. Violence was common. Death…even more so."

Azina was the next to speak. "Eventually we founded settlements in the ruins left behind by the Great Beings - our creators and progenitors, who'd all died during the Core Wars - and formed tribes for the sake of our collective survival. Some basic farming techniques and hunter-gatherer activities on the side helped sustain the larger populations, as did trading with the other Tribes for things we didn't have. It was peaceful…mostly."

"Treasure hunters like me were essential in combing the desert looking for caches of resources," explained Berix. "Oases, ore deposits, buried tech from before the Core Wars…anything we could find to help keep the Tribes alive. The problem, of course, was when two Tribes would both find the same site and try to claim it for their people, and then we'd be right back to square one: squabbling and fighting each other for stuff on a dying world."

"That's where we come in," said Gresh with a proud smile. "The Glatorians. Whenever two Tribes would have a disagreement about something - an unfair trade deal, who has the rights to a watering hole, stuff like that - they'd each send a Glatorian to a neutral party's arena to fight it out in front of an adoring Agori audience. Whoever won the match, their sponsor Tribe got to keep whatever was on the table, while the other Tribe had to either accept the outcome or negotiate to split the prize with the victor."

Blake's ears flattened against her head. "That…sounds a lot like the Agori making you fight each other. For sport."

Metus shook his head fervently. "Not sport, problem solving! We Agori took very good care of our Glatorians, investing in them and making sure they had everything they needed to perform in the arena. All the matches were supervised to make sure nobody got seriously hurt, and there were strict rules and protocols everyone followed for their own safety. It was an equitable, balanced exchange - we'd get the things we needed to survive, and they'd get a chance to use their old soldier training for a good cause. Much more honorable than just slaughtering each other…and considerably more profitable."

Everyone at the table shot the icy merchant a sharp glare. Winter's was especially potent.

"N-not that I ever cared about that sort of thing…" said Metus with an innocuous cough.

Great, intoned Yang with a mental groan. And here I thought hyper-capitalist weirdos were just a Remnant thing.

She could feel Blake's hand slip into her non-metallic one, giving a comforting squeeze.

"You mentioned that you guys divided into tribes," said Coco, who seemed eager to get the conversation on literally anything else. "I'm assuming that the whole 'color coordination' thing you've got going on has something to do with that?"

Azina smiled and nodded, gesturing at herself and her companions as she explained further. "Our Committee has one Agori and one Glatorian from each of the major settlements, with former allegiances represented by the dyes and paints in our armor. Though we all united under one banner to construct the Ark and form the expedition, it's still a point of cultural pride to remember where we came from. I'm originally from Tesara, the village of the Jungle Tribe, as is Gresh -"

The green-armored Glatorian waved, his mouth too full of bread to speak.

"- while Berix and Kiina hail from Tajun's own Water Tribe."

Berix looked up with a small squeak, and everyone looked to see that he had his hands halfway down one of Emerald's pockets. That earned a harsh glare from Kiina, and an amused chuckle from the would-be pickpocketing victim.

"Well, it's nice to know that thievery's not a crime exclusive to Remnant," deadpanned the mint-haired Huntress.

"Hey, I'm not a thief!" The blue-armored Agori pouted as he pulled away. "I'm a treasure hunter by trade, and a collector by habit."

"Right," said Kiina with a roll of her eyes. "It's just that most of the stuff you 'collect' in your spare time isn't yours."

"But not all of it!" Berix crossed his arms. "Only…okay, yeah, most of it…"

Yang smirked at the antics, then looked at Raanu. "You mentioned you used to be the chief of somewhere called 'Vulcanus.' Lemme guess, that's where the Fire Tribe comes from?"

The elder Agori's eyes twinkled. "You catch on quick, Yang. Indeed, both Ackar and myself hail from that village. Finally, Metus and Gelu are both natives of Iconox, home of the Ice Tribe…though they both did more business with other settlements than with their own."

"I was a caravan guard on the side, when I wasn't fighting matches back home," intoned Gelu. "Metus, meanwhile, was a Glatorian recruiter and high-profile merchant…among other things."

"It's truly a pleasure to be part of the Bara Magna Outreach Committee," said the white-plated Agori with the smile of a salesman. "Especially if it means I get to meet with such beautiful natives."

Yang snorted. Blake rolled her eyes. Emerald made no attempt to hide her dry heave. Kali just chuckled in amusement. Winter narrowed her gaze. Fox made a show of fanning himself. Jaune cringed sympathetically.

Gelu gave a humorless laugh. "Told you that flattery wouldn't work," he deadpanned.

"Well, you can't blame an Agori for trying." Metus grinned at Coco. "My offer for that weapon's still on the table, if you're ever interested in selling."

"I'll take a rain check," said the fashionista with a wry smile, and Yang could tell she had the Vacuo meaning of that phrase in mind.

Azina glared at her icy allies, then cleared her throat to bring the conversation back on track. "Anyway. As you can probably surmise by now, our Tribes are patterned after the ancient elements of Spherus Magna. Water, Jungle, Ice, and Fire…they were all woven throughout the creations of the Great Beings, including us, though only they could use such powers for themselves. There are other Tribes, too, that are part of our society…or at least they were, until disaster struck all three of them."

Velvet paled slightly. "Three of your tribes all…died?"

"Worse than that," intoned Raanu. "The members of the Iron Tribe were struck by a deadly virus with no cure, one that ravaged their population and destroyed their cultural identity. The Sand Tribe people fell to the Madness and took up the ways of the beasts, becoming the animalistic savages we've come to call the Vorox. And the Rock Tribe isolated themselves within their mountains and adhered to a new militaristic dogma, one that instilled a single-minded determination towards becoming the rulers of a barren wasteland. That last group is the one we spoke of earlier, the tribe who took on a new name for themselves after the Shattering - the Skrall."

For some reason, Yang felt a chill wash across her skin.

"They were always fierce warriors, strong and fast and cunning." Ackar grimaced. "As Skrall, they were all that combined with an insatiable bloodthirst and a refusal to back down from a fight. For a while they were cold but civil towards the other tribes, participating in barters and competing in the Glatorian arena matches for things they wanted…"

"Until they stormed the city of Atero during the Great Tournament - a time where we Glatorians fight each other not for the villages, but for ourselves - and started slaughtering anything that moved," finished Kiina bitterly with a sigh. "Everyone here…lost a lot of friends that day."

Again the blonde brawler frowned. Tragedy striking during what was supposed to be a time of glory and celebration, a friendly tournament being disrupted by the forces of evil in an attack that would scar the world forever…it was a feeling that she and everyone else at the table empathized with. Her non-robotic hand trembled. Blake's fingers felt the familiar abdomen scar as her mother's ears flattened. Emerald stared down with guilt written all over her face. Team CFVY shared sad looks. Jaune screwed his eyes shut and did his best not to cry.

Winter seemed to be the only one willing to push the unpleasant conversation forward. "So these Skrall dropped all pretenses of coexistence and declared war on your way of life. Is that why you left your planet? You were forced to flee as refugees?"

"Among other reasons," answered Raanu with a sour note in his voice. "Life on Bara Magna was a grim and joyless affair even before Atero fell, but for many of our people it's all they've ever known. It's not uncommon for young Agori and Glatorian to dream of other worlds with hope in their eyes, only to cast aside such childish dreams in favor of accepting the bitter reality - that we were doomed to a dying fragment of a broken world."

"I never stopped believing in that dream, though," said Kiina with a vindictive smirk. "I kept hoping to travel to the stars one day, no matter how much everyone else laughed at me."

"Hey, I never laughed at you," chuckled Gresh as he dipped his bread in leftover crab blood (to just about everyone's horror). "Besides, you were proven right in the end - you and the Chief's daughter."

"Indeed." Raanu gave an amused smile. "We never would have made it off-world in the first place were it not for your bravery and my dear Azina's brilliance. They may have just saved our people when we needed it most."

Yang almost choked on her own water. "Wait. Hold on." She pointed first to Azina, then to Raanu. "That's your dad?! Like, actual, literal, biological father?"

"Of course he is," said Metus with a grin. "Can't you see the resemblance?"

The blonde brawler suddenly found words very difficult for a variety of reasons.

"I can!" quipped Fox. Velvet elbowed him in the side.

"…I'm adopted," said the Jungle Tribe Agori with a roll of her eyes, answering all the unspoken questions in one fell swoop. "And please, Father. You make it sound like I single-handedly built the Ark with my own two hands. All I did was find the Drive Core and the pre-Shattering star charts in some ancient ruins near the Sea of Liquid Sand."

"And yet, that very discovery was what allowed us to band together for the first time in Bara Manga's history," countered Ackar. "Especially after what happened at Atero…the Tribes all needed something to rally behind, something greater than just survival to work towards. A journey to a world without Skrall, Vorox, or Bone Hunters was the perfect cause."

"So you came together and built a spaceship in a desert world." Jaune hummed thoughtfully and put his hand on his chin. "I'm…not even gonna pretend to understand how that works. But how'd you end up here, of all places?"

"It wasn't our call to make, sad to say." Raanu sighed. "Our initial plan was to take the Ark with a crew of about a thousand Magnans - eight hundred Agori and two hundred Glatorians - and chart a course to Bota Magna. By our calculations and observations of the night sky, it was the closest piece of our planet that stayed intact following the Shattering…one that took all of Spherus Magna's remaining vegetation and forests when it broke away. From there we would use its natural resources to establish a colony, construct another Ark that was larger and stronger than the one we departed on, and then return to finish evacuating our people before setting off in search of a more permanent new home."

"We were planning on using the planets between here and there as gravitational slingshots," explained Azina, "to launch ourselves in Bota Magna's direction to ease the strain on the Drive Core's faster-than-light systems. Then we'd coast along in the planet's orbit, let the ship's engines recharge, and once we were ready we would repeat the process. The first of those stops we'd plotted out was your planet - which, according to the old star charts, was nothing but a lifeless chunk of rock floating in space." She chuckled softly. "Guess the Great Beings watching the skies sure got that one wrong, huh?"

"Well, it very well may have been that at one point," mused Winter. "After all, a hundred thousand years is a very long time for us…a lot can change in just a few days, and even more over the course of millennia."

Yang was sorely tempted to chime in with the world-shattering revelations Jinn had shown them about the Brother Gods and Salem, but kept quiet once again. No need to overwhelm the alien guests, especially not when they were the ones telling the story. Eventually the oldest Glatorian spoke next, at the silent urging of Raanu and Azina.

"Unfortunately for us, the Skrall weren't about to let us have a clean getaway." Ackar grimaced. "Hundreds of those armored bastards had stowed away in the cargo hold, and waited until we entered your world's orbit to make their move. Cycles after we thought we'd left the horrors of Bara Magna behind, trained warriors suddenly started bursting out of the storage containers they'd been hiding in. Crew members and security officers were cut down without warning. Fires were breaking out all over the place. Before anyone could even realize what was happening, the Skrall had already taken full control of the Ark's back half, and they weren't about to let us take it back."

The eldest Glatorian stared down at the middle of the table, practically burning a hole in the wood with his fiery-orange glare. "It was…a bloodbath. In the arena, and even during the Fall of Atero, we at least had open space to try and outmaneuver them and their swords. But in the halls of the Ark, with all its corridors and choke points, we didn't even have that luxury. Worse still, their leader was among the war party. Tuma, the last living member of the Rock Tribe's ancient Commander caste, made it very clear that he'd be taking control of the ship - after he slaughtered us all and pitched our bodies out the airlock."

Ackar's metallic fist clenched around his dinner knife, nearly splintering the wooden handle with his grip force alone. "We couldn't let that happen. We couldn't let the last hope for our world - our people - die before even reaching Bota Magna. So with no way to reclaim the parts of the ship the Skrall had taken…with no other options except certain death…we pointed the nose of our ship at your planet, put all power into the engines, and detonated every last Thornax fruit we still had in the central cargo bay. You all saw the aftermath of that: an explosive chain reaction that split the Ark in half, followed by a crash landing that almost tore apart whatever was left."

The knife in his hand suddenly snapped as if to punctuate his story, its metal edge clattering against the table. "We set out with a thousand of the brightest, bravest souls on Bara Magna. Between the Skrall, the crash, and the Grimm showing up after…less than a third of them ended up living to see their first sunset on another world."

A heavy, somber silence fell over the dinner table. Agori and Glatorian hung their heads solemnly. Humans and Faunus searched for the proper words to say, and for a while they found nothing.

Velvet broke the quiet spell with a slight whimper. "Gods, that's…that's horrible." She reached up and rubbed her drooping rabbit-like ears. "I can't even imagine being forced to make that kind of choice…"

"I was wondering why it looked like your ship didn't have any engines," noted Coco in barely a whisper. "Guessing that's also why I saw you coming in hot, in total freefall."

"And all that fear and negativity from the crash must have drawn in the Grimm," mused Blake as her ears flattened against her head. "That's…I'm so sorry to hear that all that happened."

Fox just blinked his pale eyes slowly, unwilling to joke about what he'd just heard.

"You poor dears," breathed Kali as she covered her mouth.

Yatsuhashi shook his head and poked at his steak. "To think that these Skrall would be so selfish as to jeopardize the future of your species, all in the name of conquest…our monsters are soulless and exist only to destroy. What, I wonder, is their excuse?"

"Their 'excuse' is that they're Skrall," said Raanu with a sigh. "They've always been warlike in their culture, even before the Core Wars ever started. They were groomed by their Great Beings to be the finest warriors our planet had ever seen, to be ruthless and strong in ways that others could never hope to be. The time since the Shattering has only sharpened that hunger, and without creators to keep them in check they've became even more extreme in their quest for personal and collective glory. Tuma has always sought to lord over others in the absence of the Great Beings, whether his domain includes our world or a new one - and none under his command dare to question him. It's just who they are. It's all they've ever known."

"A tyrant leading his own people to ruin…" Winter was seething.

"…and getting innocent people caught in the crossfire for their own personal gain," growled Yang, who could feel her eyes flickering between their usual lilac and a vengeful red.

Jaune hung his head. "Guess some things really are universal."

"I still don't know how they even managed to get aboard in the first place," mused Gresh with a slow shake of his head. "We kept everything under wraps the whole time we were building the ship, and we checked every single piece of cargo being loaded onto the Ark. Azina and Perditus even rigged transponders and gene-locks onto any crates bigger than an Agori. How'd they find out about it? How'd they smuggle themselves in? And how'd they escape our notice for the entire flight up to that point?"

"Maybe it was an inside job," offered Metus with a shrug.

Gelu narrowed his eyes. "I can't think of anyone who'd be stupid or selfish enough to throw their lot in with those bastards. Except maybe Berix."

"Hey!"

"I'd almost agree with you."

"Oh come on, Kiina! You too?"

"Now now…we have no proof, one way or another. Don't you think we're all a little too old to point fingers like this?"

Sensing an argument about to erupt, one that Raanu was trying and failing to extinguish, Yang cleared her throat and spoke up. Sometimes a joke was exactly what the situation needed to defuse. She hoped this was one of those times.

"So…lemme get this straight," she said with a small smirk of disbelief. "You guys built a spaceship and flew up to the stars, in order to escape a desert wasteland…only to end up crashing into the one part of our world that's also a desert wasteland?"

Berix chuckled bashfully, grateful he was no longer in the hot seat. "Yep, pretty much!"

"Believe me, the irony is not lost on us," added Gelu with a small smirk.

"Yes…" Raanu sighed and gave a nod of relief to Yang. "It seems that our grand escape from Bara Magna has involved trading one sandstorm for another."

Jaune stood up and gave his most sincere smile. "Well then…we'll do everything we can to help you weather this one. We might have our own problems, but we're not about to abandon people in need - whether they're from Vacuo, Atlas, or even Bara Magna. When Oscar gets back from his meeting with Theodore and the rest of the Vacuo City Council, we'll tell him everything you told us, and find ways to get you out of this mess you've landed in. You're warriors, just like us. We should stand together."

Yang smiled and rose from her chair, followed by Blake, Emerald, and every other Huntsman and Huntress at the table. With a small smile of his own, Ackar rose up to his full height of ten feet as he and his group did the same. The red-armored Glatorian drew a rusted-looking sword off his back and held it point-first over the table, where its edge met with the tips of Kiina's trident, Gelu's double-bladed staff, and Gresh's sharpened shield. Sensing the pattern of the apparent ritual, Yang deployed Ember Celica and lightly put its barrel forward to join the forming ring of steel, where it met with the tips of Gambol Shroud, Crocea Mors, Thief's Respite, and Eisen Blume. Team CFVY joined with their weapons as well - Coco expanded Gianduja into its full minigun form, Fox folded the blades of Sharp Retribution forward, Yatsuhashi held Fulcrum halfway down the blade, and Velvet pulled an emergency machete out of her boot to complete the circle of weapons.

"Then stand together we shall," finished Ackar with a triumphant grin. "For a better world than the one we left…"

"…and a better world than the one we have right now," intoned Winter.

CLICK!

Everyone turned to look at Velvet, who'd snapped a picture of everyone's weapons using Anesidora's camera lens.

"Sorry…couldn't resist," she said sheepishly. "I might be running low on Dust, but at least I can still take photos. Just feels more satisfying than snapping pics with a Scroll, y'know?"

"You're such a grandma, Velv."

"We're the same age, Coco!"

Berix's eyes practically sparkled at the sight of the mysterious little caramel-colored box of lights and lenses. "Pretty…"

Kiina's gaze snapped downward, as did her hand - right on top of his helmet. "Berix. No."

"What? I wasn't gonna do anything!"

"But I could tell you were thinking about it…"

A ripple of laughs swept through the dining room, before the warriors finally withdrew their weapons and took their seats to finish the meal. Conversations from that point on were far less heavy and far more jovial, as the Huntsmen and Huntresses shared their own experiences in fighting the Grimm. The Glatorians and Agori listened with rapt attention, sometimes chiming in with tales of their own. All in all, it was a warm night for the people of two worlds…though there was still a chill in the air, one that lingered over everyone.

"So…anything else we should know about you guys?" asked Yang through a mouthful of crunchy cave beetles. "Any other world-shattering revelations related to Bara Magna? Pun not intended."

"Do you know anything about the Matoran?" Blake added. "Or Mata Nui? That's where we ended up, when we fell out of the Via Magna. Have you heard of that?"

Winter's eyes narrowed as she glared daggers at the partners, her fork plunging a little more aggressively than usual into her salad.

Raanu frowned, humming thoughtfully. "Hmm…you know more about that world than we do, Blake, considering we've never been there. Never heard of this 'Via Magna,' either. My memories of the time before the Shattering are vague at this point, but I certainly don't remember that as a world the Great Beings discovered. As for your question, Yang…there is still one cause for concern, one that I'm only now realizing."

Azina looked up from her half-eaten steak and tilted her head. "Father? What is it?"

"The other half of our Ark - the half that broke off in the explosion - contained the bulk of the remaining Skrall that invaded our ship." The Chief Agori's brow furrowed beneath his helmet. "So if we managed to survive the crash, even if only just…"

Metus seemed to understand instantly with a scowl. "…then there's a good chance that they did, too."

Blake matched the expression as her ears pressed flat against her head. "Meaning that the Skrall might still be out there. On our world."

"I fear so, yes," intoned Raanu with a solemn nod.

The house went cold again almost instantly.

"Just when we thought we'd finally escaped them for good," remarked Gresh with a sigh.

"Sand-spitters have survived worse," groaned Kiina. "Wouldn't put it past them to live through a giant fireball."

"We didn't see the other half of your ship anywhere near the crash site," said Velvet pointedly, in an attempt to be optimistic. "No one's reported any wreckage coming down near the city of Vacuo itself. So odds are that they landed deep in Grimm territory, deeper than you guys did."

Coco nodded in agreement with her teammate. "If that's the case, they won't last the night out there. Those monsters are attracted to negative emotions, after all. Like fear. Especially fear."

Ackar let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "My friend, I think you misunderstand. Your people may fear the Grimm, as well they should…but the Skrall fear nothing."

---

The darkening skies overhead mirrored the blood-stained sand under his feet. Tuma snarled and tore his blade through another four-legged creature, grimacing as the beast turned to mist before his very eyes. The five-yalm-tall titan of pure muscle and reinforced joints would have preferred a trophy from slaying the wildlife of this planet; he supposed that the scratches and claw marks against his thick obsidian-black armor would have to be proof enough of his conquest.

Behind him, over two hundred warriors in identical armor shouted and yelled as they held their own, cutting through the beasts with Exsidian-forged swords and circular shields lined with jagged edges. Though the wild creatures continued to howl and swarm them like ravenous Scarabax beetles, they did not retreat. Skrall never retreated.

"Stay on the attack!" he snarled as the four wing-like blades on his back slashed through beasts that lunged from behind. "Whoever slays more of these creatures than I shall earn a name of their own!"

Of course, it was an impossible challenge - not even Strontius, his most loyal Enforcer, could ever hope to match the kill count of a Commander caste Skrall. But it spurred on the common warriors eager to prove themselves, encouraging them both to keep fighting and to stay alive long enough to reap their potential reward. Tuma smiled inwardly. That was what made him a great leader; he knew how to motivate his people, whether it involved rewarding the strong or culling the weak.

Though if he was being honest, he preferred the latter. He really liked culling the weak.

Eventually, after what felt like hours of rending teeth from jaws and heads from stumps, a new sound reached the ears tucked beneath his angular steel helm.

Applause.

The beasts stopped their assault almost immediately, backpedaling while still snarling at the Skrall (who, naturally, opted to snarl right back). Then the crowds of black tarry fur parted to reveal a new arrival; a lean bipedal figure with a wicked smile and a mechanical tail that coiled over a smooth-skinned shoulder. Tuma was almost reminded of a Vorox by the newcomer…if Bara Magna's sandy predators were capable of walking and clapping at the same time, which they hadn't done for over a hundred thousand years.

"Well now…" drawled the figure as he came to a stop a few yalms away from the Skrall leader that was over three times his height. "That was quite a performance! Twelve hours of non-stop combat, without ever pausing for rest! Such peerless skill with the blades, such courage and determination against an unknown enemy…and such firm command of your underlings to boot! I think we're going to get along quite well!"

He scowled beneath his helmet. Clearly, this new arrival was a native to this world. Well, no need for pleasantries or ceremony in that case - perhaps it was time to inform the local just who was now in charge.

"State your name and your business," growled Tuma, "or you will be the first among your kind to fall by our swords."

The newcomer cackled and clapped his hands one final time, bowing reverently as the extra appendage rattled over his head.

"Oh, I come with no ill intent, friend!" said the creature. "My name is Tyrian Callows, and I am but a humble messenger. I bring tidings to you and your people from the queen of this world, who wishes to form an…alliance with such a powerful race of warriors. Are you interested?"

Tuma snarled for a moment, then paused. This native, this…Tyrian…he had a name. To most soft, weak races like the Agori and Glatorian, this meant nothing; to the Skrall, that meant he was possibly worthy of respect. And he seemed to influence the creatures of shadow, somehow, able to bend them to his will. If he came bearing tribute, instead of resistance…if that tribute included a similar level of command over these beasts…

Perhaps this conquest would be even easier than he'd anticipated.

After narrowing his crimson eyes pensively, Tuma finally lowered his sword. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that the legions of surviving Skrall were doing the same. They followed his lead, just as they had always done.

"That depends entirely on the terms of this alliance," he rumbled as his bladed wings folded against his back with shuddering servos. "And on what your 'queen' can do for us."

The being known as Tyrian made a strange, repetitive heaving noise. Tuma eventually recognized it as laughter.

"Oh believe me…there are a great many things that Salem can do for you, especially now more than ever. Shall we take this discussion somewhere a little warmer? Follow me, if you will…oh, and do watch your step. Wouldn't want you to trip and fall into a nest of Grimm now, would we?"

With that Tyrian began walking away, and the swath of monsters around Tuma and the Skrall gave them all little choice but to follow.

For now.

---

(A/N): Villain crossover team-up let's goooooooooooo!

Anyway, I hope I did an okay job explaining how the history of Bara Magna is similar to how it is in BIONICLE canon, with the point of divergence being "everybody comes together to build a spaceship" instead of "Mata Nui arrives after being sealed inside the Mask of Life" - as well as giving a quick rundown on the Order of Mata Nui. Exposition chapters like these are always a bit tough for me to write; it's too easy to slip into the "and then this happened, followed by that" writing style, which is why I try to balance them with humor and character moments. (The Glatorian dinner scene was actually one of the first concepts I ever jotted down for this story, much like the Turaga detailing the Legend of Mata Nui was the spark for Destiny's Divide…which also ended up being the fifth chapter of that story…coincidence much?)

Also, this is the point where we slow the upload schedule down to one chapter every TWO weeks, instead of one every week. That means I'll be putting up new chapters every OTHER Friday, starting now. I promise the wait'll be worth it, though, as we'll finally get introduced to one of the principal new characters for this fic, as well as set up the last of the six "main" plot threads I want to tell for the story. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for reading! Stay safe, stay sane, keep telling the suits at WB that we want more RWBY, and keep being awesome! And happy belated Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it - this year, I'm thankful for all of you.