Disclaimer: Bionicle G2 belongs to LEGO.

It had been one problem after another for Voriki since arriving on Okoto. They seemed to grow with every step on the Water Region's sands, matching the many ships. Voriki focused on them rather than the tips of Kivoda City peeking over the cliffs far behind him. He couldn't afford to see them, not until he rescued Torren's sons and the others.

"Voriki?" he heard Zala and relaxed his grip around his spear.

Voriki had to stall for Zala, her steps slow and hesitant. He didn't blame her for it or for reminding him of the Jungle Region. Of Kaze.

The nearby waves wouldn't wash Voriki's conflicting thoughts on the Toa of Air. Those red eyes always glared back, ready to fight. Yet Kaze proved otherwise, working with Voriki and the others more than twice. It was all… vexing.

"Voriki, watch–!"

Something equally vexing fell on Voriki's raised spear. Its spindly legs became motionless after a second. "Well, looks like we're on the right track," Voriki said, shaking off the dead Skull Spider that lunged at him. "Stay close. Who knows if there are more."

The further Voriki and Zala ran, the more obvious were the Skull Spiders. Their blue bodies crawled over the wrecked gray and rusted ships. Voriki swatted a few aside before he skidded to a stop. "Don't!" he yelled at Zala before she could join him. "I'll handle this. Just find the trail!"

Zala had left when his spear crackled again. Every bolt sizzled the air, drowning the screeches of any lunging Spiders. A few flew back into the surrounding wreckage from one sweep. A few more writhed on the ground at another. Another few fell limp on his spear at the third. Many more clicked atop sand and metal, yet only some heading toward Voriki himself.

Hand outstretched, lightning and thunder rocketed Voriki between and over broken ships. "Hrgh!" left him as his feet cut in front of the rest of the swarm. Twirling his spear while doing so knocked aside both sand and shocked Spiders.

As more flew, Voriki's glare fell upon the many others, his spear blocking most off. He could just blast them away like last time if he could just…

"Ah!" came from behind. Zala!

Spear and hand in front, Voriki left a tiny charred pile on two trails of lightning. His feet dug into the sand, stopping himself short of two swinging scythes. While they sliced up a Spider in the corner of his eye, he spun away and jabbed his spear against a toppled boat. Safe and finally stopped, Voriki caught one more Spider in his still-electrifying hand. "Tough thing, aren't you?" he grumbled while it burned. He glanced to the side. "Find anything?"

Zala's purple eyes and limbs glowed, her dark form kneeling in the shadow of another wrecked ship. Voriki swore she shook, from submerging her hand into said shadow or the Spiders she killed. "Almost," she said. "I think… yes, I got it!"

Seeing the more immediate and swarming concern, Voriki tossed his now charred Spider. Replacing it with Zala's shoulder, he shouted, "Jump!"

It wasn't hard to do so, given Zala's weight and her feet also bouncing off the ship. Before leaping with her, Voriki channeled and threw his spear into the ground. Tossing Zala with the same momentum, he followed her over a web of lightning. Spiders and sand sizzled in it while each crackling line strung itself to any nearby wreck.

"Gah!" Voriki grunted, hitting the front bow of a torn ship. His own lightning, charging through the vessel, pulsed back into his body. A weaker pulse, but he felt its heat and the heat left by his attack, now dissipating and gone.

After falling by the latter, Voriki rose to his knees. More clicks grew more distant, fading under waves when he finally looked. If there had been any more Spiders, they were gone. For now.

"Voriki!" said Zala after landing at a safe distance. "Are you…?"

Voriki waved off the concern and rose. Smoke waved off his body along with that of the dead pests. "Did you see anything?" he asked.

Again, Zala shuffled alongside Voriki. "Likki was walking in this area. Not from when you first met her. After it, I mean. She was… meeting with someone. Not Uram, but a Guardian."

No Spiders then. Voriki kicked aside a few dead ones to yank his spear. "Anything before that?"

"I… I don't think so." Zala's hesitation echoed with the click of her reunified scythe. "I've never used my powers like this. Tracking someone, I mean."

"Really?" Voriki said, looking at Zala through the fading smoke. "You must have done it before."

Zala shook her head. "Never from the inside or out. I…" Her eyes widened and went down to her waist. "Wait, the mask! Where is it?"

Voriki cursed himself for not seeing it sooner, then sighed after a second of searching. "Here!" he called after kicking aside a fried Skull Spider.

The evil-looking mask stood out, so much that Voriki didn't blame Zala trembling when she took it in her free hand. "Zala?" he said. "You don't have to be scared of–"

"No!" Zala said, surprising Voriki. "It's not that. I can feel the mask. In my head, I mean, and I…"

Suspecting as much, Voriki put a free hand on Zala's shoulder. "It's my plan," he said, "but you don't have to use it now."

"I know. I just… after everything that happened, I don't know if…" Zala trailed off. Even with the mask in hand, she clasped her weapon. "Kaze should be here instead of me. He's the hunter."

"Believe me, he wouldn't want to be near that. Besides, I would probably punch him again." Seeing Zala wince, Voriki removed his hand and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"But you still would hit him." It wasn't a question, but it bothered Voriki anyway as Zala led him down the beach. "This… I can try," Zala continued, "but I don't know if this mask will help. Even then, I don't know how we can catch up with Uram and… well you know. They always seem one step ahead of us."

The ships left behind, Voriki heard himself against the waves. "Always one step ahead of us…" He turned to find Zala's mask on him. At least she was more curious than afraid. "Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing… Is this about what Rhem said? Back in the Mask Maker's City?"

"Are you and Maram related?" Voriki asked. Both had the same knack for revealing things others wanted to hide, even if Zala shook her head. "But yeah. Remember what I said back then? Well, you can imagine where I'm going with this."

Zala's wide pink eyes told Voriki as much. "What you said? About it all being more than perfectly timed? But that means…" Stopping, she shook her head. "No, not Kaze! Not after what happened at Kivoda City with Keela–!"

"I don't know if I can fully trust either of them, but I know Kaze will keep an eye out at least."

Keep an eye on Rhem, but Voriki kept that to himself. It was already tough to reveal trusting Kaze for such an important job. Still, Voriki could only recall his conversation with Maram, from shortly before leaving…

"Kaze is no longer compromised," Maram said from within the Temple of Creation's hall, "that much I am certain. His time under Makuta was too brief anyhow."

"And that mask?" Voriki asked.

"As I had said, it too is free." Even when sitting, Maram gazed down. "But you cannot suspect her. The little shadow too has dealt with–"

"That's why I'm asking. Would she even know? Makuta affected her before, and she's the only one who can enter that place holding him. It doesn't sound right, I know, but it's the only explanation I can think of."

"I trust you may find your answers, but I ask, what will you do afterward? Voriki, you must…"

"Voriki?" came from Zala, the Toa of Lightning's first and foremost suspect.

Back in the present, Voriki suppressed a shudder, unlike his shivering fellow Toa. His attention followed the lurking chill to the Great Divide looming overhead. "Didn't expect company so soon," Voriki said after hearing blasts of Crystal Guards. "You think she's up there?"

Zala neared and nodded with a not-so-trembling head. Seeing her still grip that mask, Voriki flexed his fingers over his electrified spear. He aimed it behind, shooting himself and a potential traitor up the Great Divide.

AN: Man, it has been a while since I posted anything about this story. Yep, it's taking a long time, but I haven't given up on my Bionicle G2 story (now, if only I could make myself write some more for Bending the Legend). In any case, I do hope you enjoy this little tidbit. Until next time, take care.

Raika out.