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.)

1. Heroes and Monsters

(-)

"Gathered friends…listen again to our legend.

In the time before time, we prayed for saviors to liberate our island home from Makuta's shadow. For a thousand years, they were met with silence…until Mata Nui, in his slumber, sent two groups of noble heroes to answer them. The mighty Toa, imbued with the elements, and the brave Huntresses, warriors of a distant world. After many trials and battles, they sealed away Makuta with the aid of the Maiden of Mata Nui - an avatar of the Great Spirit himself - and ended the plague of shadows. The Huntresses returned to their home realm of Remnant, while the Toa stayed to protect us.

For a time, things were peaceful. Our Toa and Matoran worked and thrived together in Unity. The Huntresses and their allies continued their Duty without incident. It was our hope - our new prayer - that things would remain as they were on both worlds…prosperous in one, calm in the other.

But as it so often does, Destiny had other plans for all."
-Turaga Vakama, 1047 AC

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(A/N): Here it is at long last, folks - welcome to Dutiful Destruction, my newest RWBY/BIONICLE crossover fic and the sequel to Destiny's Divide! I'll have more to say about this project in the Author's Notes at the end, but for now just go ahead, sit back, and enjoy this BIIIIIG chapter that kicks things off with a bang! (Or a Yang, as some might say.)

---

If there was one thing Vacuo had plenty of, it was sand.

In fact, in the three months Ruby Rose had spent in Remnant's desert Kingdom so far, she concluded that there was entirely too much sand.

This was a fact that she was keenly reminded of as she dug her thigh-high boots into the side of a dune, only to keep getting dragged along by the enormous Grimm as it kept surging ahead at top speed. Gloved hands gripped tightly to the shaft of Crescent Rose, which for now was the only thing keeping her connected to her prey with its steel cable. Thresher Fins like the one towing her around were a dangerous breed of shadowy monster in this part of the world, able to "swim" through the desert sands like the world's biggest ocean and strike with little warning - save for a sword-like dorsal fin that could cleave a caravan truck in half. The shark she was trying and failing to reel in was a particularly large one, with a back fin as long and sharp as her beloved scythe…and no matter how strong she thought she was, the alpha Thresher Fin proved itself to be a lot stronger.

The rest of her desert gear - her beloved red cloak, a crimson leather vest over a black tank top, a scarlet combat skirt with a white sash, and a dark red bandolier slung across her chest - didn't provide much padding for the tumbles she inevitably took, and her outfit certainly didn't make each faceplant into the sandy hillside any less painful or embarrassing. Even if all it took was a quick pulse of her Semblance to right herself, it didn't make the experience of spitting out mouthfuls of grit any less awful, not to mention how it kept wearing on her protective Aura. That was what the massive shark-like monster was counting on: that she'd either let it go willingly, or that it could make her let go by grinding her down.

Ruby, naturally, didn't really like either outcome.

"Come onnnnn!" she grumbled, silver eyes narrowing beneath a sturdy set of goggles. "Just surface again already, you big dumb fish! Get outta the sand so I can properly flash you to death! You're just making it harder for yourself!"

Her prey responded with a snarl and a wave of sharp scales that it left behind, making an instant obstacle course for the desert rose to navigate. Ruby yelped and flowed between the sword-like shards of glassy bone, resembling little more than a cloud of petals attached to a steel cable before reforming behind the Thresher Fin - just in time to nearly trip on an uneven mound of sand. The wind buffeted her and whipped through her crimson cloak and hood, threatening to throw her off-course yet again…

But it also carried a voice that always lifted her spirits.

"Ruby!"

She glanced to her left and watched as her partner came into view, skating alongside her on a series of glowing glyphs. Weiss Schnee was clad in her usual mission gear for Vacuo - a combat-grade sleeveless sundress and matching boots in various shades of blue and white, with a red bandana around her neck and a white satchel hanging off her wiry shoulders. A pair of pale elbow-length gloves protected her hands and bore angular patterns that matched the bandana, indicating that different kinds of Dust were woven into the fabric of each accessory. With the current worldwide shortage of the mystic mineral following Atlas's collapse, most Hunters had gone back to the age-old technique of stitching elementally-charged threads into their desert outfits, both to modify their Semblances and to perform various elemental attacks on command. Team RWBY had done the same, but the former heiress couldn't settle on just one kind of Dust; instead, she'd chosen to sport multiple Dust Weaves in different parts of her mission gear, to replicate Myrtenaster's revolving chambers in the heat of combat.

The red bandana also subtly declared to the world that her heart belonged to Ruby Rose, and the white sash Ruby had tied around her own waist proclaimed that the opposite was true.

"Weiss!" she called back, ignoring the taste of fresh sand in her mouth. "Good news! Crescent Rose's new harpoon mode works!" Ruby yelped as she almost lost her footing once again. "Bad news - the emergency release for the line doesn't work…"

A half-amused, half-annoyed laugh escaped Weiss's throat. "Let's stop this Thresher Fin so you live long enough to fix that, then. How can we help?"

Ruby hummed thoughtfully, swerving to avoid another wave of sword-sized scales the Grimm left behind. "Is Neo still fighting with Qrow?"

Weiss nodded as she kept pace with her partner. "They're keeping the wolves locked down and away from the Glass District walls."

"Then head back over there and get her started on an Illusion! Have her make something this thing can't help but take a bite out of! And when it comes in to attack…whoa!" Another bank to the side. "Give this stupid fish a roadblock! I'll take care of the rest!"

"Understood. Need a Summon in the meantime?"

"Let's see…oh! Got any of those Mobula things? The ones that look like giant stingrays? If I can hitch a ride on it, I won't have to worry about eating sand during the chase."

Ice-blue eyes twinkled almost as bright as the matching smile. "I was just about to suggest that one, Ruby. Heads up!"

Weiss leapt off her trail and raised Myrtenaster high above her head, creating another glowing glyph beneath her partner. Ruby grinned as she timed her next jump to land on the manta-like construct just as it formed underneath her; the newly-summoned Mobula wasted no time in locking all five of its eyes onto the shark's dorsal fin and surging forward in pursuit, gliding across the sandy surface just as well as its real-life counterpart. The cool, icy touch of the heiress's summoned beast was a wonderful relief from the baking desert sun, and chilled Ruby to the bone in the most pleasant way possible - and yet, her face still felt hot for entirely different reasons.

"Thanks, Weiss!" she called back with a big goofy grin. "Best girlfriend ever!"

Her partner went as red as the bandana tied around her neck, then nodded back and peeled off with a small smile of her own.

Now that she didn't need to worry about faceplanting into the sand, Ruby could afford to be a little more aggressive while riding on the borrowed Summon. She tucked Crescent Rose under one bare arm and reached back with the other, feeling for the handle of the protosteel throwing disk sitting between her shoulders. In one smooth motion she drew, primed, and flung Naho-Gahi with perfect precision, watching it vanish in a puff of rose petals and disappear into the dense sand. It stuck fast into the hidden "gills" of the Thresher Fin; while it didn't hurt the beast, it did disrupt its otherwise streamlined profile, forcing it into a hard right turn that set it on a direct course towards a group of cowering refugees.

In any other circumstance, the sight of a massive Grimm "swimming" to attack a group of helpless civilians would have been the stuff of nightmares.

But in this circumstance, Ruby just grinned.

Sure enough, the forty-foot long shark leapt to consume the "people" shriveling back in fear, only for its outer and inner jaws to crunch down on shards of shattered glass. A midnight-black glyph revealed itself and spun up quickly just as the Thresher Fin flopped forward in confusion; the Gravity Dust exploded as soon as it made contact with the circle of energy, launching the monster helplessly into the sky. The attached Huntress whooped as she followed it in a burst of rose petals, feeling her stomach rise into her chest for a moment as she soared upwards in pursuit of her prey.

"Yeaaaaahahaha! Gotcha now!"

As annoying as getting dragged around by this thing had been, it was so satisfying to see it squirm and wriggle its fins in vain as it soared higher and higher. At the apex of its flight Ruby pulsed her Semblance once more and leapt off the spectral Mobula, tuning out the noises of battle around her as she took a deep, focusing breath. Her mind pushed away everything save for a mantra and the memories that rose up within her, filling her pounding heart with warmth and her silver eyes with Grimm-slaying energy.

Life is beautiful…

A ten-foot-tall figure floating alongside her in the sea, cobalt armor nearly blending into the water. Gali.

It is precious…

A human girl hugging a robot half her size close to her chest, both wearing the biggest smiles imaginable. Penny and Takua.

And it must…

Six elemental warriors in golden masks, standing proudly among her and her friends as they gathered around a roaring campfire. The Toa.

…be protected.

A silver corona filled the edges of her vision for a brief moment, before exploding outward in a burst of light across the sky. Shafts of energy surged from her goggles' lenses and struck the Thresher Fin in mid-air, causing it to roar in fury as wings of hope and love shone through Ruby's eyes. When the extraordinary power faded, the little Huntress grinned at the result - the outermost layers of armor on the Grimm had been turned to stone, and though it still thrashed and writhed underneath its prison, it couldn't free itself quickly enough to escape the fate that awaited it down below.

CRUNCH.

As soon as the shark struck the sand, it shattered and collapsed into dust that swirled around on the wind. Ruby sighed in relief as the now-freed harpoon head snapped back into Crescent Rose, allowing her to safely switch her beloved weapon back into its usual sniper-scythe configuration. A quick downward shot gave her the recoil she needed to break her fall, which in turn gave Weiss all the time she needed to jump and catch her in her arms - like a brave knight scooping up a falling princess, only if the usual roles were reversed for the duo.

"My hero," cooed Ruby with a giggle as her queen came in for a smooth enough landing.

Weiss blushed furiously, not helped by the fact that her partner leaned up and smooched her sand-stained cheek. "…my dolt," she muttered.

The little rose giggled as she threw her crimson hood back and pushed her goggles onto her forehead, revealing just how dusty her skin had gotten from the chase - and how much longer her hair had grown in the last few months. Without easy access to the hair gel she'd relied on in Atlas, her messy red and brown curls had returned to their messy state and then some, even growing long enough to tie into a little ponytail in the back. As tempted as she was to try and trim her wild bangs, part of her liked wearing her hair long like this in the desert…not to mention that she adored the way Weiss looked at her now, especially whenever it hung loosely down to her faintly-muscular shoulders.

She wasn't the only one rocking a new hairstyle in Vacuo these days. The heiress herself had long given up trying to braid her own beautiful ivory hair, opting instead to wear it in a long graceful ponytail that seemed to flow behind her with every movement. That's not to say Weiss's hair was completely undecorated, of course; a hairclip styled after a silver snowflake kept her bangs out of her eyes, and a gold-edged visor sat on her crown whenever it wasn't actively protecting her eyes during sandstorms. Yet even if she wore it plain, if she let ivory curls flow freely in the wind with nothing to adorn them, it wouldn't have stopped the little rose from falling in love all over again every time she looked at her partner.

As awful as Vacuo felt some days, Weiss being there made each one feel just a little bit brighter.

"I love you," Ruby whispered glibly.

Her partner smiled right back and pulled her close for a quick and proper kiss. "I love you too."

A snarl and a shout cut the moment short. As much as she wanted to keep doting on her beloved girlfriend, the howling and gunfire nearby reminded her that they were both still on the clock. So she hopped out of Weiss's arms and landed back on her feet, then scooped up Naho-Gahi and secured it to the back of her bandolier. Pausing only to steal one more kiss from the blushing heiress, she took off in a burst of rose petals and surged towards two distant figures in their melee against the desert dogs. The sound of more glyphs spooling into existence told her that Weiss was already rushing off as well, eyes locked onto an oncoming wave of Mobulas that emerged from the sand - and two spectral Tarakava springing into view alongside an Arma Gigas made sure that she didn't face the manta rays alone.

It was safe to say that the Grimm didn't expect biomechanical eels with piston-like punches, or a giant knight in frosty armor with a sword that pierced almost anything.

Much as she could watch her girlfriend fight all day, Ruby had a few cool tricks of her own. She grinned as she briefly reformed and pulsed her Semblance once more, this time pooling Aura into her beloved crimson cape. The silvery floral pattern along its edges suddenly glowed with radiant blue light, a clear sign of the Dust within the weave coming alive at the touch of her soul. Instead of turning into a swirling mass of rose petals when she ran, Ruby instead became a red-tinged wave of water that swept over the battlefield, washing away any Grimm foolish enough to stand in her way - and splashing her teammates with a gentle rejuvenating rain as an added bonus.

If only Gali could see her now.

With another grin she emerged from the water and darted back into the middle of the battlefield. She announced her arrival by cleaving through a Cadejo - the desert equivalent of a classic Beowolf - with a single arching slash of her scythe, then another, then a third for good measure. The withered quadrupeds around her looked like a pack of half-starved wolves, with long bony blades instead of elbows and goat hooves instead of back paws, yet the hunger and rage in their eyes matched their northern cousins. Most would've been intimidated by their appearance. Ruby was not.

"Great work with the Illusion, Neo!" she called out with another harvesting cut. "Go help Elm and May with the Sulfur Fish for now - I'll keep the main pack occupied with the old man!"

Neopolitan - who wore a frilly sleeveless combat dress of pink and brown, with matching gloves and socks of differing lengths and hair that was now much shorter than it used to be - gave a sharp salute and hopped to catch a draft with Hush's open canopy. She drifted on the wind over towards a pair of woman surrounded by tiny insectoid Grimm and pulsed her Aura along her weapon, activating the swirls of threads woven into the parasol's fabric. Chunks of stone rained down like knives to squash the bugs into puddles of burning smoke, protecting the blue-haired woman from behind and giving rocks for her muscular ally to punt with mighty hammer swings. They both gave a nod of thanks to the newcomer as she touched down daintily on lacy white boots; Neo just smiled and curtseyed in response, then moved to stand back-to-back with May and Elm, all three Huntresses raising their weapons to stand their ground together.

Satisfied that the Sulfur Fish situation was well in hand, Ruby dove back into the melee with the wolves and let that take her focus. Qrow cast a look over to his niece, nodded, and shifted his sword into a long scythe to match his new hunting partner. The two of them whirled and slashed in well-practiced tandem as Cadejos fell before their blades like wheat in the harvest, yet more always seemed to sprout up to replace them. Ruby had learned quickly that while the common Grimm of Vacuo were easy to dispatch, there was never just one…and they were quick to move in whenever they smelled blood, fear, or anger.

Considering the current refugee crisis, there was plenty of that to go around these days.

Whatever joy Ruby felt from being in the zone was short-lived, and ended as soon as her uncle opened his mouth. "How's your head?" he asked brusquely.

"Fine," she said with a terse edge in her voice, cutting down three more dogs in a whirlwind of slashes. "I'm fine, Qrow."

"Then I better not hear any complaints later." A gunshot punctuated the trench-coat-clad Huntsman's remark. "You know you get migraines if you do the silver eyes thing more than once a day. Try not to rely on that particular trick too much."

Ruby huffed. Unbelievable. Now her dear uncle was getting on her case for actively using her incredible power, when last week he'd been scolding her for not using it enough? She had a feeling that the grizzled man was just worried about her - especially after thinking she and her friends were dead for two whole weeks - but she'd appreciate his concern a lot more if it didn't manifest as jabs and barbs to do better.

I'll need to talk to Robyn at some point, see if she can finally get through that attitude of his. He's not listening to me whenever I bring it up - maybe he'll listen to her.

Rather than risk an argument in the middle of a Grimm incursion, she instead keyed the Scroll pinned to her collar. "Yang? Any luck on your end? How's the riot suppression team in the Glass District doing?"

Her sister behind the city walls sucked in a breath through her teeth, letting the angry shouting around her speak for itself. "Um…well. People aren't much happier now than they were a half-hour ago. We're doing what we can to smooth things out, but folks are still getting riled up…which, of course, is riling up other folks."

"Like a negative feedback loop," muttered Qrow from nearby. "Any idea what caused it yet?"

"Apparently some of the upper-class Atlesian nobles have decided that this would be a wonderful day to get drunk and pick a fight with their new Faunus neighbors." Blake's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm. "Naturally, their Vacuan friends weren't having it and came to push back against the rich families starting a fight, which in turn got their friends invested in the argument. You can probably guess where I'm going with this."

Fiona, by contrast, was far more chipper and optimistic as she piped up. "It's not all bad, though! Jaune's giving a really nice speech, and I think it's making the rioters want to stand down! It looks like the main aggressors are meeting in the middle right now to make amends!" The cheer behind the sheep Faunus's words vanished suddenly. "Whoops…scratch that. They met in the middle to punch each other. Oh dear, now everyone's punching each other…and shouting…and getting angrier again. Sorry…hold the Grimm back a little longer, please!"

Ruby sighed as she cleaved another Cadejo in half from snout to tail, only to give her a clear view of another wave of Grimm scuttling over a sandy dune with howls and snarls. The monsters that plagued their world were drawn in by negative emotions…and with tensions rising high enough for yet another brawl to break out between the refugees, it was like lighting the world's biggest signal fire. Not only did this mean more combat in the here and now, it also meant more work for her and her friends both inside and outside the wall, more patrols in that corner of the Glass District after the fact, and a lot of paperwork and reports that would need to be filed about the incident.

Already, it was looking like it was gonna be yet another awful day.

---

It was going to be another wonderful day!

Penny grinned as she soared over the open oceans surrounding Mata Nui, propelled by the emerald flames that burned at the soles of her bare feet. The magic of the Maidens - an ancient and powerful source of energy bound not to any of Remnant's four mysterious Relics, but to the very heart of the Great Spirit himself - shone through her eyes as she flew and arced through the clear blue sky. On Remnant, using this magic would have been done only in emergencies; here, far away from Salem and Cinder and anyone else who coveted such power, she had no qualms about using it for pleasure.

Besides, she absolutely loved flying.

The Maiden of Mata Nui spun and twirled in mid-air, delighting in every sensation felt by her living, breathing human body. The folds and ruffles of her olive-green sundress fluttered and flapped in the rushing wind, along with the hem of her translucent emerald overskirt and the edges of the ivory sash around her waist. Her fluffy burnt-orange hair was tied back in messy braids, secured with ribbons of many colors and her favorite pink bow behind her head. The sunlight felt warm on her bare shoulders and back. Emerald eyes took in the world as it rushed by. It was so easy to take all these sensations for granted, but Penny lived for every single one of them - and even now, three months after her miraculous transformation and revival, it all still felt so new and fresh and wonderful.

But Penny was not flying just for herself this time. She had a personal mission, after all.

She guided herself to the surface of the sea and cut through it with a downward dive and a deep breath, plunging underwater with a bubbly giggle. At first she was assaulted by cold and briny saltwater, but soon the sensation became pleasant and cool and comforting like a big chilly hug. The freckled Maiden kicked confidently through the open ocean, her every stroke boosted by the waves that flowed in tandem around her; she drew on both her innate magic and the deep-sea diving lessons she'd gleaned from the aquatic Ga-Matoran, allowing her to venture into the depths without fear of drowning or running out of air too quickly.

And to think that I could not swim at all when I first arrived here, she thought with a glib smile, pinching her nose and popping her ears to ease the growing pressure. Papa will be so impressed when I call him tonight!

As she dove deeper, the world around her took notice. Penny smiled and waved to schools of curious Ruki fish, who tentatively approached to nibble her nose before darting away. She blew bubble rings at steel-gray Takea sharks, who eagerly surged forward to swim through the hoops before they could disperse. She even fist-bumped a very large Tarakava on the way down! It was nice to see that Kivoda was doing well these days, especially after being forced by Makuta to attack Ga-Koro several months ago.

Eventually, before she had even gone through half of the air stored in her lungs, she found the Toa she had been looking for.

Gali floated near a rather large one-armed reptile at the top of an undersea canyon, clutching a rusted mask in one mechanical hand and gently stroking its chin with the other. Penny smiled glibly and kicked down to meet the Toa of Water in her natural element, which caught the water-wielding warrior's attention. With one more tap on the snout the newly-freed Tarakava Nui swam off into the darker depths, leaving the Toa free to ascend and meet the Maiden diving down towards her.

"Salutations, Gali!" she burbled excitedly, saltwater flooding into her mouth as she spoke. "I see that you have succeeded in finally unmasking the Tarakava Nui! Congratulations on your - glup!"

The freckled Maiden let out a muffled, embarrassed shriek as she clasped her hands around her mouth, giggling awkwardly. Gali laughed softly behind her golden Kaukau, reaching out to cradle Penny's waist with both hands. Despite the ache in her chest, despite the burning sensation as her body craved fresh air, she could not be happier to be held by the gentle biomechanical giant - who, unlike her, could breathe freely within the ocean's depths thanks to her Mask of Power.

"Perhaps it would be better to have this conversation on land," said the Toa of Water with a smile of her own, bubbles spilling out from behind her mask. "But yes, I was successful. Would you like a ride to the surface?"

"Mm-hmm!" Penny nodded frantically, the smile never leaving her face or her eyes. Her own mastery over water magic was impressive, but it still paled in comparison to the elemental power of a Toa.

"Then hold tight, little one."

Gali used one hand to clasp the breathless little Maiden close to her chest, raising the other as she tapped into the ocean around her. Immediately the waters bent to her will, forming an undersea current that flung the pair of them towards the surface and its gleaming rippling glow. Penny parted from the Toa of Water just before breaching the waves, taking a deep breath and arching her back as she sailed through the air and crashed once more into the sea. A torrent of bubbles escaped her clothes and her lips as she fell backwards, tickling her skin and drawing forth a delighted giggle. Rather than ascend immediately, she idly kicked with her long bare legs and let herself drift near the surface, basking in the cool comfort of the sea for a moment longer before finally swimming up to float on her back.

"Pwah! Sensational!" Penny sputtered and grinned while bobbing in tune with the ocean's rhythm, continuing the talk as if she had never run out of air. "That is another Rahi freed from Makuta's control! If I remember correctly, the Tarakava Nui was the last beast who needed their Infected Kanohi removed in this corner of the seas. Is that correct?"

"Indeed, Penny," said Gali, who now stood atop the tides as though the sea was an endless pane of blue glass. "And the Western Sea has already been cleared of such threats, along with Lake Naho and Leva Bay."

"Oh?" She lazily kicked and spun around to face the Toa, grinning through sopping-wet curls of hair. "That is very sensational! Then it sounds like you have finished liberating all the Rahi in your territory!"

"I believe so, yes." Glowing yellow eyes seemed to brighten behind a triangular visor. "I now plan on venturing to Kini-Nui, so that I may convene with the other Toa. Do you wish to accompany me there, Penny?"

"I would love to, Toa Gali!" The Maiden of Mata Nui beamed before dipping underwater, launching herself into the air and igniting the magical flames at her heels. "It will be good to see the other Toa on a beautiful day like today. Perhaps we can also invite all the Turaga, and all the Matoran, and we can have a great big party together! Does that not sound like a wonderful idea?"

The Toa of Water frowned slightly as she willed a wave into existence beneath her feet. "Another celebration of victory feels…premature, little one."

"Even if that victory was over Makuta?"

Gali did not say anything in response to that.

The island of Mata Nui was big and full of life, but traveling to the temple at its center did not take long when one was flying and another was riding atop the waves. Rivers and streams became roads and paths for the Toa of Water, who instinctively guided her elemental carriage down a route she had traveled many times before. Halfway through the journey Penny chose to ride on Gali's back, opting to conserve her magic instead of tiring herself out through constant flight. Being a human now meant staying on top of fatigue and hunger, two things she had never needed to manage before…but she did not mind relying on the extraordinary Toa too much.

Besides…I think Gali likes having a passenger when she surfs like this, she mused to herself. Perhaps it reminds her of traveling with Ruby.

Her heart ached for a moment, and her smile faltered briefly. As happy as she was on the island of Mata Nui, surrounded by Toa and Matoran and Rahi who all adored her…she would be lying to herself if she said she did not miss her very first friend, the one who always made her feel alive. There were others from Remnant she missed as well, and she loved all of them so very much. But the once-awkward little rose who had blossomed into a silver-eyed warrior…Penny held all her memories involving Ruby Rose in a very special place in her heart, which made being apart from her all the more bittersweet.

I know that she is doing very important work on Remnant, just like I am doing very important work here, she reminded herself. I know that I am only allowed to make portals through the Via Magna for emergencies. And I know that I call every night to speak with her, and Papa, and so many others. I know all of this.

So why did her chest still hurt every time she thought about her old home? Every time she thought about Ruby?

Fortunately, she did not have long to ponder her emotions. The four spires of Kini-Nui came into view over the horizon, which signaled the end of their trek. Gali brought the wave to a gentle crawl and slid to a slow stop, stepping off the river's surface and onto dry land without stumbling or losing her footing. Penny gave her a hug around the armored neck before she leapt off, shaking herself dry and wringing out the hem of her overskirt to remove the seawater.

"We have arrived at the Great Temple," intoned the Toa of Water. "Do you wish to signal the gathering this time, or shall I?"

"I can do it!" boasted Penny proudly, puffing out her chest with an eager giggle. "I am signal ready!"

Gali chuckled softly, then leaned down to give the Maiden's sopping wet head a gentle little ruffle. "Then the honor will be all yours, little one," she said as she pulled the excess water out of Penny's hair and clothes. "Send the summons when you are ready."

With another little laugh of delight (and after leaning into the metallic hand giving her headpats) Penny skipped across the temple courtyard and approached the sandstone monolith. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she placed one palm against the grainy surface, pulsing the power within her Aura and projecting it outwards into Kini-Nui itself. Although it seemed like an ordinary (if imposing) structure, Penny knew better - this temple was a technological marvel, one that had slumbered for a thousand years alongside the Great Spirit himself, and it housed a great many secrets and mechanisms within its hidden depths.

One such secret was a built-in beacon that compelled the other Toa to come and seek it out, which could be activated by the touch of any single elemental warrior.

With her Semblance, Penny could do the same.

Teal threads of energy spooled out of her palms, disappearing into the stone and seeking out the mechanisms concealed deep within. A mental map of the entire temple filled her vision and threatened to overwhelm her; she narrowed her focus and set her sights on what was familiar and well-known to her, keeping the flood of excess information at bay. Someday she would dive deeper into the mysteries of Mata Nui and discover every secret within the island, but today was not that day. Today, all she needed to do was trigger the summoning mechanism, and that was easily accomplished by snapping shut a few ancient circuits and shifting a few mechanical levers.

The results were almost instantaneous as the central column of light shone brighter for a moment, then returned to its usual multi-hued display. Soon, the courtyard was filled with rushing blurs of different colors, which all came to a stop moments later to reveal five new figures that towered over the freckled Huntress. Though they all had subtle differences in armor design and in what weapons they carried, they all wore golden masks that shimmered in the sunlight, and they all greeted one another with pride and joy and smiles that were almost as bright as their gleaming optics.

The Toa of Mata Nui had arrived.

Gali gave a deep bow. "Greetings, brothers. It is good to see you all once more."

Pohatu - the jovial, bronze-armored, charismatic Toa of Stone - waved to return the greeting with a smile beneath his Kakama. "Always a pleasure, Gali. Same for the rest of you, of course! Even you, Kopaka."

The silver-clad Toa of Ice gave a small scoff and made a show of rolling his non-scoped eye, but Penny could see that the feeling was quite mutual - even through the Kanohi Akaku.

Onua, who stood slightly shorter than the others with plating as black as coal and claws as long as Penny's forearm, let out a hiss of steam through the vents of his Pakari. "I see that our honorary seventh member was the one to call us this time. How are you today, Penny?"

She just grinned as she withdrew her Semblance, rocking back and forth on the balls of her bare feet and putting her hands behind her back. "Salutations, Toa! I am doing quite well, thank you for asking. Gali and I have wonderful news!"

"Oh?" Lewa tilted his head as he perched on his favorite fallen log, his green frame nearly blending into the surrounding vegetation. "Is that so, little sky-maiden? And here I thought you simply called us here for another letter-reading session. What bright-good news do you and our sea-sister bring from the shore-waters?"

It did not take long for Gali to tell her brothers about how the seas were safe once more, and it took even less time for the other Toa to give similar reports. The icy slopes of Mount Ihu, the fiery lands surrounding the Mangai Volcano, the verdant jungles that circled and stretched out from Fau Swamp, the dusty plains of the Motara Desert, and the vast network of underground tunnels that linked every Wahi…they were all safe for the Matoran to venture, now that the dangerous Rahi under Makuta's control had been pacified. When all had finished speaking, the last Toa - a red-armored being with a voice like fire and a passion to match - stepped forward with a proud smile beneath his golden Hau.

"Then it seems that every beast who walks, crawls, swims, or flies on this island does so freely once more." Tahu's words seemed to burn through the air itself. "Excellent work, my brothers and sisters. Our Duty is at long last complete!"

Onua and Gali bowed with meaningful and deliberate gestures. Lewa whooped in delight. Kopaka gave a stiff nod. Pohatu chortled. And Penny grinned.

It is hard to believe that not too long ago, the Toa could not even get along with each other, mused the freckled Maiden of Mata Nui. But look at them now. They came together first to defeat Makuta, and then to liberate the Rahi that he enslaved. All as a unified, tight-knit team…thanks to Ruby and her friends teaching them how to do it…

Another bitter pang of longing filled her heart for a moment. She pushed it down just in time to hear Pohatu speak up.

"So…what happens next? Our Duty to save the island may be complete, but our Destiny to awaken Mata Nui still awaits." The Toa of Stone shrugged. "I'm afraid I'm a little short of ideas on how to do the latter."

"Same here," noted Kopaka. "Maybe we should make venture down to Makuta's lair again? See if there's anything we missed?"

Onua shook his head. "I have been down there several times during my own excavations, and found little of use that we have not already uncovered. Everything we saw during our battles - the Manas corpses, the towers at the crossroads, even the false copy of the Kanohi Dragon - is exactly as we left it. As for inner Mangaia, there is nothing within save for the Makuta himself…and he is still trapped in the Toa Seal, thank the Spirits above."

More dark memories rose within the Maiden's mind, only to be pushed aside.

"Then what shall we do now?" mused Gali. "There must be something else we can take part in, now that peace has settled across the island…"

Penny vibrated excitedly. Tahu noticed this, and pointed to her with a sharp chuckle.

"Speak, little friend. What do you propose?"

Her excitement was so great in her chest, she could only get two words out. "Big party!"

"Ah, yes…" said Gali with a thoughtful hum. "You did mention something similar before we ventured here."

"Another celebration?" Kopaka raised an eyebrow. "Surely there's a better way to spend our time."

"Not according to my people-folk," said Lewa glibly with a grin as wide as his mask. "The Le-Matoran have been celebrating each new bright-dawn with soul-songs and spirit-smiles. When they're not planting fresh Vuata Maca trees or pruning Bula-fruit vines, they're singing and dancing at almost all hours of the day. Perhaps we should follow their example, and actually partake in the party-cheer - especially now that the hard work is finished!"

"Our friends have compelling arguments," said Pohatu with a hearty chuckle. "We certainly don't have reasonable excuses anymore, as our days should be far less busy going forward. An island-wide celebration may be just what the Matoran, Turaga, and we need to fully embrace the new age of peace. Who knows? Perhaps if we throw a party grand enough, Mata Nui himself will awaken to attend!"

That got a wave of laughter out of the Toa, and a giggle out of Penny…

Then the entire world started to shake, and suddenly nobody felt like laughing.

"…I wasn't being serious!" wailed the Toa of Stone.

"See? Jinx-cursing!" groused Lewa. "Every time!"

"Strange…" rumbled Onua, his soft words barely audible over the sound of tremors as he laid a claw against the ground. "This does not feel like the shifting of tectonic plates. These tremors come from somewhere else…something else. Something far beneath the island…deeper, perhaps, than even Mangaia…"

"Could this be the Great Spirit?" wondered Tahu, voicing the thoughts they all held within their minds. "Or is this yet another trick of Makuta's, one that he orchestrated from within his crystal prison?…"

CRAAAACK! CRUUUUNCH! The ground split open with a violent tear. Rocks and rubble rained down from the tops of Kini-Nui's spires. Flames within the nearby torches erupted and nearly burned out their sconces. A flood strained to escape the river. And above all else, the warm and pleasant air suddenly took on a deeply bitter chill, as if a blizzard was on its way…although to Penny's relief, the threatened flurry of ice and snow never arrived.

"…definitely feels like the latter," mused Kopaka with a furrowed brow, keeping his shield raised and one hand near his sword.

Lewa yelped as he leapt off his perch, narrowly avoiding a chunk of falling stone. "Whoa! Goodness! If this is Mata Nui, I fear he's in a very bad wake-mood!"

"Penny!" called Gali. "You are connected to the Great Spirit - can you feel his presence? Is this truly his awakening?"

The Maiden planted one palm against the shuddering ground, reaching out with her Semblance to the mighty mechanical spirit that lay dormant beneath the island. Though she could no longer speak to the consciousness of Mata Nui, as she once had done during the final battle with Makuta, the three months since that encounter had taught her how to 'sense' his well-being from anywhere by augmenting the physical manifestation of her Aura with Maiden magic. Papa had compared it to using a stethoscope to check a person's heartbeat. It was not an inaccurate analogy.

Most times she had checked on the Great Spirit revealed that he was weakened and slumbering, but recovering slowly - including this time. But for reasons she could not explain, her gut twisted itself into knots. Huntresses were always able to sense danger with their Aura if they focused…and right now she was sensing a lot of it.

"No…he is still asleep!" she cried out. "This is…this is not him! It is something else! Something…bad!"

"Ready yourselves, friends!" roared Tahu as his sword came alive in a burst of flames. "Whatever new threat dares to awaken, we must be ready to face it!"

---

It is time.

The creature heard those voices within its mind once more, the twin trains of thought that served as constant companions in its thousands of years of dreamless sleep. It awoke within its cell and rose from its slumber, rattling and shaking with anticipation. This time, there was no mistake.

Clean it all. It must be cleaned, commanded one of the voices.

All obstacles must be removed, directed the other.

It felt itself be forcibly ejected from its pod in a burst of pressure, launched into the void and sailing through the air to the ground below. In its rolled-up form the impact of landing barely even scuffed its metallic surface, protecting its Krana as it tumbled to a stop. Four insectoid appendages tore away from the curved frame and pushed against the stone floor, lifting it up as it unlatched the levers in its neck and moved its head back and forth experimentally. No seizing servos, no locked-up limbs, no mechanical malfunctions after many millennia of sleeping. Good. It would be ready to clean immediately.

The creature felt the sound of tearing steel behind it, and it knew that hundreds - no, thousands - of beings just like it were being launched from similar pods. They congregated in the darkness, guided by signals that only they could sense. Some gathered in groups and tapped glassy craniums together. Others scuffled to put their servos through their paces. Some launched blasts of water, stone, and acid into the air, testing the shields affixed to their claws. Others drove their sawblades or their hammers through the ground, eager to get to work. All while smaller, bipedal attendants scurried between the swarm, double-checking that each unit was in working order and had the right equipment for the task ahead.

Clean it all. It must be cleaned.

All obstacles must be removed.

It widened its stance and raised its flame-edged handshields, preparing to melt through the metal and tunnel its way to the world above.

It is time.

---

The rumbling finally stopped a moment later, but that hardly assuaged Tahu's growing fears.

One glance at his fellow Toa revealed that they hadn't relaxed their stances. Kopaka bore his shield in one hand and used the other to raise his sword, while Gali's usual hands had been swapped out for her pointed hooks. Lewa slung his axe across his shoulder as he snapped his gaze back and forth, while Onua's claws were poised and ready to either strike or dig. And while Pohatu and Penny lacked proper weapons of their own - save for the former's boots that were strong enough to shatter stone - they used their command over the element of Stone to call forth orbiting boulders and floating blades of glass, respectively.

The Maiden of Mata Nui's eyes scanned the area, burning with green flame all the while. "There is nothing approaching us from below…whatever emerged must have done so elsewhere on the island."

"I can confirm this," rumbled Onua. "Kini-Nui is safe…for now."

Tahu was about to propose that they split up to find any disturbance, when one practically fell into their laps.

A tiny red-armored figure - one that was smaller than Penny, even - suddenly appeared in a flash of red, stumbling over his own two triangular feet and pitching himself forward. The Maiden of Mata Nui gasped and immediately darted over to catch him, cradling his square frame in both arms and holding him gently. Tahu stepped forward as well to check on his villager, followed by the other Toa; soon, all six elemental warriors stood around the human, who was rocking back and forth as she tried to console the breathless, babbling little Ta-Matoran.

"Kapura," she whispered gently. "Shh…it is alright. See? I am here. The Toa are here. You are safe."

But Kapura seemed elsewhere, somewhere far away from the soothing words of the Maiden.

Penny looked up with a concerned frown. "Tahu, can you come closer? I think he is in shock…he may respond better to you."

The Toa of Fire nodded and got down on one knee, bringing himself and his golden Hau into view of the crimson-masked villager. Though Kapura's powerless red Pakari was as stoic and stony-faced as ever, the amber eyes behind that mask were wide with panic and mania.

"What has happened, little one?" His voice walked a fine line between comfort and authority. "What brings you to Kini-Nui? Has something happened in Ta-Koro?"

"B-Bohrok," panted Kapura anxiously. "Bohrok. Bohrok. Bohrokbohrokbohrokbohrokbohrok…"

Tahu frowned beneath his mask. He knew from experience that Kapura, though slow and strange, was an incredibly brave Ta-Matoran soldier. He had been among the vanguard that accompanied the Chronicler to defend Kini-Nui, and was prepared to give his life to protect the unguarded rear of the Toa. So to hear him speaking so quickly, with so much fear in his voice…it was unsettling, to say the least.

"What's he saying, Tahu?" asked Kopaka.

He withdrew and stood up, narrowing his gaze. "One word, over and over…Bohrok. I must take my leave and return to Ta-Koro - I will see what has happened with my own eyes."

"We will go with you as well, brother," promised Gali with a gentle gaze.

Onua nodded. "If there is a threat to your village, then there is a threat to all our villages."

"I will also come," said Penny as she hugged Kapura close to her chest. "If we need the aid of Ruby and her friends, I will call them and bring them here."

The other Toa all nodded and voiced similar promises. Tahu bowed in gratitude, then took off running with the Mask of Speed, hearing his fellow Toa rushing behind him. Their Golden Kanohi afforded them the power of every mask they had found all at once, so it was little trouble for the warriors to race across the island in blurs of red, blue, green, black, silver, and bronze.

"I just have one question," said Pohatu halfway through the journey, carrying Penny and Kapura along for the ride.

"Only one?" remarked Lewa.

"What's a Bohrok?"

All six Toa, and the Maiden of Mata Nui, got their answer when they arrived at the fiery gates of Ta-Koro.

"…I fear we have just found out," said Penny grimly.

---

"Okay, now everyone who threw a punch, sit in your corner and think about what you've done. We'll be quizzing you all on how to be a decent person later, so study up. Everyone else, keep it moving - show's over, folks."

Yang Xiao Long panted as she watched the crowds finally disperse following her pithy remark, leaving behind the people unlucky enough to be nursing bruises, fractures, or wounded prides. Despite wearing nothing but a yellow-orange crop top with a high-collared sleeveless vest and baggy brown cargo shorts that matched her boots, she was still sweltering both from the sun and the exertion of the brawl that had just concluded. Her bare muscular arms and tight abdomen glistened with sweat in the mid-morning desert air, her golden hair strained to escape the band holding it back in a ponytail, and even her mechanical arm felt as tired as the rest of her. As tempted as she was to untie the flame-embroidered violet cloth around her bicep, it probably wasn't the best idea to wipe herself down with a Fire Dust Weave - so she used the orange bandana around her neck as a makeshift sweat rag instead, wringing it out and resecuring it with a low groan.

Still…as tired as she felt, at least she was standing upright. Which was more than what she could say for a lot of the other brawlers.

Nearby, the absurdly-tall Joanna Greenleaf held a small squirrel Faunus by the scruff at arm's length, keeping her stoic face out of clawing range as the feral Vacuan hissed and snarled and scratched at empty air. Harriet Bree and Jaune Arc worked to apply zip-cuffs to one of the Atlesian aggressors, the former barely keeping her anger in check while the latter consoled them both. And Fiona Tyme, bless her heart, was pulling a first aid kit out of nowhere and tending to a child with a bleeding knee, while Blake Belladonna was comforting a sniveling nearby sister. If Yang had to guess, the poor kids probably got swept up in the wave of violence and couldn't escape fast enough - and got a few nasty scrapes in the chaos that followed.

Just another reason why this whole situation sucks, she mentally intoned. Sure, everyone might be hurting…but that doesn't mean anyone gets a pass to hurt others. Not Atlesians, not Vacuans, nobody. We're all struggling against Salem now…the sooner everyone else realizes that, the easier our job will be.

"Riot's secured, Rubes," she reported into her Scroll once she had her breath back, pulling up a choppy video feed on the hard light screen. "We're just arresting the last of the guys who started it now. Lots of injuries, but no deaths thankfully. We made sure to pull our punches."

"Great work, sis," said the very tired-looking little rose. "The stragglers have all dispersed on our end - we're heading back to Outpost Six to restock and reload before making another sweep. Doctor, are you and the others still stationed there?"

"We sure are, Miss Rose!" said Pietro Polendina from his smaller corner on the screen. "Emerald and Ilia left to make a supply run out to Outpost One, while Winter flew off to rescue a caravan that stalled out in Sulfur Fish territory. But Oscar, Ren and Nora are all still helping me hold down the fort out here, and there's nothing but open desert as far as the eye can see. We just had some fresh water and ammo dropped off, too - perfect time to refill your canteens and magazines."

"Make sure to drink plenty of water, sis!" Yang's tone was half-teasing, half-serious.

"Don't worry, she will." Weiss suddenly stepped into the video feed to give the silver-eyed rose a quick smooch on the cheek. "I'll make sure of it."

Ruby groaned and rolled her eyes even as she smiled and blushed. Her partner laughed softly, then hummed contentedly as the kiss she loaned was returned with interest. That was Yang's cue to wrap up the talk and get back to work - as happy as she was that her little sister was so in love with Weiss, that didn't mean she was eager to watch the pair make out over a Scroll call. She saw enough of that against her will whenever the entire team was together during off-hours, and heard even more.

"We'll swing by and find you after we're done here," she reported. "Yang out."

With that she tucked her Scroll in a breast pocket and focused on securing the rest of the aggressors, tending to their wounds as needed and giving commands whenever they resisted a lawful arrest. Thankfully, most of them were too much in a daze to put up much of a fight, and the few that were conscious and aware complied with little issue. Oh, they whined, and whimpered, and some threatened to sue with money they didn't have, but she ignored most of their complaints. At this point, she was used to folks trying to weasel out of the repercussions of their own idiot behavior, and she didn't feel like debating ethics with a bunch of violent drunks.

Especially not after they'd started a fight so bad, it had triggered a Grimm incursion.

After fixing a splint to the twisted leg of an unconscious businessman, Blake walked over and cupped the brawler's cheeks between two fingerless gloves. The feline Faunus was dressed in her usual Vacuo hunting gear: an oversized white shirt with puffy sleeves and windows for her shoulders to peek through, a tight pair of deep purple shorts that left her long legs bare and free, and silver-laced sandals that allowed her to tread softly across the desert sands without making a sound. The yellow sash tied around her waist wasn't just for fashion, or to subtly declare to the world her love for the fiery Xiao Long girl - it also contained threads of Earth Dust woven into geometric patterns, ones that crudely represented the Kanohi masks of each Toa on Mata Nui. Her neatly-trimmed black bob cut and the matching triangular cat ears framed a gorgeous and elegant face, one that sent Yang's heart into overdrive every time she saw it.

"Are you okay?" Amber eyes searched her from head to toe, examining her partner with comfort and concern alike. "You're not hurt too badly anywhere, are you?"

"Who, me? Nah…I'm fine." Yang, of course, didn't feel fine, but she currently had too much blood rushing to her face to form a more coherent thought.

The feline Faunus raised an eyebrow as she met her violet gaze, evidently having found something worth fretting over. "…you've got a black eye, Yang. I can see it throbbing."

"I do?" She reached up with her non-mechanical hand, feeling swelling and a cluster of sore nerves just above her left eye. "…huh, so I do. Must've slipped right through my Aura when I wasn't ready…don't worry, it'll heal just fine on its own -"

But that was all her brain was able to say before her partner - in every sense of the word - leaned in and delivered a soft, gentle kiss right on the growing bruise. Yang felt her cheeks grow as hot as the desert sands, and no matter how hard she fought to keep the butterflies in check, they still kept fluttering and flying around in her stomach. Blake lingered there for a moment, hands slowly shifting to clasp her collarbone, and the brawler was halfway through melting into a puddle by the time she pulled away.

"Now it will," said Blake with a knowing smirk and a small blush of her own.

Yang gave a goofy grin and let out a soft laugh. "You know…I'm pretty sure I've got a split lip forming, too. That one dude had a pretty mean left hook, so if you wanna kiss that I'm sure it'll help."

Blake rolled her eyes and flicked her ears, but gave her a chaste little kiss on the lips anyways. It was every bit as electrifying and intoxicating as the one on her eye, multiplied by a thousand. Every fiber of Yang's being wanted to pull her in, to deepen the kiss and steal Blake's breath for her own, but she resisted the temptation. There would be plenty of time later for that kind of thing…when they weren't surrounded by groaning, semi-conscious citizens nursing concussions, contusions, and the consequences of their own actions.

"Better?" she asked as she withdrew once more.

The blonde brawler moaned softly, savoring the lingering taste of lavender on her lips. "Mmm…yeah. Much better, thanks."

Jaune and Joanna shared a knowing smile. Fiona did her best to muffle her squeal of delight, opting to disappear around a corner to afford them at least some privacy. Harriet, on the other hand, wasn't as considerate.

"Ugh," said the sardonic speedster with a scoff. "I think I liked you two better when you were dancing around…" Her hands gestured vaguely towards the pair. "…all of this."

"Don't be jealous just because you're still single," shot Joanna as she tucked the now-restrained feral little fighter under her arm.

The former Ace Operative did not like that. "Watch it, thief."

The Happy Huntress didn't back down. "Or what, you're gonna arrest me too?"

"Do you want me to?" One step closer.

"I'd like to see you try." Another step to meet it.

Jaune finally cut in between the two women with raised hands, whipping around the sleeves and coattails of the dusty trench coat he wore under sand-stained armor. "Guys, guys, c'mon. We just broke up one fight. Do we really need to have another? Remember what Ruby keeps saying? How it doesn't matter which side we were on before we came here? How we're…?"

The pair of Huntresses, once on opposite sides of a divide between Atlas and Mantle, glared at each other before sighing.

"…all in this together," they both repeated monotonously.

"That's right, very good," said Jaune with a smile. "Do you need me to sing the song? I'll sing the song right now if you want!"

That was one thing that Joanna and Harriet could both agree on.

"Ohgodsno!"

"Please, anything but that!"

"Aww…alright then, let's -"

The pep talk was interrupted by the sound of ringing Scrolls once again, as Weiss's face showed up on both Blake and Yang's displays as they pulled them out.

"Hey Weissy," said Yang casually. "Miss us already? Y'know, my sis might get jealous if you keep -"

"Penny's calling the Red Scroll," intoned the former Heiress. "Get to Outpost Six now."

The mirth vanished from her voice and posture at the news. During Team RWBY's previous adventure on the island of Mata Nui, they had seen many strange and impossible things - yet even among the biomechanical life and the elementally-empowered warriors, the strangest of all had happened to Penny Polendina. The adorable little robot-turned-Maiden-turned-human had died during the battle to evacuate Atlas, but that was only the beginning of her tale. Her body had fallen with them into another world, but she'd been resurrected by a little divine intervention from a slumbering Great Spirit. Her Maiden magic had been passed onto Winter Schnee before her demise, but now she commanded a new power granted by Mata Nui himself. And just before opening a portal to send her friends home, she'd forged a permanent link between herself and Ruby's Scroll to form a direct line of communication between two disparate worlds.

Which was why Ruby had eventually decided to retire that old Scroll and get a new one for everyday use, to keep such an important object safe and secure and as far away from combat as possible. Doctor Polendina now safeguarded this lifeline to his daughter like a dragon guarding its hoarded gold, and he'd even given it an informal nickname to make it extra important. Getting nightly calls from Penny over the Red Scroll was a valuable part of everyone's routine, where she shared all the adventures she was getting up to in her new world with her new friends, and it almost always left everyone with warm smiles and happy hearts and only a few bittersweet tears.

Clearly, that wasn't the case this time.

"Penny?" Jaune asked incredulously as the Bumblebee duo nodded and hung up. "But she's living -"

"On Mata Nui," finished Blake with a grimace. "And if she's calling now, and it's as serious as Weiss makes it seem…"

"…it must mean something's up over there." Yang looked at Harriet. "If Jaune boosts your Aura again, think you can get us over to Outpost Six on the double? SSSN took our dune runner today."

"Only if you promise not to puke on me this time," growled the lightning-fast Huntress. "Link up, kids. Fiona, Joanna, are you two good to wrap up here?"

The sheep Faunus gave a big thumbs up and a grin. "Leave it to us!" she said confidently, while her taller friend just grunted stoically.

With a satisfied nod and a reassuring smile, Yang linked elbows with Blake and Jaune. Her girlfriend wrapped both arms around her prosthetic with a comforting squeeze, while her fellow blonde pulsed his Semblance as Harriet (reluctantly) took his hand. Yellow and pink Auras melded together as the former Ace Operative took a steadying breath and crouched low, then snapped her eyes open to reveal sparks crackling within her energized irises. The entire world seemed to slow to a crawl for a moment as Harriet narrowed her gaze, extended the electric field around her, tapped into a level of speed she so rarely got to experience…

And ran.

Vacuo raced past them in sandy-tan blurs. Two Huntresses and a screaming Huntsman dangled behind Harriet like a living kite's tail. Yang felt assaulted by many, many warning signs from her body about going too fast. Wind whipped across her face and threatened to tear it off. Her stomach rose into her chest and threatened to forcibly eject the last few meals. Her arms, mechanical and organic, felt like they were about to be ripped out of their sockets. And her eyes felt like they were being slammed against the back of her eyelids, on the verge of being crushed like grapes in a winepress.

In other words, it was the coolest thing ever.

But the high-speed rush didn't last long, and reality hit them in the face once they all reached Outpost Six.

She saw Ruby clutching a Scroll in her trembling hands, struggling to control her breathing even with Weiss holding her from behind. Qrow and Doctor Polendina sat apprehensively on one side with concern written all over their faces, while Nora and Ren stood on the other with mirrored expressions. And although Oscar was doing his best to stay calm, unease was clearly welling up within him all the same; oddly enough, Neo was the one closest to him, giving him reassuring shoulder pats as she did her best to hide her own nerves.

After nodding in thanks to Harriet, who barely returned it before zooming off once more, Yang ran close enough to hear the call already in progress with a breathless Blake and a semi-queasy Jaune at her back.

"…Penny, you're not making any sense," wailed Ruby as she shook her head. "What's going on over there? What's a 'Bohrok?'"

"I do not know!" exclaimed their friend in another world, one that seemed uncharacteristically distressed in the Scroll's video feed. "All I know is that there are so many of them, and they are all very strong! They are tearing apart Ta-Koro even as we speak - not even the Toa can drive them off! We need help! We need your help!"

"Are you safe?" Pietro's eyes were full of tears at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Are you okay? Darling, you've gotta get out of there!"

"I cannot do that, Papa! The Matoran need me! They need Team REWBYN! Gather everyone and call me back as soon as possible. I will open a portal to Mata Nui at the Red Scroll's current location, and then you must enter it quickly before - no! You will not destroy that!"

The call ended a heartbeat later.

A deafening silence fell over Outpost Six, as everyone worked to process what they'd just heard. The news that a crisis was breaking out on Mata Nui after so many months of peace was worrying enough, but that was hardly the end of it. Knowing that even the Toa were struggling against this new foe, who were attacking a village so fortified not even an army of Rahi could punch through its walls…it made Yang's stomach twist into knots as she took one shallow breath after another, and she knew she wasn't the only one on the edge of her nerves.

Blake's hand gripped hers with enough force to dent steel. Weiss turned even paler than she usually was. Neopolitan covered her mouth. Pietro gazed longingly at the Red Scroll, as if he was hoping his daughter would appear again and reassure him that everything was fine. Qrow stared at the sand with a furrowed brow and a tight grimace. Jaune looked at Nora and Ren hopelessly, who returned the stare with their own. Oscar's fingers curled around the handle of Long Memory. And Ruby…poor Ruby. She looked like she was seeing the world break before her very eyes all over again.

After a moment of stewing in silent shock, the leader of Team RWBY finally found the courage to speak with a voice that was all at once timid yet full of resolve.

"…we need to go back."

Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Neo all nodded with steel in their eyes.

Qrow's expression darkened as he rose to his feet. "No. Absolutely not."

"But Penny and the Toa need us there -" protested Ruby.

"And you're needed here." The veteran Huntsman glared daggers at his niece. "You can't all just leave again - Vacuo needs you to stay, Ruby."

Ruby speared him right back with a look of her own. "Vacuo needs us, or you need us?"

Ouch. Yang knew that things had been thorny between her sister and her uncle lately, and barbs like that between the two certainly weren't helping either side. Qrow hardly looked like he was in the mood to take it - he furrowed his brow and opened his mouth before someone else spoke first.

"He's right."

Everyone turned to Oscar, who in the last few minutes had shifted from being fidgety and nervous to cool and calm. He spoke not in the voice of a simple farm boy, but in the wise inflection of a man who'd lived a thousand lifetimes. As annoyed as Yang still was at the former Headmaster of Beacon for keeping secrets, she was a lot more receptive to his presence now than she'd been three months ago - even though it looked like he was siding with his old friend in this case, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.

"Ruby Rose," intoned Ozpin through his borrowed voice, "we are attempting to keep the people of two Kingdoms alive in a land that can barely support one. While I understand that Mata Nui requires aid, the situation in our world is also tenuous at best. Whether you realize it or not, Team RWBY's work - indeed, your very presence - is instrumental in keeping some semblance of order. If all of you were to suddenly disappear again, as you did months ago, it would incite panic in those who do not know the full truth…and that panic will only further entice the Grimm, and make things harder for those left behind."

Silver eyes drooped to the floor with a defeated whimper. Weiss shot a dirty look at poor Oscar, whose adorable little freckled face had to be the bearer of bad news once more. Blake's ears flattened against her head with annoyance.

Dammit Ozpin, thought Yang, crimson threatening to overtake her lilac irises. You know how much Mata Nui means to us, and to Ruby in particular. What happened to the fun, cool, slightly mischievous Headmaster who bent the rules so we could take a mission to Mountain Glenn?

"Which is why I propose that you bring others with you to Mata Nui this time, to stop these…Bohrok."

…aha, there he is.

Everyone looked at the wizard incredulously. Neopolitan's mismatched eyes brightened. Qrow looked like he was about to throttle a child - again.

"Oz," he snarled, "you can't seriously be considering this."

"I am," continued Ozpin - Ozcar? - with a sage smile. "Some of the team will stay here with Winter and I to help keep the situation in Vacuo stabilized, while the rest take volunteers to the other world and aid these Toa in their own struggle. If anyone could do so, Miss Rose, it would be you. Though we will sorely miss you and your extraordinary abilities and your optimistic smile, I trust you to lead a new team through the dangers of Mata Nui - just as you've done before."

Ruby looked torn between accepting the compromise and protesting it. "I…appreciate the confidence, sir. But we made the mistake of splitting up in Atlas, and it…it didn't work out…"

Weiss hugged her partner around the arm, nuzzling her bare shoulder supportively.

"I understand your hesitation," said Ozcar, warmth radiating through watermelon-colored eyes. "However, this is far from the worst case scenario you were unfairly burdened with before. Your mistake in Atlas was not inherently found in dividing and conquering, but rather in trying to do too much with too few hands - a problem you most assuredly do not have these days. Even after the volunteer group goes to help, there will still be many able-bodied Huntsmen and Huntresses to secure order here…and you know you have several very powerful friends waiting for you on Mata Nui. Trust in them, and in us, just as we all trust in you."

Silver eyes softened and squeezed shut. "I know, sir…and I do. I just…I don't want to let everyone down again…"

Yang stepped forward and gave her little sister the biggest, warmest hug she could. "Hey, it's okay. It wasn't your fault we split up back then, remember? It was mine…I didn't trust you."

"There was so much more to it than that…" protested Ruby mournfully.

"I know, but I'm not making that particular mistake again." Her hands tightened their grip for both their sakes. "We know what we're doing this time. Don't worry, we'll be fine here while you're over there. Promise."

The little rose leaned into the embrace for a small vulnerable moment, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around her big sister's waist. After withdrawing a moment later with a determined nod, she moved to stand at the front of the gathered group once more, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak as she took nervous breaths. Weiss stepped forward almost instantly, taking Ruby's hand in her own in a show of support and comfort.

Ruby blinked slowly. "Weiss, are you-?"

"Absolutely."

"…I didn't even finish asking yet," said Ruby with a soft laugh.

"And you don't have to." Weiss gave her girlfriend's palm a reassuring squeeze. "You're my partner, Ruby Rose - if you're going back to Mata Nui, then so am I. Whatever these Bohrok are, I won't let you face them without me. I love you too much to leave your side like that."

The little rose blushed fiercely, and Yang could tell she was reining in the urge to shower the former heiress in a flurry of kisses. "Aw…Weiss…I appreciate it so much. Appreciate you so much…"

After another longing stare, Ruby shook her head to clear it and looked around. "Then I guess this means Blake and Yang are staying here?"

"Looks like it," said the feline Faunus with a nod and a sad smile. "If that's where you need us, then that's where we'll be."

Yang watched as Ruby blinked away a small tear, obviously trying to save it for later. "Okay…okay. How about you, Neo? You up for another Mata Nui adventure, too?"

The former assassin instantly smiled and skipped over, looping arms with the young woman she'd once tried to murder for selfish reasons. She shot a wink first at Ruby, then at Yang.

"You just wanna go see Pohatu again, don't you?" said the blonde brawler with a smug smirk.

Neopolitan shrugged. Guilty as charged, she signed without a shred of regret.

"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," said Ruby. Then she turned to address the rest of the room. "Alright. Who else wants to come along?"

Nora's hand instantly shot up from under her strawberry-pink desert cloak. "Meeeeeee!"

Ren looked at her with a single raised eyebrow, shoulders slumping under his jade-green flowing robes. "Really, Nora?"

"Yes, really!" She grinned and excitedly opened the front flaps of her cloak, revealing what Yang could only describe as a pink-and-silver armored minidress with a belt of grenades around her waist. "C'mooooon, it's a tropical island full of cute little robots! You're telling me you don't want to go?"

"It won't be a vacation," warned Weiss. "It was dangerous enough when we were there the first time, and from the sounds of it things are even worse now. If you come with us, you'd better be ready for a fight."

The thunderous teenager grinned as she stepped forward, flexing her scarred bare arms while drawing Magnhild in war hammer form. "That's my secret, Weiss. I'm always ready for a fight."

"…that's not really a secret, Nora." Ren gave a long-suffering sigh as he moved to join his partner. "Well, if she's going then I'd better come too. I wasn't there for her in Atlas - I'll be there for her this time, and for everyone else who needs me."

A slight crack formed in Nora's happy-go-lucky facade as she looked meaningfully up at Ren, somehow frowning and smiling at the same time while her partner returned the expression. Yang blinked slowly and pensively, letting out a thoughtful hum. The stoic member of Team JNPR was hard to read in the best of times, and it hadn't gotten any easier since the fall of Atlas. While he did his best to mask his emotions for the sake of his friends, he wasn't always successful - and more often than she'd like to admit, she'd caught a glimpse of the angry, bitter storm raging inside the young man that threatened to tear himself and everyone he loved apart.

I just hope he's not a time bomb slowly ticking down, mused the blonde brawler. And that he knows what he's getting into.

Ruby seemed to share a similar concern, looking at the lifelong pair with a wary glance. "You're both sure about this?"

"I'm sure," said Ren with a determined nod that almost hid his torrent of bottled emotions. "If the other half of Team RWBY is staying here, you'll need people who can fill their roles. Nora's just as strong as Yang, if not stronger, and I can scout ahead and stay quiet almost as well as Blake can. We can't replace your teammates, of course…but we'll do our best all the same."

Nora nodded and took Ruby's hands in her own with an emotionally-charged smile. "Besides, you can't just ask me to stay behind again, not able to help you when you need me most…"

She picked up on the note of sorrow in Nora's usually-cheery voice, because she pulled her friend into a hug and nodded tightly. "Oh, Nora…"

"A-and it's not like I haven't followed you into crazier situations," choked the thunderous teenager with a forced laugh as she returned the hug. "Remember when we backpacked halfway across Anima? Or that time we stole an airship and fought a giant robot? If I didn't back down then, I won't back down now. I'll follow you to another world, too, if you'd have me."

"Of course I'd have you," said Ruby with a small laugh. "Both of you. Thank you."

After giving a tight squeeze (which only made Ruby wince in pain a little bit from the crushing grip) Nora withdrew and put her cheery mask back on. Ren watched the entire proceedings with an unreadable expression, folding his long-sleeved arms over his chest and pretending not to notice how his partner's hands lingered over Ruby's waist for a moment. Weiss laid her hands on the thunderous teenager's shoulders with a small, comforting smile of her own; Neo moved to Ren to give him the same treatment, but a harsh glare kept her back.

Maybe a little therapy on Mata Nui will be good for both of them, reasoned Yang. I just hope there's time between…whatever these Bohrok things are doing for them to have a heart-to-heart with someone. Preferably each other.

Jaune wiped away a tear and cleared his throat. "If the rest of my team is going, then I'm coming too," he proclaimed boldly. "After all, I'm -"

"The best peacemaker we have," interjected Blake with a shake of her head. "We'll need you and your silver tongue here more than Ruby and the others need another warrior."

If the young Arc looked disappointed at being asked to stay behind, or sad at separating from his teammates, he did his best to hide it. He looked over at Ruby, who nodded, then he snapped a salute. "…right. Of course. You can count on me, Ruby."

"I always have," said the little rose with a salute of her own. "Anyone else?"

To Yang's dismay, her uncle stepped forward with hands in his pockets and a bitter expression.

"…Qrow, no." Ruby shook her head fiercely. "You guys need a spymaster here -"

"And I don't know if you've noticed, but Emerald's already taken to filling that role quite nicely," countered the grizzled Huntsman. "Besides, if anything happens to you over in this Mata Nui place, Taiyang's gonna have my head. I'd rather keep it on my shoulders, if it's all the same to you, and the best way to make sure you're safe on another planet is to follow you there."

Ruby seemed a lot less enthused about her uncle coming along, but relented and nodded anyway. Her smile returned as she saw Pietro's robochair take several spider-like steps forward, toolbox on his lap and Scroll window pulled up.

"I need to see my daughter again," said the old inventor with a pleading look in his eyes. "Whitley'll be more than enough for fixing things up around here - that kid has a real head for gears and wires, not to mention all the work he's doing in his hydroponics garden. Miss Rose, please let me come along too…if it's not too much trouble, of course."

"It's no trouble at all," said the smiling little rose. "I'm sure that Penny would love to see you. And we could use the technical expertise, too!"

"That's what I'm thinking," chortled the good doctor as he met Yang's gaze. "You'll make sure Maria stays outta trouble for me?"

The brawler chuckled and flashed a thumbs-up. "Yep. I'll keep Grandma from going around picking fights."

"You know she'd pick one with you if she heard that," laughed Blake as she bumped hips with her partner.

"I can take a little old lady," Yang quipped back. "At the very least I'll be able to last longer than Shortstack, eh?"

Neo clutched her heart in feigned pain, putting a wrist to her forehead and posing dramatically. Weiss sighed, but gave a small smile. Ruby moved to give her partner's hand another squeeze before looking at the gathered party with a tight nod.

"Okay…I think we've got enough folks for now," she finally reported. "If we need reinforcements, we'll have Penny call the Red Scroll and open another portal. Good luck with…well, everything."

Yang gave a proud smile and pulled Ruby into another hug, this one far shorter as everyone else stepped forward to say their goodbyes. "You too, sis. Try not to have too much fun over in Mata Nui without us, huh? Oh, and say 'hi' to Tahu and Onua for me and Blake. Tell 'em we'll catch up during the next island-wide disaster."

With a barely-suppressed sob, Ruby nodded as her eyes promised to do just that…and to return to her family.

The other farewells were brief but meaningful. Blake went to give Weiss a tender hug around the waist, promising that she and her partner would look after the Schnee family. Qrow gave Yang a pat on the back and a look of absolute trust, wordlessly affirming everything that the blonde brawler needed to hear. Jaune held in his tears as best he could as he drew his teammates close, while Ozpin's consciousness withdrew to let Oscar trade embraces with Nora and Ren. Finally, Ruby zipped around to hug everyone staying behind in quick succession - Jaune returned it with a warm and somber smile, Oscar blushed fiercely, and Team RWBY shared one big cuddle pile before fate conspired to separate them once again.

"Teammates until the end?" asked the unsteady little rose, gripping tightly to Blake and Yang's hands even as she withdrew with watery eyes.

"Of course," affirmed the heiress across from her with a forced smile, nuzzling against the blonde and drinking in the warmth for a moment longer. "Always and forever."

"Separate, but not divided," purred Blake, rubbing the back of Weiss and Ruby's hands with her thumbs. "Until our paths next cross."

Too choked up with emotion to say anything insightful, Yang gave a teary smile. "Go get 'em, girls," she managed to force out.

Ruby returned the loving looks with a sad smile, then finally separated with a small sniffle to stand with the team going to Mata Nui.

"Okay…" she said as bravely as she could as she opened her old Scroll. "Time to call it in."

One interplanetary phone call later the portal finally opened in a haze of reality-bending gold, casting its light across the meager desert campsite. When it snapped shut a moment later there were seven fewer people at Outpost Six, and the ones left behind clutched the Red Scroll tightly with hopes that it would soon ring again. Silence fell over the camp as Yang, Blake, Jaune, and especially Oscar fell into their own thoughts, hoping against hope that they'd done the right thing in letting their friends leave.

Eventually, after ten minutes of silence that felt like eternity, Jaune was the first to find his voice.

"…oh man." He drew a shallow breath as his eyes widened. "Winter is gonna kill us for letting Weiss leave without her saying goodbye, isn't she? She's gonna mount all of our heads on big icy pikes…if she's in a good mood."

It wasn't much of a statement, but it was enough to break the tension.

"Either that, or she'll send us a gift basket for sending Qrow to another planet," said Yang with a wry smile, grateful for something to laugh about. "In any case, I think that's enough sitting around and worrying for one day. We should probably get back to patrol duty, huh? Try to stay one step ahead of the disaster curve?"

"Probably, yeah," said Blake with a small smile and a squeeze of her hand. "Unless something crazy happens in the next five minutes, of course."

Bzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzt.

Yang groaned as the Scroll on her hip buzzed impatiently once again. "Seriously? If this ends up being another super-important emergency call that changes everything…then I am throwing this thing into the gods-damned sun. And then I'm not speaking to you for a week, Blake. You've doomed us all."

Her partner just grinned. "Now that's something I'd almost pay to see you try, firestar."

"Which one?" Oscar asked. "The sun thing or the silence thing?"

"Yes."

Laughing softly at the much-needed banter, the blonde brawler retrieved her device and expanded it once again, this time revealing the sunglasses-clad form of a ridiculously well-dressed Huntress. Coco Adel.

"Sup, girl?" Yang chuckled and smirked while trying to look as cool and nonchalant as possible. "How's the weather out in the middle of nowhere today?"

"A bit livelier than usual," came the confident voice of Team CFVY's leader. "So…question. You said that you went to a world full of little half-robot people, who had ten-foot-tall armored warriors to protect them. Did I remember that right?"

Her blood almost ran cold. "…yeah, we did. Why do you ask?"

"Because a whole ship full of them just crashed out here…in the middle of the Wastelands."

---

(A/N): Whaaaa? Aliens on Remnant? What's all that about?

So yeah, in case you couldn't tell from the jump…this story, as a whole, is gonna have a larger scope than the last fic. I plan to cover the Bohrok Saga from the 2002 BIONICLE storyline, but I ALSO intend to tell an original story to continue the ongoing RWBY narrative in Vacuo. Because if Volume 10 is going to remain a distant dream for the foreseeable future, then I'm just gonna have to write my own…and given that this is a crossover fic, I plan to get as wacky and nutty as possible. Nothing from either property is off the table - stuff might happen a lot sooner than it's supposed to, or in completely different ways, but that's part of the fun of stories like this! (There's a very cool thing coming up very soon that I have been holding close to my chest for almost a year now, and I cannot WAIT until we get there so I can finally share the big secret with you all!)

Full disclosure up front, though: Dutiful Destruction is going to be darker than Destiny's Divide. There's gonna be more blood and heavier subjects, though as I did with the previous fic I'll try to limit myself to concepts and curses that RWBY itself has introduced at its darkest. Also, there WILL be character deaths on the table. I won't do the "killing folks off randomly for shock value" thing, but there WILL be cases where the good guys don't win and where the bad guys need to show their teeth. Don't worry - there'll be a content warning in the Author's Notes giving a heads-up on deaths whenever they're about to happen in the current chapter, as well as for any especially distressing stuff coming up within that entry. I know how emotionally devastating that kind of thing can be if you aren't ready for it, and I'm not about to inflict that kind of pain on others.

I'll also do my best to juggle the myriad plot points of both worlds in a satisfying, well-paced way. I won't promise that every X chapter focuses on BIONICLE stuff while every Y chapter is about RWBY - while there are some parts of the story where that'll be the case, odds are that we'll be jumping between plot lines like Destiny's Divide did, often within the same chapter. This story's got even MORE moving parts than the last one, with lots of characters both new and old, but I'm pretty sure that it all comes together by the end to make something truly beautiful like a well-oiled machine. This is also why I had to make the difficult decision to split the teams like I did, something I expect to catch a lot of flak for…but rest assured that there's a number of very good reasons why I did so, and it's not just to twist the emotional knife I'm currently plunging into your gut. This is a story of both RWBY AND BIONICLE, and having half of Team RWBY be present for each one is extremely important for narrative purposes. Will they eventually reunite and become an even stronger team? How will their experiences across the cosmos shape them? You'll have to wait and see!

One more note about the upload schedule - when Destiny's Divide was in full swing, I was uploading chapters every week for bursts at a time, only to run out of updates in the backlog and have to go on pause for months while I recharged and worked on chapters in chunks. I'd like to avoid that this time around, so we're doing something a little different. To keep the story moving and to avoid burnout on my part, I'm gonna shoot for at least one update every Friday (including this coming Friday) until we hit Chapter Five, at which point we slow down to one chapter every TWO weeks. We'll see how long this lasts, or how tenable it ends up being, but I think it should help with keeping you as readers satisfied without putting too much stress on myself. (The woes of being a working, neurodivergent adult with a full-time job in the engineering industry, haha.)

Lastly, I just want to give one more sincere, heartwarming thanks to everyone who read Destiny's Divide and the follow-up oneshots, either while it was ongoing or after it finished. It is…absolutely awe inspiring to know that what I'm writing is reaching so many people, to the point that fans went out and made a TVTropes page for the series completely of their own volition. I've been writing fanfiction for well over a decade at this point, and I STILL get butterflies whenever someone leaves a thoughtful comment or review on something I've made. I hope you enjoy the journey I've got for you this time around, and no matter how long you end up staying, I'm glad to have you on the ride all the same.

Anyways, that's about it for lengthy author notes this time! See you in the next update! Stay safe, stay sane, keep telling the suits at WB that we want more RWBY, and keep being awesome!

(Oh, and happy birthday to one adorable little Ruby Rose! And a happy Halloween for the rest of us!)