My Little Bionicle: Quest for the masks

by Toa Coy

Rahi Fights and Mask Collecting

Time for the hunt for the masks part also some Taku in this one.

~Toa Coy~

Chapter Eight: Rahi Fights and Mask Collecting

At the break of dawn the six toa split into groups of two and headed for one of the Wahis; Lewa and Gali to Le-Wahi, Pohatu and Ouna to Po-Wahi, and Tahu and Kopaka to Ta-Wahi. While they were walking each to the wahi, they ran into rahi that Tahu and Gali noticed the look in the rahi’s eyes, they were similar to the Tarakava that attacked Ga-koro now was the time to test their teamwork.

----

Tahu and Kopaka ran into a rahi known as a Hikaki, which was a rahi about as tall as the toa themselves. They were orange and gray dragon-lizard like rahi with red markings and hunched appearance that walked on two legs with small three fingered clawed hands. The red eye of the rahi had the dark crimson that Tahu remembered seeing on the Tarkava that he helped Gali fight but this seem different, but he couldn’t help but feel like something was off here. The hikaki jumped at the duo and almost caught them with its clawed feet if not for the bubbles that blocked the rahi. It was at this point that Tahu noticed that Kopaka’s mask was a white hau and was going to ask how him where did he get it but the rahi was more of a problem right now. Both Toa called on their magic and brought out their weapons to bear, Tahu’s flame sword and Kopaka’s sword and shield. When the rahi jumped them again their weapons clashed and caused the two the get mad at the other.

“Watch it.” Tahu said with a bit of a growl, Kopaka did not respond but instead struck the rahi before it could sink its claws into the fire toa’s hide. With a strike of his sword the rahi froze solid and dropped right next to the two of them.

Tahu was impressed by this but now that the threat was taking care of it was time to ask what was on his mind.

“How did you get my mask?” He said in a firm and slightly angry tone.

“Found it up on the mountain near Kini-Nui with Pohatu.” Kopaka replied his voice still carrying the same coolness of his element.

Tahu took him at his word and turned back to going towards Ta-Koro and check with them and the Su-ponies if any of them had seen one of the six masks around. Earlier Tahu warned his brother of ice that the heat from the volcano that Ta-Koro stood in might be too much for him, Kopaka just said that he would cool the air around him to something similar to the icy areas around Ko-Koro. Not five steps away from the frozen hikaki they heard cracking. Turning they saw the rahi glow bright orange with heat melting the ice still on it. Neither of the two had much knowledge of rahi, if they did then they would know that hikaki live in the lava that spilled out of vents from the volcano and as such could survive extreme heat and also cause them to have very hot internal body temperatures. Also to make matters worst hikaki hunt in packs, which the two learned when they heard the sounds of several more from the forest around them.

“So what now hothead?” Kopaka said with his back to Tahu, who had his back to his brother.

“Simple ice cube we fight.” Tahu said as the hikaki rushed them.

----

Vakama had yet move from his bed, like most nights visions of the past played in his head. Some nights he would dream of his life before that day and how simple it was but more often it seems his dreams was of his own dark time. He knew that his other self was most likely responsible for this but for now he had a village to run and defend. The sound of something hitting the ground had the elder on his feet faster than most ponies could blink and gone with only a hint of his shadow remaining. Slowly he crept into the main room of his hut and notice a stone slab from Po-Wahi laying near his desk. Vakama knew his brother’s craftsmanship anywhere, as he read the slap he understood what Onewa was telling him. There was a traitor in the village and the kolhii teams were the only ones that were ill, but when questioned how the ponies had gotten them all Onewa got was that the balls where just there. Vakama knew that he had to send some guards there to find who did this, as well as Takua since there may be more than one way that this sickness is transferred. With that he sent two letters, one to Nokama asking for assistance in this matter and one to Onewa to tell him that some guard where on there way.

----

Takua was jolted awake by the sound of his best friend yelling at the top his lungs. He must have had no more than two hours of sleep, which added to his annoyance.

“Takua, get up Turaga Vakama has gotten word from Turaga Onewa that a sickness has overcome the village but only some of them are ill.” Jaller said in his captain of the guards voice.

“Aside from my friends being sick and hope they get better, why should I care?” Takua said not giving a buck at the moment.

“We think that you could be sick as well if not a carrier for it since you visited the village before this happen.” Jaller replied his concern hidden behind his commanding voice.

Takua shook his head to clear his head of negative thoughts, he should be concern but something for a moment made him not care about them. Then a thought came to his mind and shocked him to full awareness, he might have infected all the island since he visited the villages. Jaller saw Takua realise this and notice his eyes dilate and look at his friend with a more determined look.

“When do we move out, sir.” Takua asked saluting his friend.

“Get your armor and met me and Kapura at the outer gate, we leave from there.” Jaller said like a friend rather than a captain. With that Jaller left and Takua moved over to small room just beyond his window, here was the spot where he stored his trinkets and his Ta-Koro guard armor. He first puts on his saddle bags, which he levitated over to him, then his back armor that was the standard red and red chest armor with blue mark next to his left fore leg. He put on his gauntlets next, all four of them red, then his four blue sabatons onto his hooves and finally his blue helmet in the shape of a great pakari. Using his magic, his red one, he did a quick inventory of what he had in his bags. Maps, flute, Ta-Koro Guard shield, lightstone, and heat stone. With that he trotted out of the village, once there he saw both of his friends there. They were decked out much like him with minor differences, Kapura had a red noble ruru helmet and red sabatons while Jaller had a golden great hau with gold sabatons.

“That was quick Takua not time to meet up with the two from Ga-Koro then head to Po-Wahi from there.” Jaller said to his companions.

“Should we have more guards with us just in case of trouble?” Takua pointed out.

“What do you think the Ga-ponies are?” Jaller replied in a half joking manner.

It was then that Takua had a thought that would have turned him white, “Please tell me that it is not Macku is the driver.” His voice as dead panned as he could without falling over.

“She is the best sailor around.” Jaller retorted.

Takua grabbed his best friend and spoke atop his lungs, “Have you lost your Mata Nui mind, she has no control over her speed!”

Kapura was quiet and was heading to the beach, while Jaller pushed Takua away.

“Takua she is not that bad, besides Kapura is ahead of us already.” He said going back to a serious tone and followed Kapura. Takua was frustrated but he followed his friends with a bit of a gumbel.

----
Lewa and Gali ran into a few bog snakes, which were dark gray snakes with white arrow markings that were as large as a twenty year old tree and just as long as the tree is tall. Gali noticed the crimson eyes and yelled a warning to Lewa.

“Careful these rahi are being controlled by something they are not acting on their own will.” Gali said as she dodged one of the barbed ends of the snake’s tail. Gali call on the water from the grass, trees, and air to become water tentacles that began to knocked the snakes back.

“It could be in more bad-worse.” Lewa said as he used his wings and mask to allow him the take advantage of his element. While Gali was holding the snakes off, Lewa was starting to form a small tornado and started to suck up the snakes. It was at that moment that Gali felt something under her hooves, it felt like water, so using her elemental energy she began to pull it to the surface and have it right under Lewa’s twister.

“Brother you need to get out of there now.” Gali yelled hoping that he heard her. With that a geyser of water erupted from the earth and sent the snakes flying away. Lewa landed next to the water-lady and looked at the hole that the water had created with a whistle.

“Wow sister you can be fear-dread when you are dealing with terrible-bad things.” Lewa said to Gali who was confused by a few words that the green pegasus said.

“I have to ask Lewa what is with the strange word choice?” Gali said noticing how he seem to make no sense at times.

“It is just my kind speak.” Lewa said sounding normal.

It was at that moment that Lewa noticed a mask in the hole, it was a green thing in the water. He did not say anything he just jumped into the water.

“Lewa?” Gali said in confusion as to what just happened and was about to jump into the water when a green blur shot past her. She turned to face her possible threat only to find Lewa with a kanohi kakama shaped helmet versus his normal muri.

“Sister I must thank you and ask how may I use this mask of quick-sped to help you get one of your’s.” Lewa said trying to hide his excitement at the wind-flying he could do now.

“I think using your new mask we should look for all the kanohi of the others so that it would take less time.” Gali said forgetting for a moment that neither of them had a way to carry anything other their weapons. It was then that Lewa’s helmet switched back to his normal one.
“We could try and get something to tote-carry masks from the saplings.” Lewa said offering both a solution and confused Gali, again.

“Lead the way then brother.” Gali said as Lewa flew up and flew slowly towards a clearing that only those above the tree tops could see.

Once the two Toa left a shade began to form near the hole that Gali had made. It was the same type that Goldrax had train with known as the shinobi looked at the hole and disappeared.

----

Takua had shut up about the whole ‘Macku is a bad choice in sailor’ and just follow his friend. It took a few minutes to get to the beach and there was the boat, but just like during his quest for the toa stones no ga-ponies were there. Takua saw a look in Jaller’s eyes that said he was about to go into a captain's mindset and have them search for the sailor.

“Hold on Jaller.” Takua said as his horn glowed red and his flute came out of his saddlebag and six notes began to play that neither of the Ta-ponies had heard before but as Takua continued two heads appeared out of the water.

“Hey Takua I never knew you could played the flute.” Macku said hopping out of the water with Hahli jumping out next to her.

Both Ga-ponies seemed to be wearing armor similar to the three males only theirs was a bit more feminine and seemed to be made for their transformative nature. They looked almost like twins with Hahli’s great kaukau and darker armor to Macku’s noble huna and brighter armor.

“So how are you doing my firery captain?” Hahli said to Jaller that the other two boys have never heard, well Takua heard it before but repressed that memory, and she walked up and kiss him on the cheek. The boys saw this and the strange look their captain had in his eyes, love would be that look to others, and he seem to be out of it.

“Come on you to love gukkos we have places to be and ponies to save.” Macku said walking towards and onto her boat.

Hahli turned and the boys could see her cheeks were a bit red but the two did not know what that meant but followed after her with Jaller clearing his head and got on the boat.

----

While Onua and Pohatu’s brothers and sister faced groups of rahi they got one of the bigger ones, a tunnel stalker. Tunnel Stalkers are large sandy brown rahi that can be at least twelve foot tall and twenty foot long, it had two massive claws, four legs that were like crab legs, and a blade shaped tail that was just as sharp. They are rare due to an area not being able to support no more than three or four of them, it was just so happen that the two ran into one. The orange eyes of the rahi looked down at the two toa with hunger.

“Onua,” Pohatu said with a crazy look in his eyes. “what do you think of a punch from you using your mask of strength and my mask of speed?”

Onua thought it was insane but he just said, “Now is probably the best time as any.”

Onua hopped on Pohatu’s back and activated his mask of strength to hold on the ever quickening Toa of stone.

“Three passes and I go under it and you hit it.” Pohatu said having done two by the time he said that. At the third one Pohatu ran right under the stalker, when he jumped Onua let go and was sent flying into the armor gut of the rahi. Normal ponies would have been crushed by the force that Onua was going through but thanks to his mask and his elemental power he not only did not feel pain but caused the behemoth to go flying away into the distance.

“I think our plan was flawless and look what I found.” Pohatu said picking up light gray huna.

“Strange this is not one of the masks that the Turaga said we needed but it might help.” Onua said as he touched the mask to his helmet the huna appeared in place of his normal one and he vanished.

“Hey brother where did you go?” Pohatu said confused and looked around for the Toa of earth, also failing to notice the shadow on the ground. Then Onua reappeared where he was last.

“That would have come in handy before we fought the rahi.” Onua said in a deadpan voice.

“Guess we had to fight to get it.” Pohatu replied.

“I think we should talk to your Turaga about this.” Onua spoke while his helmet switched to the huna.

“I agree.” Pohatu nodded and lead the way to his village.

----
Tahu and Kopaka had driven the hikaki away and had just made it to the Vo-ponies village, which they knew nothing about but they were told that one of them saw a mask just to the north of the village. They arrived from the east and that made them head for it.

----

The shinobi reformed in the base for the Order of Makuta in front of Antroz, with a bow the shinobi began to recount what it and others shade told it. Of how each group had bested every rahi in their path and the masks that they found on there way.

“So these are not what I thought these toa would act like, but it just means to use other means.” Antroz said looking at the shade then turned away. “No matter our sleeper agent has taken out most of the able matoran in Po-koro. That one was too easy.” Antroz then turned back to the shade. “Stay on them.”

The shade nodded and disappeared into the ground leaving Antroz alone. Behind him was the Makuta still frozen in crystal protodermis, the crimson eyes began to flash as if he knew that Antroz was there.

“Lord Makuta even with the unforeseen events causing us some grief we are still on our way to freeing you from this prison. The ones that did this will not be the ponies that shall free you but we will take these new heroes and make the matoran see that only you are the true ruler of them.” Antroz said his voice sounding like someone giving a report to their boss. The shadows and the crimson eyes grew as well as if he was angry or was he pleased, no one but Antroz knew and he said nothing and just bowed to him.

“By thine will it shall be done and by our hooves it will be made as you have seen it.” Antroz said as he disappeared into the shadows and the crimson eyes dimmed down.