5Title: Bionicle – Legends of the Toa (Rewrite)
Author: LJ
Summery: A story of the Toa Nuva, before there were Nuva, and before they were Toa. How they found their destiny, and how their lives were changed.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence, language and romance
Pairings: Tahu/Gali, Matau/Nokama
Author's note: A rewrite of the original version of this story. Call it a second draft. I gave up on giving them matoran names and just went with their Toa names so that people wouldn't get confused. Please review! I love reviews, comments, suggestions and praise; Tahu will deal with any and all flames. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I own Matani! Lego owns everything else! Please don't sue! I'm a poor college student!
Chapter Two: Evidence
"All right, add in 45 cc's of the twenty percent protodermis alloy melt." Gali carefully measured out the amount and added in the liquid into the beaker.
"Gali…looks like you've got a visitor." Gali blinked and looked up at her fellow graduate students before looking over through the lab windows into the viewing room. A red matoran waved with a smile as he stood on the other side. Gali shook her head and chuckled. Waving back she held up five fingers, letting the Ta-matoran know that she would be out in five minuets. The red matoran nodded and waited.
"Sorry about that, it's Tahu, he must have gotten off his shift early today." Gali smiled and chuckled turning back to the experiment in her lab. The other Ga-matoran laughed warmly, knowing how deeply in love Gali was with her boyfriend, Tahu.
"Oh Mata-Nui! Tahu you're filthy!" Gali stared at her boyfriend as he stood in the waiting room. Tahu blinked and looked at himself and smiled nervously.
"Oops…I forgot I was at the falls today." Tahu smiled and chuckled a bit, his body covered in soot and ash from work in the forges. Gali shook her head and ushered him out of the lab building.
"It's all right. You'll just have to take a shower at my place." Tahu blinked and smiled reaching for her hand and chuckled. Gali smiled and pulled him close walking with him.
"If you don't mind." Tahu smiled at her, gently moving his mask closer, attempting to kiss her cheek. Gali laughed and gently pushed him away trying to keep from getting a dirty kiss.
"After your shower, okay?" Tahu made a face and smiled rolling his eyes.
"Okay okay..." Tahu said smiling completely relaxed with her. "Hey...have you noticed anything strange going on?" Gali looked at him and shook her head.
"No, not really. But...maybe we should talk about this when we're home?" She gave him a pointed look before glancing over at the shadows of Ga-Metru. Tahu glanced over and saw the Vahki patrolling, quickly going silent.
"Right. It's nothing important," he said smiling at Gali before hurrying off to the private sectors.
"Thanks for letting me use your shower, Gali." Gali looked up as Tahu exited the shower, toweling off his head. Gali smiled and sat down chuckling.
"You smell better now," she said chuckling. Tahu snorted and rolled his eyes going over and sitting down next to her.
"Yeah yeah, so you say. Personally I like the smell of the forges." Gali rolled her eyes and laughed, handing Tahu a drink.
"You and every other Ta Matoran. So what was it you were going to say earlier?" Gali looked at Tahu concern in her yellow eyes. Tahu frowned and put his tea down leaning back into the couch.
"Apparently Turaga Dume is riding both Matani and Vakama to get a mask done. I went to give Vakama new disks and I found some of the busted masks he tried to make. It was powerful. Whatever Dume is trying to make Vakama make, it's strong. Why would our Turaga want a mask that powerful that it would need Great disks to make?" Gali frowned and furrowed her brows.
"You think this mask needs to be made with Great disks?" Tahu nodded and sighed leaning back farther. "That doesn't sit right with me either. Not to mention all the Vahki that he's sent out. It's worrying me." Gali leaned up against Tahu and took a drink of her tea. Tahu nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders supportively.
"Dume has changed. I don't know what he's up to, but I don't think he's really looking out for the city." Gali frowned and sighed holding close to the Ta-Matoran.
"Just...be careful about what you say, Tahu. People have been going missing." Tahu nodded and sighed thinking.
"I know. I'm more worried about Matani though. Anyway, how's your brother been?" Gali chuckled and shifted in the seat smiling.
"He's been all right. I've heard from him a few times, but Kopaka's never been one to really interact with people. He's been busy in the knowledge towers with his own theories and prophesies." Gali shrugged and put her tea on an end table. Tahu smiled at her and shrugged.
"Surprised he even remembers to write you," he muttered. Tahu had met his girlfriend's brother only once before, and found him to be incredibly arrogant and annoying. Gali simply said it was because they were fire and ice and were far too similar to really get along. Tahu didn't believe that either.
"He does, and actually, he has been saying that there have been some strange goings on in the prophesies. Maybe you'd like to go and talk to him," Gali said. Tahu frowned and leaned back looking up at the ceiling.
"Maybe. As long as he doesn't start anything." Gali sighed and gave him a kiss. Tahu smiled and chuckled. "Kidding, kidding. I'll check out what Kopaka has." Gali smiled.
"All right, I think he'll be able to help you out." Gali said with a smile. Tahu smiled back and wrapped his arms around her and tilted her head gently, giving her a deep and romantic kiss.
The ice city of Ko-Metru was not the first place any Ta matoran would want to be. The harsh winds cut through Tahu's form even as he walked from a transport tube to the knowledge towers. He didn't know how Ko matoran dealt with it, then again, they were children of ice, not fire.
"Welcome, child of fire," a Ko matoran said not even looking up from his tablets. Tahu blinked and nodded.
"Thanks, can you tell me where Kopaka is?" the Ko matoran glanced up and nodded at him.
"He's actually in his private chambers." Tahu nodded to the Ko matoran and walked off towards Kopaka's private chambers. He knocked on the door, having been to Gali's brother's rooms before.
"Come in," came the cold and almost monotone voice of Kopaka. Tahu opened the door and walked in.
"Hey, Kopaka," he said off handedly walking over closing the door. "Gali was telling me that you've found some interesting prophesies?" The white and ice blue matoran turned from his desk and sighed.
"I hope you've been treating my sister well," he said still with his cold tone. Tahu glared at him and huffed.
"Like I would treat her any other way? I know you don't exactly like me because I'm older than her, but I'm not here to argue. Something is going on with Turaga Dume, he's not acting like himself." Kopaka raised an eyebrow and nodded turning to his scrolls.
"Something we can agree on. Here are the three that seem to be most important." Tahu walked over and looked at the translated scrolls.
the familiar Mask is not what they seem
shadows beckon to his call
Time is needed for the Shadow
to bring about the spirit's fall...
"That's weird..." Tahu said frowning. Kopaka frowned and looked up.
"It's gets weirder, these are the other two prophesies..."
one of fire shall become six
the Golden Mask is passed down
the six chosen will rise up
to save the heart of the city
six without memory forgotten and lost
given the power to become Great
shall be destined to be united
and duty to save the Spirit
"Golden Mask? What's that all about?" Tahu asked rubbing the back of his head confused. Kopaka sighed and shrugged just as confused as the Ta matoran.
"You got me. All I know is that that's the order that they go in. As far as the stars go, we're on the last part of the second line of the first prophesy. Problem is what familiar mask are they talking about?" Kopaka frowned and rubbed his temples. Tahu frowned and looked over the first riddle again.
"Wait, mask and time are both capitalized. They're talking about a Great Mask!" Kopaka blinked and nodded.
"That makes sense. So who are they talking about?" Tahu frowned and thought.
"I'm thinking it's Dume. He's familiar to everyone on Metru-Nui." Tahu frowned and wrote down the prophesies on a spare notebook he had. "I'm going to go to Onu-Metru to see if they have anything in the archives that could be a Mask of Time." Kopaka rose an eyebrow at him and nodded.
"All right, be careful about what you say." Tahu smiled and nodded.
"Same thing that your sister said. I'll see you later..." Tahu waved and headed off. Kopaka nodded to him and returned to the strange prophesies that he had begun decoding.
"Oh wait!" he cried after a moment, catching Tahu just as he was exiting.
"Yeah?" he asked turning back around.
"If you see Nuju, tell him that he has work piling up." Tahu frowned a bit and blinked.
"He's missing?"
"He was monitoring the stars yesterday and he told me that he saw Toa Lhikan and had to look at some old prophesies." Tahu nodded and made note of it in his mind.
"No problem, I'll keep an eye out for him." Kopaka nodded and returned to his work. Tahu continued his way out of the icy towers and headed for the transport tower.
"Mask of Time..." Tahu muttered under his breath looking over the riddle like prophesies on his paper. A bright green mask popped up from the seat behind him and grinned.
"What are you reading, fire spitter?" Tahu yelped and jumped looking back at the bright green mask smiling at him.
"Riddles..." Tahu said slowly looking worriedly at the bright ass green Le matoran. His yellow eyes brightened at that and jumped over the seat and next to Tahu.
"Really?! Can I see? I'm mighty good at riddles!" Before Tahu could protest, or other wise, the Le matoran took the sheet and sat down reading it over.
"Uh...who are you?" Tahu asked the matoran. The matoran smiled brightly and chuckled.
"Call me Lewa!" he said with a bright voice. Tahu's eye twitched and he chuckled.
"Hi...name's Tahu. So what do you think about the riddle?" he asked looking Lewa. He frowned and rubbed his chin and pointed to the second riddle on the paper.
"This one...is talking about Toa Lhikan. He's the only Toa of fire I know of with a gold mask. As for the six could be anyone. Although..." Lewa frowned and leaned back rubbing the back of his head.
"Lhikan...Kopaka told me that Nuju went missing," Tahu said under his breath thinking. Lewa blinked and looked at Tahu.
"Matau ran off as well. He's one of our best test pilots. I saw Lhikan leave the test tube too. Maybe he's rounding up one from each Metru." Lewa offered looking at the Ta matoran. Tahu nodded and looked up as the transport pod stopped and got up, taking the paper back from Lewa.
"Thanks! You helped a lot Lewa." Lewa smiled and waved leaning back as Tahu left.
"Good luck fire spitter!" he called after him.
"Mata Nui...how can Onu matoran stand this. How can anyone stand this?" Tahu hissed winching as more dust was kicked up into his sinuses. He looked around and sighed grumbling up ahead he saw the archivist he was looking for. "Onua!" he cried hurrying over to the ladder. The black and silver armored matoran looked down at the Ta matoran and smiled.
"Tahu! What a surprise! I'll be right down. Let me just finish this up," Onua cried, his voice deeper and rougher than most other matoran. Tahu nodded and waited. He blinked and looked back hearing hurried footsteps down the hall.
"Sounds like you're brother's here..." he said as a slightly younger Po matoran ran up.
"Onua!" he cried. Onua chuckled and slipped down the ladder easily and let his adopted brother skid to a halt in front of him.
"Pohatu! I hope you've been well, little brat." Pohatu panted and smiled brightly.
"Course! Figured I'd drop by and see what you were up to. Hey Tahu," Pohatu said, merely an inch shorter than the two other matoran. Tahu smiled back at the Po matoran and chuckled.
"Regular family reunion here," he joked. Although Onua and Pohatu weren't truly brothers, Onua's father had adopted Pohatu after he was abandoned near the archives. Pohatu's parents were unknown, but he was happy not knowing who they were, and living as an adopted son and brother.
"Yeah so what is it I can do for you?" Onua asked looking at Tahu.
"I'm looking for a Mask of Time," Tahu said handing over the paper with the prophesies. Onua frowned and rubbed his head.
"I've never heard of a Mask of Time," he said looking over the notes written along with the prophesies. "I can look farther back in the archives though, it might be something from a bygone era. Come on, let's check in the catalog." Onua walked along and pressed a call button for a transport to come by. Pohatu and Tahu followed the Onu matoran.
"Why are you looking for a Mask of Time?" Pohatu asked his brows furrowed.
"I think...that someone will be after it. Matoran have gone missing from each Metru, something is going on in our city, and I don't think Dume is doing anything to stop it. Nuju is missing, along with a Le matoran named Matau, and I know several workers and teachers from Ta and Ga Metru are missing," Tahu hissed lowly, rage building from the thought of Dume betraying their home. Onua looked up and frowned.
"Whenua and Onewa are missing too..." Pohatu spoke up frowning. "Onewa never leaves work unfinished, but there's several tablets and carvings in his workshop that are unfinished and he's no where in Po Metru." Pohatu shrugged and got onto the transport with his brother and Tahu.
"Whenua went missing?" Onua asked looking at his brother. Pohatu nodded.
"Yeah, I went to his office first and noticed he was gone. I came across some old carvings in Po-Metru and wanted to bring them by him and you. You...don't think that something bad happened to them, do you, brother?" Pohatu asked looking to Onua and Tahu worriedly. Onua frowned and shrugged continuing to pilot the lift to the massive cataloging station.
"I hope not. But they can take care of themselves. They're strong matoran," Onua said as they entered the catalog station. Tahu frowned and stepped off the transport, Onua and Pohatu following.
"This is just...frustrating!" Tahu cried leaning up against the catalog computer. Onua looked up and nodded at him.
"You're the one who keeps putting yourself in the middle of it," he said wisely. Tahu sighed and nodded slowly in agreement.
"Yeah, I know. I just hate the fact that we're letting our home, OUR city be taken over by these stupid drones." Pohatu frowned and nodded agreeing with Tahu.
"There's nothing in the archives, Tahu. No record of a Mask of Time on Metru Nui," Onua said looking to the Ta Matoran. "Maybe the prophesies are talking about someone making a Mask of Time..." he suggested. Tahu's eyes dilated and he quickly ran off.
"Thanks Onua! I figured it out!" he cried jumping on the transport and then drove it off. Onua ran to the edge and looked down the hall.
"What do you mean? Who's making the mask?!" he cried.
"Vakama?" Tahu asked walking towards the matoran's work shop. Something wasn't right. It was far to quiet in the forge sneaking along the wall. He stopped just outside of Vakama's forge when he heard a familiar voice.
"Only great disks are more pure..." Vakama said, his voice shaky. Tahu glared and peeked into the room. There Dume was reaching for a scrapped mask and looked it over. Tahu squinted and watched as Dume's shadow moved of its own accord. He glared and watched as Vakama looked away from the Turaga. They continued to speak before Dume turned to leave. Tahu swallowed and quickly dove into a side ally, watching as the Turaga walked out.
"He's stalling..." Dume hissed, his voice much deeper than usual. Tahu watched him carefully as he walked along the hallway. Tahu glared and gripped his backpack to keep him from jumping out and accusing the Turaga right then and there. After several moments, Tahu heard Vakama pack something up and leave. He frowned and saw him look at a map which held Toa Lhikan's symbol. For Tahu, he had his proof, and quickly went to an open computer terminal and contacted Matani.
"Matani, it's Tahu. I found some interesting things out about the flow earlier today, meet me at the falls in thirty minuets," Tahu recorded on the computer, before sending it. He just needed to get more proof. He quickly went into Vakama's forge and picked up a broken mask. "You're time is over, Dume..." he said slipping the mask into his bag before heading off.