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Chapter Text

Pohatu, Toa Nuva of Stone, narrowly dodged a charged energy beam launched by the Gahlok-Kal. Even with his Kakama Nuva, Mask of Speed, not even he was quick enough to evade the follow-up, which struck him square in the chest and repelled him back several feet. Winded but determined to stay in the fight, he dug his Climbing Claws into the rock and maintained his balance.

“Maybe we should’ve loud-called the others,” quipped Lewa, Toa Nuva of Air, from his perch atop a nearby boulder. “At the very least Gali or Kopaka would be able to quick-think a way out of this.”

“Not now, Lewa,” snapped Tahu, Toa Nuva of Fire, attempting to block the Bohrok-Kal’s next attack with the flats of his weapons, an oversight that sent the Magma Swords flying from his hands.

Several hours ago, word of the Gahlok-Kal roaming the outskirts of Tiro Canyon had reached the guards of Po-Koro, warding off merchant caravans and preventing the village’s Mahi herders from going about their daily business across the Motara Desert. With Po-Matoran trade disrupted, Pohatu had called upon his fellow Toa for reinforcement to find only two of his brothers had been able to answer the call, relaying heartfelt apologies from Gali and Onua.

“We don’t need to win,” grimaced Pohatu, eying the Bohrok-Kal with reproach as it once again returned to its patrol. “We just need to keep it away from Po-Koro.”

“I suppose,” said the Toa of Air in response. “But this would be a lot easier with our Toa-powers.”

Activating his Miru Nuva as Tahu was flung backward into a nearby sand dune, Lewa swooped down from his position to attack the Gahlok-Kal from above. His armored adversary proved too swift, however, deflecting the Toa of Air with little in the way of effort. Burying an Air Katana into loose sand, the Toa Nuva of Air received a sharp strike to his abdomen that sent him stumbling into the shingle.

Mustering his final reserves of strength, Tahu rose to his feet and exchanged a weary look with Pohatu. The battle had been hard-thought for some time now, with the Toa enjoying no real success. Together they had charged the Bohrok-Kal from countless angles only to be repelled away or magnetized to each other or disarmed entirely. The Gahlok-Kal was not a Rahi that could be so easily spooked, nor was it as predictable as a regular Bohrok. The recent loss of their Elemental Powers left the Toa hard-pressed to achieve any substantive results. Worse still, they were no closer to determining the mysterious Bohrok’s objective. Their target seemed entirely unfazed by their fruitless efforts and exhaustion was starting to claim even the mighty Toa Nuva of Fire.

“It is a pity you align yourselves against the Bohrok,” grated the Gahlok-Kal, turning its attention back to examining the beach. “Your persistence is admirable.”

Sensing his moment of opportunity, Pohatu activated his Kakama Nuva again and prepared himself for another attack. Cricking his neck and flexing the muscles in his legs, he felt the silent support of Tahu and Lewa as they lay sprawled in the sand behind him. As quietly as he dared, the Toa of Stone broke into a run, building up momentum ready to deliver a powerful kick that would send the Bohrok-Kal hurtling into the desert.

“Or perhaps you are just stubborn.”

The elite Bohrok’s dome rotated with the smooth efficiency of a Muaka on the hunt, the ginger tips of its cold eyes locking onto Pohatu, side-stepping once more and leaving the Toa’s Feet Addition to sail through thin air. For a brief instant, the Toa of Stone thought he saw his own Kanohi Nuva reflected in its polished casing.

“Without elemental powers, you Toa make for poor obstacles,” declared the Gahlok-Kal, a hint of tedium in its otherwise flat voice. Tahu and Lewa stood ready to receive it, back on their feet and weapons reclaimed.

“Leave these lands,” snarled the Toa Nuva of Fire, his armor glimmering in the desert sun, “or we can still return you to Makuta in pieces.”

“Our victory will be scribe-written on the Wall of History,” taunted Lewa, readying himself to make one final jab from his Air Katanas and penetrate the armored shell of their rival.

But the thrust never landed. Extending its Magnetic Shields, the Gahlok-Kal released a pulse of crackling purple energy that consumed all three Toa. The pain of contact was searing and immediate. Together, the Toa cried out and writhed against the intense magnetic pull, like Ruki caught in a net.

After hours of distraction they had finally earned the attention of the Gahlok-Kal, and now they were experiencing the full focus of its power. In that single, horrifying moment, Pohatu could feel the magnetic clamps of his Kanohi Nuva detaching. The Gahlok-Kal had the power to tear them apart or crush them entirely with a flick of its Magnetic Shields.

“Even powerless you Toa continue to obstruct my mission,” rasped the Bohrok-Kal, its dome twitching from side to side, eying each of the captive Toa Nuva with singular curiosity. “Perhaps taking your Nuva Symbols was not enough to break you...”

One by one, the masks tore from the faces of each Toa; first Lewa, then Pohatu, and finally Tahu. Deactivating its powers, the Gahlok-Kal claimed its prizes as the Toa crumpled to their knees. Then, just as easily as it had claimed the Kanohi, the Bohrok used its powers to scatter them into the sky, flinging into the atmosphere faster than the speed of sound. The Toa could only watch as three impossibly distant specks skyrocketed off. Judging by their trajectory, it appeared one mask would land deep in the Motara Desert, another in neighboring Ga-Wahi, and another in the ocean beyond.

“Consider this a warning, Toa. Cross my path again and I will not be so merciful.”

With the threat still hanging in the air, the Gahlok-Kal reconfigured itself into a spherical shell and rolled off into the desert at high velocity.

Staggering forward, Tahu swiped after the disappearing Bohrok-Kal, as though his sheer willpower might manifest a fireball from his fist.

“Don't let it get away!” he bellowed as fatigue finally claimed him and he fell to one knee.

“Tahu...” said Lewa, his expression already one of miserable acceptance. “It's past-late for that now...”

Staking his Magma Sword into the sand, the Toa of Fire watched the distant form of the Gahlok-Kal vanish from the horizon. Without his mask, a familiar dizziness eventually began to claim the humiliated warriors. Gradually, thoughts of lost dignity were forgotten as the Toa reached into their packs for the only other Kanohi Nuva they had claimed, Lewa producing the Pakari Nuva he had only recently plucked from a troop of Brakas Monkeys on the Kumu Islets and Pohatu donning the Kaukau Nuva he had found hidden in a remote caldera in Tiro Canyon. After a long moment, Tahu too relented, putting on the Akaku Nuva he had found in the center of a maze in the Charred Forrest. Like the Matoran then endeavored to protect, even heroes as powerful as the Toa Nuva relied on their Kanohi. If left without them for too long they would slip into unconsciousness, and the desert of Po-Wahi stretched too far for them to crawl back to Po-Koro.

“First our Elemental Powers and now this,” grimaced the Toa of Fire, glaring off into the horizon through the scope of his Akaku Nuva. “I will not stand for it. By Mata Nui, we are Toa Nuva and the Bohrok-Kal shall know our fury!”

“We are same-hearted, brother, but proud-standing won't win us better fortune,” sighed Lewa, as though he regretted the truth of his words.

“Lewa's right,” implored the Toa of Stone in a kindly fashion. “We can't come at them with force. Our fists alone won't defeat the Bohrok-Kal.”

“Then what will?” snapped Tahu, his expression bright, brittle, and by no means friendly. “What fresh hope have we without our masks or powers?”

Pohatu held his gaze for a long moment before looking away.

“Watch yourself, brother,” he said, his rough voice sharpening from behind the unfamiliar mouthpiece of his Mask of Water Breathing. “If we're not careful, then we're going to lose a lot more than just our Kanohi next time we cross paths with the Gahlok-Kal,”

A heavy silence hung in the desert air as the Toa soaked in their defeat. For days they had been battling the Bohrok-Kal, gaining scars and scratches but no ground. For the first time since they had landed on the golden shores of Mata Nui, it seemed they had lost whatever semblance of a foothold they had earned. When at last it dawned on them that their original Kanohi were beyond reach, Lewa and Pohatu turned to their leader.

But Tahu had no wisdom to impart. The Toa of Fire just stared into the empty desert, his features unreadable. Neither of his teammates could remember ever having seen him like this.

“Come on,” yielded the Toa of Fire reluctantly, his voice like thunder. “Let’s head to Po-Koro.”

Chapter Text

The journey back to the village of Stone was long and unpleasant. Ordinarily, Pohatu would have activated his Kakama Nuva and traversed the desolate tundra with the grace of a Proto-Drake in flight. Now he had no choice but to traverse the precarious canyons. Today he was humbled by the monotonous walk of shame.

Heads turned as the Toa entered the central courtyard of the Po-Koro Bazaar. Pahrak-Va were dotted around the village square, obediently hauling supplies to rebuild the defenses shattered by the Tahnok just weeks before. Tradesmen looked up from their stalls and paused mid-transaction, unsure what to make of the miserable procession.

"Could we not have close-skirted around the outside instead of walking straight through?" asked Lewa, shying away from the prying eyes of the villagers.

"We have no reason to avoid them," snapped Tahu in response, eyeing the guard posted outside of Turaga Onewa's quarters. "Toa don't hide from Matoran."

"Yes, it seems that Toa don't do much of anything these days," retorted the Toa of Air with uncharacteristic ice in his tone. "But, then again, not all of us have the luxury of hiding behind a strong-fort in the middle of a volcano."

Pohatu hung back furtively, sensing the rising tension between his two brothers. Lewa had struck a nerve and Tahu wasn't one to shy away from confrontation. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to lock eyes with the emerald-armored Toa, the brow of his Akaku Nuva twisted into a snarl, his hands balled into fists. Now more of the Po-Matoran came to stare at them.

"Care to say that again, vine-swinger?"

A hostile silence.

Rolling his eyes, Pohatu stepped forward to intervene in the standoff.

"I think we could all stand to get under some shade," suggested the Toa of Stone, putting a hand on Tahu's shoulder and breaking his gaze. "The desert sun can make us say crazy things, isn't that right Lewa?"

After a long moment, the Toa of Air nodded reluctantly.

"That... That got a little too personal," he said apologetically. "I should've thought-spoken. I'm sorry, brother."

"Let's just find the Turaga," bristled the Toa of Fire, doing his best to shrug off the exchange.

It took the three Toa a while longer to locate the village elder. He didn't appear to be in his quarters, the Kolhii Stadium, or the Bazaar. It wasn't until Pohatu consulted a guard that they were pointed in the direction of the Po-Koro Quarry, where they were greeted by the sounds of a hundred hands busily chiseling wood, chipping stone, and hammering metal. Thankfully, few crafters looked up from their work to pay the Toa much heed.

They found the Turaga at the back of the quarry, hard at work crafting a new statue. Approaching the ancient stonemason furtively, all three of the heroes found themselves drawn to the curious sculpture he was chiseling away at. It looked like a Toa of some sort, standing as tall as a Tarakava and sporting a large shield and a spear. Onewa was standing atop a ladder, sculpting a strange and shapeless Kanohi, as though he were trying to decide between two masks. It looked like no Mask of Power they had encountered on the island.

"Good day, Turaga!" announced Pohatu, startling the village chief out of his work.

The elder’s eyes widened in acknowledgement. Hastily, he covered the unfinished head with a ragged sailcloth and began climbing down the ladder.

“Greetings, Toa Nuva,” he said with a distant smile, nodding when he registered their Kanohi. “I have been expecting your arrival.”

"What're you working on there?" asked Tahu, studying the unusual statue with interest.

"I’m keeping a promise... to an old friend," muttered the Turaga, reaching the bottom of the ladder. "I suspect that is not why you have come to Po-Koro, Toa of Fire."

Sagging heavily back into an upright hunch, Onewa snatched up his Stone Hammer once more and gestured towards a modest crowd of Matoran artisans in the center of the quarry, chiseling away at pieces of fine marble and smooth granite. Angled atop a pedestal was the subject of their attention: Lewa's Miru Nuva.

"You found it!" exclaimed the Toa of Air with joy, starting towards his beloved Kanohi only to meet the resistance of Onewa's Stone Hammer.

"The Po-Koro Guard reported an object falling from the sky above Tiro Canyon," continued the Turaga of Stone darkly. "I had my scouts investigate. You can imagine my surprise when they returned with a Mask of Power belonging to Le-Koro's guardian."

"The Gahlok-Kal got the better of us, wise-one," conceded Pohatu, pulling an uncomfortable expression from behind his Kaukau Nuva. "It scattered our Kanohi Nuva to the skies and continues to wander the Motara desert. We couldn’t stop it."

"But we’re not done trying," continued Tahu. "We intend to reclaim our Kanohi Nuva and drive the Bohrok-Kal from this land. If it takes a week, a month, even a year, we shall eventually be victorious."

The Turaga of Stone regarded the three Toa coolly before pulling a face and choosing to speak.

"If Vakama were here he would no doubt note the sad irony of your predicament," he chuckled. "But, for better or worse, he is not. I suppose responsibility falls upon my weary shoulders to point out the lesson here..."

Hobbling closer, the elder surveyed each of the Toa closely, choosing his words carefully before speaking.

"While Nuju and Whenua spend their days either rooted in ancient soil or aspiring for a place among the stars, you will find that the citizens of Po-Koro celebrate the much more immediate principle of Strategy," he said softly. "It serves our athletes well in the Kolhii arena and has molded keen traders out of the Po-Matoran. Above all else it is Strategy that you Toa must embrace if you hope to defeat the Bohrok-Kal and earn back your Kanohi. Once you have used the impressive power of the Kanohi Nuva available to you to drive the Gahlok-Kal from these lands, I will return the Miru Nuva to you. Until then, my carvers need practice."

Raising his Stone Hammer, Onewa prodded Lewa’s heartlight with the flat of his staff, his meaning clear.

"The Pakari Nuva is the Mask of Strength. Your brother, Onua, uses that mask to cleave great megaliths of rock and dirt from the ground. But he is also constant and steadfast. He knows the true value of such fortitude and does not take it lightly. He knows well enough to appear weak when he is strong and strong when he is weak. If you wish to best your opponent then you, Lewa Nuva, must plant yourself in the ground and trust your new strength."

The Toa of Air’s features knitted into an inquisitive frown as Onewa’s Stone Hammer moved on to poke Tahu.

"The Akaku Nuva is the Mask of Vision. Kopaka uses it to assess his environment from afar before choosing whether or not to engage. Such a vantage makes him distant and aloof but, in this regard, he is a wise Toa and a cunning tactician. While it is perhaps not as pliant as your Hau Nuva during battle, the Akaku is a powerful addition to the arsenal of any Toa seeking to make the most of his surroundings. Any carpenter can carry a chisel but only the finest masons can use its edge to leave their mark upon the world. Your mask, Toa Tahu, allows you to see through your opponent to uncover their greatest weakness or even the secrets hidden beneath your battlefield. With the Akaku Nuva in your grasp, you will never again be caught off-guard, you need only to pay attention."

The Toa of Fire narrowed his eyes, sensing the doubt-edged sting of the advice. Composing himself, he nodded a silent thanks to the Turaga before he moved on. Turning at last to Pohatu, Onewa's gaze hung for a long instant before the words came to him.

"The Kaukau Nuva is a tenacious Kanohi to master, and not a mask that lends itself particularly well to this dry region. However, any Toa who apply the Mask of Water Breathing wisely will find their skills rewarded. To wield its power is to endure the depths of this island darker than Onu-Koro and as cold as Mount Ihu. You must be prepared to delve alone into some of the most inhospitable and unknown regions of Mata Nui. Toa Gali embraces the ocean depths. Even without her Elemental Powers she is still one with the rising tide and crashing waves. To use such a Kanohi is to attune oneself to the very substance of this island. To master this mask, Toa Pohatu, you must detach yourself from the world of land you think you know and embrace the unfamiliar. You must learn to accept the winding waterways and coastal tips of Mata Nui as your battleground."

"But Kanohi Nuva alone will not be enough to defeat the Bohrok-Kal," said Lewa, an uncharacteristic desperation in his voice.

Onewa nodded humbly, gazing into the sky and smiling at a distant cloud with an expression of melancholy.

"I understand that it is no easy thing to be without power," he hedged, a hint of familiarity in his tone. "To call out to the wind or the ice only to be ignored? To sense rumbling tremors in the ground or the coming of a flood but be unable to prevent it? This has been the fate of the Turaga for the past 1000 years. It is surely enough to make any Toa question his -- "

"-- relevance," finished Pohatu.

"I suppose so," chuckled the elder with a distant melancholy. "But do not let despair enter your mind, Toa. Look instead to the brave villagers of this island, who have thrived on these shores for centuries without the elements at their command. They have laid great traps and tamed wild Rahi, using their knowledge of the land and their ingenuity to win their freedom. Surely it will take no less for you to defeat the Gahlok-Kal?"

At the mention of the Matoran, Pohatu unconsciously looked for Hafu among the crafters, recalling the Matoran's selfless attempt to block the Tahnok advance with his prized statues. Lewa too felt his expression lift somewhat, thinking of nimble Kongu taking to the skies to defend Le-Koro from Nui-Rama when he could not. Tahu nodded his understanding, though it was clear to his teammates he remained unconvinced by Matoran heroics.

"I have every faith that great Matoran and Toa will prevail against the most insurmountable of odds. Your destiny is greater than any of you could possibly imagine. You are not meant to fall at the hands of these Bohrok-Kal."

With those final words, the Turaga of Stone took one dissatisfied look at his incomplete statue then hobbled off back in the direction of the village square, retiring back to his hut for the day.

"Turaga Onewa is not one to give false hope," murmured Pohatu. "He’s stubborn and blunt at times, but he is direct above all else. He must truly believe in us."

"Or he just wants us to boot-kick the Bohrok-Kal out of his desert," retorted the Toa of Air, resting one of his Air Katanas on his shoulder. "Either way, I feel spirit-lifted."

Tahu remained lost in thought for some time, his eyes surveying the statues of Toa that dominated the quarry for inspiration when at last he caught sight of a lone crafter at work on a particularly ambitious sculpture of a large Rahi. A thin smile slipped across the surface of his Akaku Nuva as he began to feel the rough outline of a strategy forming in his head.

"The Turaga is right," he said after a long moment of contemplation, craning his neck back in the direction they had last encountered the Gahlok-Kal. "We need to embrace the Po-Matoran principle of Strategy - to make sure the Gahlok-Kal doesn't complete its mission and locate the Bahrag."

"Right," agreed Lewa, picking up on the Toa of Fire's forward momentum. "We need to deal it such a sorry-bad defeat that it leaves Po-Wahi for good."

"And to do that, we need to fight like Matoran and make the most of the tools and Kanohi we have," chimed the Toa of Stone, though less confident than his fellow Toa.

"The Gahlok-Kal has hard-struck Ga-Koro these past weeks," observed Lewa, the grave features of his Pakari Nuva at last lifting. "If it's as agile in the water as Gali says, then perhaps it will ground-scout the coasts. "

Pohatu stared blankly at the emerald Toa, then a broad grin crept onto the features of his mask.

"If it does, its search will take it past Leva Bay. Hewkii even tells me it's the stomping ground of some old friends of ours."

Nodding his approval, Tahu gazed anxiously out in the direction he believed the Bohrok Hive to be then at Pohatu.

"Are you sure, brother?"

"Of course!" boomed Pohatu, thumping the crimson Toa on his back. “I'm a Toa of Stone armed with a Mask of Water Breathing. Nothing can stop me now!”

Chapter Text

Skating through the Drifts on the outskirts of Ko-Koro, Toa Kopaka did not share Pohatu’s optimism.

Dark streaks of Plasma now scarred Mount Ihu, bubbling away at the exposed rock and sending entire rivers of glacial runoff cascading down into the North March. Amidst the churning chaos of meltwater, crumbling ice, and super-heated rock, Ko-Matoran could be seen scurrying for shelter as the avalanche neared their village. He had only one window of opportunity to divert the flow and save Ko-Koro, and it was vanishing rapidly.

Building up velocity, the Toa of Ice locked his gaze on the surging mass of detritus that had once been the summit of Mount Ihu, calculating the trajectory and point of impact to the best of his ability. Swerving towards a natural ramp in the ice, Kopaka rocketed ahead of the avalanche then called upon his Hau Nuva, conjuring a forcefield that halted the largest boulder in its path. Losing momentum, the cascading snowslide buckled under the weight of itself and diverted its path, falling short of the village and spilling instead into the plateau below. For a moment, the Toa thought he could hear the sound of Matoran cheering over the rumble of the ice.

Such occurrences had become all too frequent in the weeks since the Bohrok-Kal had appeared. Turaga Nuju believed that the attempted Tahnok Invasion had destabilized the strata of the region, resulting in frequent rock avalanches and earthquakes. While the Pahrak-Kal was the slowest of this elite new breed of Bohrok, the effects of its Plasma Shields were altering the landscape of Ko-Wahi more rapidly than the Toa of Ice could keep pace with.

Gliding up onto the valley, Kopaka shot off again, skating uphill in the direction of the Three Brother’s Bridge. As he waded his way up the slope, he watched as the final sheets of the southern glacier collapsed, utterly powerless to prevent the destruction.

Reaching the summit of the scorched ridge, Kopaka headed towards the sheer ledge where Nuju had last been sighted. Exhausted from the climb, he searched around desperately but saw no sign of the village elder or his Matoran aide. He instead found himself facing the metallic faceplate of the Pahrak-Kal.

“Get off my mountain,” he challenged, readying his Ice Blade.

In another world entirely, Toa Gali swam against the current as fast as her legs could kick. Her strokes were wild and frantic as she struggled to anticipate the direction of the waterway. Thrashing about, she willed her Mizuni Rotors to press her further, but she knew already it was no use. The stranded Matoran she had been sent to rescue were too far inland for her to reach.

Surgewaters from Mount Ihu were rapidly flooding the plains of Ga-Wahi, which were already congested with unprecedented volcanic runoff from an eruption of the Mangai Volcano earlier that week. Much to her dismay, the Hura-Mafa River had now ruptured its banks, flooding large swathes of open grassland and much of the Ga-Wahi basin with the volcanic toxins. Natural disasters of this scale were being triggered all over the island and the Toa Nuva were scattered to the wind.

A powerful electrical charge surged through the water, catching the Toa of Water’s leg and sending a wave of pain up her thigh. Turning to locate the source, her eyes came to rest on the scarlet silhouette of Tahnok-Kal lurking in the sulfurous depths.

Gali gazed longingly at her destination further upstream, hoping the Matoran could hold out long enough for her to distract the Bohrok-Kal. When it finally dawned on her that there was no other choice, she unclipped her Aqua Axes from her feet and readied herself for battle.

The Tahnok-Kal fired a second wave from its Electric Shields, which Gali evaded with careful use of her Kakama Nuva, though the maneuver cost her a lungful of contaminated water. It seemed the mechanical casing of the Bohrok-Kal would allow her adversary to brave the river depths far longer than she could.

"Is there not a place on this island where the Bohrok can reside?" she snapped, attempting to restrain the Bohrok-Kal’s arms with her Aqua Axes while treading water. "Would you deny the Matoran of Mata Nui peace?"

"It is no use, Toa," retorted the Tahnok-Kal, zapping her with a powerful bolt of electricity that tore through her shoulder and left the armor blackened. "The Bohrok are here to cleanse this land, not share it. You will not deter Tahnok-Kal!"

Gali felt her joints lock in place as paralysis gripped her. The intensity of the attack left her senses fried and a dizzying space in her mind. Willing herself to persevere, the Toa of Water took a swing, only for her Aqua Axe to glance off the Tahnok-Kal’s smooth armor and another jolt of staggering voltage to strike her in retaliation.

A warm, nurturing darkness prevailed as the Toa of Water began to drift off into unconsciousness...

Deep in the caverns of Onu-Wahi, Toa Onua plummeted into the darkness of the Great Mine. Ancient air whipped past the Toa Nuva of Earth as he struggled to activate his Miru Nuva. Mining equipment and rock debris sailed past him as he managed to reverse his descent. Shaking off the effects of whiplash, he pushed off back towards the ledge he had been knocked from.

Returning to Onu-Koro with a new Kanohi Nuva in his possession, Onua's thoughts of fragile optimism had been dashed when Turaga Whenua warned him of a spate of recent Bohrok-Kal attacks in his absence. The activities of Lehvak-Kal on the island's surface coupled with some manner of geothermal event on the slopes of Mount Ihu had caused cooling temperatures across Onu-Wahi. A large glacier had begun to form, adding tremendous weight to land already riddled with tunnel networks and an intricate lattice of tectonic anomalies. To make matters worse, Kohrak-Kal had appeared, attacking Onu-Matoran engineers as they attempted to drain the Great Mine.

Returning to the lip of the chasm he had been knocked from, Onua studied the Bohrok-Kal as it continued to blast the support columns with concentrated bursts of sound. The entire cavern vibrated from Sonic emanations as Matoran ran for shelter. Thousands of tons of earth and stone were pressed down in the bedrock above the mines. This deep beneath the surface, a cave-in could bury Onu-Koro and destabilize the entirety of the Marn Tunnels.

As portions of the ceiling continued to crumble, Onua ran to cover the fleeing engineers. With a well-timed swing of his mighty arms, he managed to deflect a falling stalactite, shielding Taipu from a grizzly fate in the process.

"Well met!" proclaimed the Onu-Matoran in gratitude. "Even without your powers, you remain the Spirit of Earth!"

Grunting in acknowledgement, Onua unlimbered his Quake Breakers and advanced closer on the Bohrok-Kal, knowing that the Matoran's words could not be further from the truth.

In his experience, Kohrak were confident and careless by nature, often working alone to complete their objectives and engaging only when forced to. The Kohrak-Kal was solitary as well, but it appeared far more calculating than its Kohrak kin and had no hesitation unleashing the full extent of its power.

"Why do you destroy all that the Matoran have built?" he demanded, readying his Quake Breakers for combat.

To his surprise, the Kohrak-Kal lowered its Sonic Shields and rotated its head, the tips of its cold eyes focusing on him.

"All that does not belong will be removed," it grated, echoing the words of Cahdok and Gahdok. "This island must be cleaned."

"But if you continue, there will be no island left for the Bahrag Queens to conquer," insisted the Toa Nuva of Earth, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to reason with a Bohrok-Kal. "What purpose could that serve?"

Slowly, the Kohrak-Kal turned its body to address Onua with something close to curiosity. For a tantalizing moment, he wondered if perhaps his words had broken through to the Bohrok-Kal. Perhaps there was intelligence behind that metallic faceplate that could be swayed.

WHACK!

The Kohrak-Kal's head snapped forward, knocking the Pakari Nuva clean from the Toa of Earth's face. Winded, Onua staggered back as his Kanohi skittered out of reach before coming to a precarious rest on the ledge. All strength seemed to escape him in that vulnerable moment as he fell to one knee.

"The Bohrok-Kal do not seek to conquer," replied the Kohrak-Kal, shattering the final support with a Sonic blast. "Had the Toa Nuva not gotten in our way, perhaps you would have lived to understand why."

Not for the first time, Onua found himself wishing he had kept the Exo-Toa armor he had so carelessly left in the Bohrok Hive...

Chapter Text

Ignoring the warnings that lit up its visor as it patrolled along the edge of the shoreline, the Gahlok-Kal surveyed the terrain in the dwindling light of the late afternoon.

For thousands of years, it had slumbered with its fellow Bohrok-Kal in the same cryogenic sleep as the swarm, waiting for the time when they would be called upon to fulfill their purpose. Only recently had it awoken to find an infestation had spawned on the surface of Mata Nui and that six meddlesome warriors had disrupted the Cleansing. It seemed to the Gahlok-Kal that opposing these Toa Nuva was the unfortunate purpose for which its kind had been intended – the closest thing to a destiny that the Bohrok-Kal knew.

A week had passed since Tahnok-Kal had instructed the Bohrok-Kal to search for the Kanohi Nuva. While Nuhvok-Kal and Lehvak-Kal had voiced their reluctance to deviate from their mission to locate the Bahrag, the Gahlok-Kal and its allies relished in the opportunity to humiliate the Toa Nuva further. Operating off of intelligence overheard by a Pahrak Va, the Gahlok-Kal now scoured the desert for a Kanohi Nuva rumored to have been hidden in the coastal buffs of the island's northern-most point.

Catching a glimmer of sunlight reflected on an object half-buried in the distance, the Gahlok-Kal paused to consider its next move, feeling the disagreeable sensation of sand in its circuitry. Could this be some trace of the Kanohi Nuva it sought?

Shifting into ball mode, the Bohrok-Kal propelled itself towards the curious glimmer, taking care to avoid the crevices in the plateau. As it drew closer, it gradually became clear that the quality of the ground was changing, shifting slowly from solid rock to brittle earth and finally to the fine coastal silt of a curved sand bar. It would be difficult to gain traction beyond this point.

Faintly aware of a Makika leaping from the rock it had been basking on, the Gahlok-Kal rolled to a halt and continued the final stretch manually, waddling with purpose past the scattered rocks that littered the terrain, taking care to examine the shoreline it now found itself on. Adjusting its optical sensors to compensate for the glare of the setting sun, it lowered its gaze to inspect the artifact that had caught its attention.

A cracked Bohrok faceplate.

Red in color, the chipped screen had presumably been torn from an unfortunate Tahnok unit during the Siege of Po-Koro. Examining it closely, the Gahlok-Kal inspected the severed wiring of damaged Bohrok circuitry. The rest of the unit and its Krana were nowhere to be found. Exactly what task a Tahnok would have been performing in this position was unclear.

Raising its head to conduct another sweep of the surrounding area, its Krana-Kal detected a strange sound somewhere in the vicinity of the nearby plateau. Unfazed by the revelation, the Gahlok-Kal turned in anticipation.

It was only then that the crimson outline of Toa Tahu crested the lip of the dune, Magma Swords drawn. Even from this distance, it was obvious he had happened across a replacement Kanohi Nuva since their last encounter. His appearance was far from striking for the Gahlok-Kal had been expecting further interference from the Toa, though it was unwelcome nonetheless.

"I believe you owe me a Nuva Symbol," he said with steel in his voice.

Affixing his Magma Swords together, the Toa of Fire flung himself onto the legendary Lavaboard and propelled himself down the edge of the dune, as though he were surfing in the molten flows beneath the island. He began to pick up speed almost immediately, though his improvised assault would do him no good.

"I warned you not to cross my path again," rasped the Bohrok-Kal, turning its back to the ocean and charging its Magnetism Shields. "Not even a Toa can escape the Swarm!"

The Gahlok-Kal released a shockwave of energy that halted Tahu before he could kickflip, sending both the Toa and his Magma Swords tumbling into the sand for the remainder of his descent down the slope. Unable to right himself, Tahu thrashed and writhed in the cascading sand until he ground to a halt as a backwash wave crashed against the ocean, triggered by the magnetic pulse.

Almost believing any further attack to be excessive, the Gahlok-Kal activated its powers and magnetized the Toa of Fire's feet to the metals deep beneath the sand, locking him in place. Tahu’s eyes widened in horror from behind his Akaku Nuva. No doubt his ambush had hinged upon at least landing the first blow.

"Perhaps I will leave you standing there until the tide comes in," grated the Bohrok-Kal, advancing on the struggling Toa. "It would seem a fitting end for so meddlesome a Toa."

But Tahu wasn't listening, the telescopic lens of his mask whirling as the Gahlok-Kal grew wise to his intentions.

"Ja-Kal, eh?" he remarked aloud. "And here I thought you might be the leader."

Repelling the Toa back with a magnetic push, the Gahlok-Kal activated its Ja-Kal and conducted another proximity sweep. As close as this, it would ordinarily be impossible to penetrate the opaque faceplate of a Bohrok-Kal, a lesson that the Gahlok-Kal had taught to Onua Nuva the hard way just two days prior. Before its radar senses could pick up anything, however, it came to realize the Toa was just a single turning cog in a larger scheme.

That was when the first boulder landed, connecting squarely with the exposed gears of the Bohrok-Kal's neck mechanism and dealing a crushing impact that rocked its head forward. Staggering, the Gahlok-Kal stumbled into the spray of a wave rolling up the shore and twisted to examine the damage, losing its hold over Tahu in the process.

The shadow of the attacker leapt for cover in the sandbank above, a shape distinguishable only by a sudden flash of movement. An instant later, one of the rocks wobbled from its perch at the lip of the slope then rose into the air. Lewa Nuva stood beneath it, a boulder the size of a small Matoran village now above his shoulders.

"Another goal for Le-Koro!" proclaimed the Toa of Air, hurling the stone.

As the boulder shattered against its magnetic forcefield, the Gahlok-Kal found there was little it could do to dodge the rock fragments, feeling their immense weight. With an armored shell fashioned to deflect much harder debris, however, it emerged from beneath the rubble, battered and a little too impaired for its liking.

"Perhaps you forget how easily I could crush you, Toa of Air," it challenged, stepping forward and knocking a fragment of rock out of its path.

Lewa reached for another boulder.

"I don't fear-dread the Bohrok anymore!" he challenged, hurling the stone with one arm and watching the Gahlok-Kal struggled to dodge. "You have taken my village, my people, my wind-powers, even my mask. Now it's time you did some wise-learning of your own."

Stifling a rebuttal, the battered Bohrok-Kal stepped back into the waves so as to keep both Toa in its field of vision, then conducted another sweep of the shore with its Ja-Kal, detecting a scattering of metallic components buried beneath the sand. Activating its Magnetism Shields, it pulled the fragments to the surface of the beach before launching the pieces at the powerless Toa. Flashes of crimson revealed the remains of the Tahnok unit along with pieces of Matoran boats that had been washed ashore over the centuries.

The Toa Nuva stood firm as the projectiles rained down on them. Emboldened, Lewa Nuva sliced through an incoming chunk of Tahnok armor with such remarkable strength that the metal split in two. Again the waves surged and crashed, pulled by the sheer power of the Gahlok-Kal.

"I warned you Toa not to cross my path again," it rasped, charging a magnetic maelstrom of energy that sent the ocean waves rippling in further fury. "Now you will know the wrath of the Bohrok-Kal!"

"Strike us down and you will spend an eternity digging for the Bahrag Queens," countered Tahu, deflecting a jagged engine component with the flat of his Magma Sword. "You would do well not to underestimate the Toa Nuva!"

"You draw breath only because the Bahrag would have you suffer for your transgressions against the Bohrok Swarm," snapped the Gahlok-Kal in response. "I will tear you apart in a storm of metal the likes of which you have never seen!"

Purple energy streaked across the coastline as the waves crashed in a tempestuous frenzy. The magnetic pulse tore splinters of metallic detritus from deep within the beach and redirecting them at the Toa with lethal force. This time a sizeable mass of silver collided with Tahu, giving the Gahlok-Kal occasion to hesitate.

A Pakari Nuva.

"Thanks for seek-finding this for us," gloated Lewa Nuva as he tore himself free of the magnetized shards. "If not for you, we would've been slow-digging for days to retrieve this!"

The Bohrok-Kal allowed the Toa to relish in their momentary victory, its Ja-Kal now detecting something moving in the shallows of the ocean. Bathing the shore in its magnetic pull, the Gahlok-Kal felt the source of the disturbance lurking just beneath the surface. Sensing its powers brush against the metal of a figure in the depths, the Bohrok-Kal reeled in its prize with satisfaction.

"Foolish Toa, you cannot hide from Gahlok-Kal!" it grated, increasing the intensity of its powers.

The form of Pohatu Nuva broke from the waves, though it did not appear his armor that had been snared in its magnetic grasp, for the Toa of Stone was mounted atop the shoulders of an impossibly large reptilian-Rahi that bristled with hostility. The turquoise shape collided with the startled Bohrok-Kal with the force of an avalanche. Before it could react in kind, sharp teeth clamped shut around the Gahlok-Kal's metallic casing.

Tarakava.

"An old friend of ours," quipped the Toa of Stone, patting his Rahi steed with tender affection as he dismounted. "They gave us a lot of trouble a short while ago. Feels only fitting you two should meet."

The Bohrok-Kal paused. Tarakava were known to the Bohrok as a formidable Rahi that dominated the coastlines. Entire squadrons had fallen before the legendary beasts in past conquests. While their armor could be magnetized, the Rahi was backed by enough raw strength to make captivity an unthinkable notion. Ill-tempered and highly confrontational, there were few forces known to the swarm as destructive as a Tarakava on the hunt, especially when pulled from its habitat as this specimen had been.

Feeling a powerful swipe of the Rahi's forearm crack down across its faceplate, the Gahlok-Kal felt the joints in its neck mechanism buckle. Activating its Magnetism powers, it projected a rudimentary force-field of energy around itself, bracing as the tips of the Tarakava smashed into it again. More red censors began lighting up as the Bohrok-Kal continued to take damage.

A chilling reptilian shriek shook the shoreline as the Tarakava resumed clawing at the unfortunate Gahlok-Kal foolish enough to drag it from the depths.

"This island is infested with vermin," snapped the Bohrok-Kal, attempting to repel the Tarakava with a desperate magnetic pulse.

"This island is our home!" countered Tahu defiantly. "And we are not the only champions who would rise up to defend it!"

Before the Gahlok-Kal had a chance to retreat into the protection of sphere mode, the Rahi had charged closer and bitten down with its powerful jaws, resisting its magnetic attacks through sheer aggression. All it could see now was the churning maw of the Rahi.

Fending off the Tarakava with its full attention, the Bohrok-Kal could do little to prevent Pohatu from donning the Pakari Nuva. Floundering for leverage, it was only then that it noticed one of its Magnetism Shields had been damaged in the onslaught. For the first time in its waking life, the Gahlok-Kal experienced the sensation of true fear.

"No!" it rasped in disbelief as another talon came crashing down against its armored shell. "This land must be cleansed. You Toa Nuva will yet submit before the might of the Bohrok Swarm!"

Nodding to his teammates, Pohatu broke into a run, charging towards the damaged Bohrok-Kal as he activated his new Kanohi. Backed by the devastating power of the Pakari Nuva, his armored Feet Additions struck the Gahlok-Kal's underside. Startled, it rocketed weightlessly through the air and out into the open ocean, spinning helplessly as an unfathomable distance grew between the Gahlok-Kal and the island it sought to cleanse. As its heavy armor weighed it down into descent, it came to understand why Bohrok were not meant to fly.

Then, with an almighty impact, it collided with the waves, sinking deep into the open ocean before slowing. Gazing up at the surface of the water with its final vestiges of processing power, the Bohrok-Kal began making calculations, its right arm twitching from the damage and its neck mechanism rocking back and forth involuntarily. Not even its Ja-Kal could determine the direction of the island. The darkness of the ocean depths spanned the unfathomable expanse as far as it could see.

A hairline crack had come to manifest across its faceplate. Only in that moment did it occur to the Gahlok-Kal how few inches of metal separated its Krana-Kal from the waters of this foul world.

New directive: Seek repairs.

"We did it, brothers," chuckled Pohatu with a hearty grin as he soothed the Tarakava back into the ocean. "We actually did it!"

"Spirit-blessed are we!" declared Lewa with a joyous grin, resting an Air Katana over his shoulder. "The Bohrok-Kal will surely twice-think before pulling a move like that again."

The two Toa chuckled to themselves before turning to Tahu, who cautiously roved the ocean for any signs of the Gahlok-Kal.

"We haven't seen the last of that one," he murmured ruefully, grounding his two brothers once more. "And the Bohrok-Kal still have possession of our Nuva Symbols. But something about today gives me hope for tomorrow. Maybe not this day, or the next, but we will win back our powers, and never again will we take them for granted..."

Tahu trailed off, his gaze lost on the horizon. Sensing that a sadness still pervaded their leader's features, Lewa and Pohatu exchanged concerned glances.

"It's not going to be quick-easy," nodded Lewa. "But the Matoran look up to us for more than just our powers. Even now, more vulnerable than we've ever been, we can happy-stride onward. In their eyes and in our hearts, we're more than just Toa-heroes: we are legends."

Pohatu nodded in agreement, mindful that he would have to spend some time roving the beaches of Po-Wahi for his Kakama Nuva.

"Today we learnt a valuable lesson in humility" he declared with an insightful nod. "I guess, sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you ever were. Maybe we trip and fall every once in a while, but at least we fall forward."

Pulling the ghost of a smile, Tahu considered the words carefully, then looked at his brothers with new eyes.

"Let's make sure the others never find out about this..."