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Pohatu Nuva paused in his trek to look at the quickly darkening sky. Night was coming, and unlike on Mata Nui, he did not think that this land was going to be the optimal place to camp for the night.
Taking a deep breath, he could feel the fatigue of the day’s ventures. The northern continent was not the most welcoming place to travel. The terrain throughout most of the day was rough enough that using the Kakama Nuva to speed through was to ask for harm. Unable to use the mask, he and the others were forced to travel the more time consuming way to get to where they needed to go.
“We need to find shelter soon,” insisted Tahu Nuva. “There has to be a Koro nearby.”
“It looks like there is something up ahead,” noted Kopaka Nuva. The scope on his Akaku Nuva whirled as it analyzed the valley before them. His lips pursed as he studied the place. “Some sort of outpost, a fortress. I can see Matoran patrolling the walls. The terrain between here and there looks finally safe enough that we can use the Kakama Nuva to get across.”
Pohatu’s head perked up at that comment. He was itching to use his speed.
“What are we waiting for then?” asked Tahu. He too was tired from the day’s journey. “Let’s get going!”
“Wait,” Kopaka warned. “There’s something else—“
The Toa of Fire’s demands were not very interested in waiting for what Kopaka had to say. With a nod to his brother, he and Pohatu tapped into the Kanohi Nuva of Speed and took off down the cliffside and across the valley before them, leaving Kopaka and Onua behind.
One day, Kopaka thought as he shook his head. Onua, patient as ever, activated his own Kanohi Nuva of Speed. The two then raced off to join them.
In a matter of seconds, the outskirts flew by, and the four Toa Nuva were nearing the gates of the outpost. They stopped, short however, at the sight of the valley before the fortress’s walls. Several beings were sprawled on the ground, from the result of what looked like some sort of battle. The Toa Nuva looked as carefully as they could from a distance at the figures, but their curiosity drew them in.
“Dark Hunters,” said Tahu as he got a good look.
“Dead, by the looks of it,” Pohatu said. His eyebrows raised, he glanced at Tahu.
“As I was saying, there was something else I was trying to see about this place before you decided to rush in,” the Toa Nuva of Ice snapped. The Toa Nuva of Stone grimaced. Above them, in the awkward silence between the four, banners flapped in the evening wind. The four of them had never seen the symbol on the banners before, but they instantly recognized the insignia of an organization they knew well— the Brotherhood of Makuta.
“Now look what you’ve led us into,” Kopaka said. Tahu shot Kopaka a glare, saying nothing else. “The guards on the tower probably have noticed us. If we run now we—“
Whatever else Kopaka was going to tell them was cut off by the guards at the top of the tower calling down to them. “Greetings, Toa Hagah!” the Matoran said to them. The four Toa stopped in surprise.
“Toa Ha—“ Pohatu began, but a look from Onua let the sound die in his mouth.
“It is an unexpected surprise to see you here!” the guards called. “We informed the Brotherhood that the Dark Hunters had been defeated and this fortress was protected!”
“We are not here for that,” Kopaka told them. He didn’t raise his voice, but the Matoran somehow were able to hear him clearly.
“Good evening, my Matoran brothers,” rumbled Onua, waving to the guard. “We are here unscheduled, yes. The Brotherhood did not send us— we are instead on our own mission south. As you probably know by your territory, the journey across the land has not been an easy one. We were wondering if we could stay the night before resuming our journey.”
“By all means!’ the Matoran cried. With a nod and a signal to someone unseen, the Matoran disappeared behind his post and the gears of the door began to open.
“Beware brothers,” Onua warned them. “It seems as if something is amiss here.”
***
The four of them were led through the fortress by the eager Matoran of Plasma. They did their best to act casual, but the sight of Matoran working throughout the fortress peacefully under the banners of the Brotherhood was shaking them to their core. There seemed to be nothing along the lines of the stories of slavery and brutal treatment that Norik and the other former Rahaga had recounted to the Toa Nuva and Turaga of Mata Nui. In fact, it was the opposite. People seemed to work hard—even willingly so— at this place, despite its affiliation with a banner so evil.
“What mission takes you south?”
The Toa were surprised by the question, and the Matoran’s inquiry was left hanging in the air for a moment.
“We are actually not allowed to say,” Tahu finally said. “Confidential Brotherhood matters.”
“I understand,” the Matoran nodded. “How far north are you coming from though? Is there anything you can share? We don’t get much news in this post. However, a caravan from a few days ago did give us a messenger with news that is as much amazing as it is terrifying. I am dying to know more.”
“We have been through some wild adventures ourselves the last few days,” Pohatu grinned. “What have you heard?”
“On Xia, two behemoths of Rahi have been destroying the city,” the Matoran began. “Then, there was word of a giant tsunami coming from the north. It flooded out several colonies. Some say it is from Metru Nui, while others are saying about it being from outside the domes entirely.”
“We were on Xia at the time of that fight,” Pohatu said. “And it was a mess. We couldn’t even complete our mission there.”
“The Brotherhood wasn’t too pleased about it, but we had to move on,” Kopaka added. “What else have you heard?”
“There have been rumors circulating that Metru Nui has been supposedly repopulated,” the Matoran continued. “The Matoran who abandoned it have suddenly returned. Wherever they went, they’re back, and the city is in ruins.”
“We have not heard of that bit,” Tahu jumped in. “We haven’t travelled much further north than Xia in recent days.”
“It’s all apparently a mess up there,” the Matoran said. “There is also word of some religious fanatical group of Toa— supposedly the legendary six— that have come back to Metru Nui with them are making their way through the universe.
Kopaka, Pohatu and Tahu looked at each other with worry on their masks. Onua whistled sharply though, appearing unbothered by this.
“For not getting a lot of information, you sure have heard an earful,” the Toa of Earth said. “That is a lot to take in.”
“It is,” the Matoran agreed. “To wrap my Kanohi around it all has taken days. I for one am just glad that none of that has yet reached here. It is peaceful on the plains, and even though we are fighting a war, adding all of that has made my wires go a little crossed.”
Out of a nearby hangar came the sound of clanging and stomping, The four Toa Nuva and their tour guide turned to see the approach of several heavily armored reptilian like creatures with wicked looking staffs of power.
“Rahkshi!” Tahu exclaimed at the sight of the creatures. His hands tensed, ready to unsheath his magma swords.
“Yes, of Heat Vision,” the Matoran said. “We’ve been grateful for their protection. Makuta Krika has sent in several troops of them to protect us in the last months. Their war with the Dark Hunters has been very tense, and attacks from the Hunters seem to come too frequently. These troops have helped us survive under the threat of attack.”
Onua’s unspeaking gaze reassured to the Toa of Fire to back down.
They walked in several more moments in silence before arriving at a complex. A large quarters, specifically Toa sized, was before them. The Matoran gestured for them to come in.
“It is a double room for two Toa,” the Matoran admitted. “I can show two of you to another room if you’re interested—“
“This is actually perfect,” Onua said, giving a courteous nod to the Matoran. The Matoran nodded back, letting the Toa Nuva be as he shut the door.
***
Even after the door of their quarters was closed, the Toa Nuva did not talk. Everyone kept quiet as they checked the room for anyone possibly listening in. While Tahu swept over the room, lighting the candles to create light for them,Kopaka scanned with his Akaku Nuva every nook and cranny for Rahkshi of Camouflage. Onua and Pohatu let their power flow through the building, feeling through the rock and earth to make sure there were no traps or bugs. After several moments, they decided it was safe to speak.
“Our recent adventures have reached many eyes and ears,” Onua said, being the first to break the silence.
“What in Mata Nui’s name is going on here though?” Tahu exclaimed. “Matoran as willing allies to the Brotherhood?”
“They think we are Toa Hagah,” Pohatu chuckled.
“It’s a fair assumption,” Onua said. “Turaga Whenua and Rahaga Bomonga gave me a lesson on the history of them when we were settling into Metru Nui. There were more than just Norik’s team— at least a handful of teams existed. The Toa Hagah were said to be clad in silver armor and have extremely unique masks and tools. We fit the bill of that.”
“We have gotten lucky,” Kopaka said. “We must look the part to them. Who knows how many of those this camp has actually seen”
“If they are looking for us, they are looking for six Toa, not four.” Onua added. “For once Gali might be wrong about us sticking together being the best thing.”
“How could the Matoran possibly be allies of the Brotherhood though?” asked Tahu, still concerned with what he had seen. “Garan and the Matoran on Voya Nui were not this gullible.”
“The Brotherhood might have a convincing propaganda campaign around this area,” Kopaka said.
“But to call us religious fanatics?” Pohatu said. “That has to be a stretch. Six heroes, one destiny, all of those good taglines…we are not some sort of cult.”
“We have seen very little of the universe. Our Matoran may have seen more of the Great Spirit’s gifts than others,” Onua thought aloud. “We cannot know what they have seen, what they have been told and what they have experienced. Maybe just like we came in to save our villagers from the Rahi and Bohrok, the Brotherhood came in to save this village from Dark Hunters.”
“How could the Matoran possibly believe it though?” Tahu asked.
“Look at the Turaga and the lies they gave us,” the Toa of Earth pointed out. “Look at how much of their mysticism that we took as fact.”
“So do we tell them?” asked Pohatu.
“No,” said Tahu. The other three turned to him. “As much as I want to go out and tell them, and burn those Rahkshi to ashes myself… that is not our job. We have something else to do. Hopefully we succeed in our job and with time, the truth will come out. The Hunters can do the dirty work of taking down individual fortresses. But we are not soldiers to fight individual battles.”
The four of them went to bed with this in mind. But Pohatu found that as much as his eyes were shut, he couldn’t drift into a peaceful slumber. There were too many questions on his mind. But despite the answers that his brothers had already given him, he still couldn’t put his mind at rest. It nagged at him. Matoran working so peacefully under the Brotherhood, protected by the Rahkshi…
The sound of breathing came to him again. But Pohatu noticed that there was something off— Only two breaths could be heard.
“You’re still awake, aren’t you, Pohatu,” said Kopaka. Pohatu relaxed, somewhat comforted to hear his icy brother’s voice.
“It’s a lot to think about,” Pohatu whispered. He tried his best to remain quiet, not wanting to wake Tahu or Onua. Although the Toa of Earth, so used to operating at night, was probably awake, he supposed.
“It is,” agreed Kopaka. “But you cannot let it get to you.”
“How do you not let it get to you?” Pohatu asked.
“By remembering all that we have encountered,” Kopaka said. “There has been a lot that has not been right since we woke up outside of our canisters. The Bohrok, the Makuta. Voya Nui. The stars in Metru Nui.”
“The more we go, the more worse things we see,” Pohatu said.
“Think again,” Kopaka said. “The worse we go through, the better we make it.”
Pohatu said nothing, thinking about that for several moments. Things on Mata Nui, Metru Nui, Voya Nui… there were several things that did not seem right. But going through the missions and adventures they had as a group did seem to put things on a better path than they were. Perhaps Kopaka was right.
“Kopaka?” asked Pohatu. The Toa of Ice rolled in his sleeping cot, saying nothing. “Thank you.”
Settling his eyes, Pohatu let that thought drift through his mind, over top of all of the panic and worry that he had been thinking about before. It did seem to cover everything, his worries started to silence…
…and there was the sound of four sleeping Toa Nuva once more.
He was still sore from the day before, but upon awakening Pohatu’s worries and anxious thoughts were further away from his mind than the island of Mata Nui itself.
He picked himself up off his resting place to see the others rising as well, ready to start the next leg of their journey. They said nothing to each other as they fixed their armor and checked their weapons, not needing to revisit the conversation of the night before. Despite all they discussed, Tahu’s words mattered most: they had a job to do, and they could not let their feelings get in the way of that.
It was still odd, walking out to see squads of Rahkshi marching through the fortress and not attacking them. It took a lot of their willpower, but they held their own, strolling peacefully towards the exit.
“Good morning, Toa Hagah,” the Matoran guard said. “I hope you rested well.”
Onua smiled at the Matoran. “If there was a battle last night, we were asleep to the world,” he told the guard. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“It is the duty of the Brotherhood to shelter and aide their Toa,” said the guard. “Although it would have been quite a sight to see Toa like yourselves in battle against the Hunters.”
“That might have to be for another time,” Tahu said. “Our mission lies elsewhere. We hope to see you again, hopefully the next time not under a banner of war.”
Tahu turned to the other three. “Brothers, we split ways here. Onua, Pohatu, best of luck in your mission.”
“Hopefully the south treats you gently,” said Onua with a smile. Kopaka gave a small glare at him.
“Come on, brother, it will be something fun,” Pohatu reassured him. “It will be just like the time you got your one Kanohi mask in an ice boat on a lava flow in Ta-Wahi.”
“You did what now?” asked Tahu. Kopaka ignored him.
“It seems that you are off to dangerous places,” said the Matoran guard. “Be careful in your journeys, Toa Hagah.”
“We will,” said Pohatu. “Oh, and by the way, it’s actually Toa Nuva.”
The four sped off, leaving the puzzled Matoran to think.
“What in Karzahni’s name is a Toa Nuva?” he asked aloud.