Chapter 11: History ante portas
Chapter 11: History ante portas
The eight were kneeling round a low table in Potaka’s hut. A little fire was burning at the fire place in the background, flanked by two statues, one should display Mata Nui and the other was diamond-like looking.
“Here we go, Toa. You can ask as much as you want. I don’t know, if I can answer everything but at least I can try.”
“Okay”, Gali started, “First of all, what is demanded from us? Why seem so many have awaited us? What are the Ikuta brothers after? What have those Piraka and the Nektann swarms to do with it? Who are those Piraka? The Ikuta brothers once kidnapped Lewa because he’s a Guardian. What can you tell us about that? What ‘weapon’ are they searching for? Where are they now? Where are we now? Are there other villages too? Why is the sky blue?” She breathed in deeply. “And last but not least, what do you know about our own past?”
Potaka smiled amusedly. “Well, why the sky is blue, I don’t know. Maybe because it would look awful, if it was green. And for all other questions, I have to start with a longer story…
Our island once was peaceful until the Ikuta brothers came. It’s said, they’ve travelled from island to island before, trying to conquer everything. They had only been to little islands and maybe that seemed to be to easy to them, so they headed for our homeland many years ago. We’ve also never found out, what they originally wanted. Some say, they’re kinda megalomaniac. The Ikuta often claimed, they want to rule over the world. Aro Nui was the first strongly protected island. Protected by Mata Nui. They could have defeated us, but never a god. Then, only a few months ago, they heard about one of our old legends and I think they misunderstood them. It’s about the Guardians and a mysterious thing, originally called Uriuri Puiaki. The Matoran now rather call it the Master of all Emerald or just the Emerald. It can make Mata Nui stronger, but can also weaken him. I’ll come back to that later on.
Originally the Piraka and their Nektann swarms had nothing to do with that all. They came from an island down on the surface, called Voya Nui, and they were searching for something. They were harmless for us as long as we didn’t disturb them and they also ignored the Ikuta. But then some time ago, their behaviour changed rapidly. They started attacking us and did everything for the brothers as if they were controlled…”
“Lhikuta”, Tahu whispered.
“Like he did with you”, Lewa whispered back.
“The village we are in now, is called Le Aro”, Potaka went on, “Once there were six, but after the Piraka joined the battle, they had been destroyed with exception of this one. Ta Aro is now their basis camp and the place where they keep the slaves. Maybe our enemies are there too at present. I think Le Aro is only safe because the last Guardians are there and they can’t risk killing them.” He sighed. “Now there are only two Guardians still left. Lewa … and Tupua.”
The Toa shared a surprised gaze; Tupua showed no reaction at all; the Turaga chuckled. “Well, he might be a bit strange, as you may have already seen. Do you know what Tupua means translated? It stands for ghost, demon, spectre, object of fear, but also being strange or supernatural. Fits him quite well, doesn’t it? But enough from the Spectre … Four Guardians had been captured before the Ikuta brothers left for Lewa, one was kidnapped by the Piraka, soon after they had left, one during this last swarm invasion. I think the Spectre can give you more information. But first I want to tell you something about your own past. As you see, I’m the Turaga of Le Aro and I don’t know much about Matoran that lived in other villages, most I know about Lewa. You were all born as Matoran, that’s for sure, each of you lived in another village but you’ve come together here when this war started years ago. I don’t know, what happened with your families, maybe they’re dead now… maybe they still live, but are enslaved … I can only remember that Lewa’s parents got killed during an attack on Le Aro. Since they were both Guardians, Lewa and his brother became Guardians too after their death.”
“I-I had a brother?”, Lewa stuttered.
“You still have, if the Ikuta haven’t done anything worse than ripping his powers out of his body”, Tupua growled.
“Yes, you have”, Potaka continued, “His name’s Rui. He’s an air-fire-mix. And he was the one captured by the Piraka soon after the Ikuta left. It’s nearly impossible that two members of one family become Toa later on. Well, your brother and you are Toa.”
While the Turaga was speaking Tahu had laid an arm round Lewa’s shoulders not even noticing it himself.
“The legend says, in times like these, Mata Nui chooses heroes, one of each village. The mix must have been seen as only living inhabitant of a seventh village. You seven have managed to rescue our island once. For some time it looked like peace had returned. Then there was the day, Mata Nui called six of you to help out on another island down on the surface. Why only you six, that is one of his mysteries… maybe he wanted one to be left for looking after Aro Nui. Some Kewa should bring you down there, but before you could leave the Ikuta stroke back. They had grown incredible stronger, with new abilities, which, if you believe the legends, normally only the Rahkshi could possess. Mata Nui may have rescued you as he created capsules round your knocked out bodies, but you’d lost all of your memory.”
“Excuse me, but I always hear Mata Nui”, Onua interrupted, “How could he’d done anything when Makuta made him asleep decades ago?”
“That’s another thing I can’t explain exactly. I just would have said because he’s a god. He can watch over his people and protect them in his dreams … Is everything clear now or are there more questions?”
“Yeah, we need every little piece of information, we can get”, Gali turned her head into Tupua’s direction. “It was mentioned that you can tell us more about Guardians and this mysterious Emerald.”
The Demon snorted, but nonetheless he didn’t seem to be unwilling to tell at all.
“As you may have heard there are eight Guardians and it needs all of them together to reveal the location of the Emerald. We’ve never seen this thing because it’s our task to protect it, not to look at it. The Ikuta believe it’s a weapon but they’re wrong. Totally wrong. If you kill a Guardian you can weaken Mata Nui but he will get his energy back after some time. If you destroy the Emerald or leave it back not protected at all because all Guardians are dead you will destroy Mata Nui. Easy to understand, huh? Weaker because there’s less safety now for the stone, destroyed because he normally got his energy from it. No weapon.”
“After we’d awaken the Great Spirit it looked like he was feeling great pain”, Pohatu remembered, “Then it wasn’t because of Makuta as he thought?”
“I’m afraid not”, Tupua snarled, “I think some of them are dead now, I can feel it deep inside of my heart. The power Lhikuta and Reikuta have now is useless. If a Guardian dies, his children get his powers. If he has no children, there are only seven Guardians needed anymore to reveal the location of the Emerald. And now … it only needs me … If they get me and my power they can find the Emerald. If they kill me afterwards … Mata Nui will die …”, he paused for a short time, “My colleagues are dead and I couldn’t have done anything to prevent it.” His voice was trembling of anger. “We can be lucky if Rui and Sasha are still alive.”
The Toa didn’t know Sasha but it was obvious that she had to be the last of the four remaining Guardians.
“Don’t worry.” Lewa had stood up. “We’ll find them both … alive. And free them. And we’ll get peace back on Aro Nui.”
Tahu got up too. “Right. We have no time to lose any more.”
“I’d suggest, you start searching where they bring all slaves”, Potaka meant, “In their basis camp in Ta Aro.”
