8The sun had set over the Great Desert, but one corner of it was still bathed in light. Wedged between a large oasis and the border of Iron Canyon, the imposing city of Xia gleamed like a vast array of lightstones, visible from miles away and audible from almost as far. The entire population buzzed—Glatorian, Agori, Matoran, Toa, Vortixx, even a few Vorox and Zesk, all clamored excitedly in the streets, most of them trying to squeeze into the main square to get a good view of the stage that had been built just for this occasion. And then, as a Toa of Fire stepped onto that stage, the noise all suddenly ceased.
"Gathered friends," said the Toa, his voice weathered yet clear. "Listen again to the tale of the Bionicle."
At the rear of the stage there was a flash of light. A large three-dimensional image appeared, a depiction of the planet of Spherus Magna that turned slowly in place.
"In the time before time, Spherus Magna was without leaders. All were lost, drowning in strife and confusion, fixated on selfishness and separateness."
The Toa snapped his fingers. A small pillar of flame appeared behind him for a moment, and when it vanished, a Glatorian wearing a purple cloak stood there.
"Yet out of this chaos rose those who would bring order: the Great Beings. They took control of the lawless word, taught us the Virtues of Unity, Duty, and Destiny, and led the way to a new age of enlightenment. Under their rule, Spherus Magna prospered, and the land was at peace."
Six more Glatorian walked in from the sides of the stage, each wearing a cloak of a different color. The one in purple raised their hands.
"To better organize the masses, the Great Beings selected a warrior from each Tribe to serve as their appointed leaders. Upon these six, the Great Beings bestowed the fantastic power of the Elements."
A ring of light pulsed outward from the projection. The six Glatorian raised their swords, and the light vanished as it brushed against them.
"For a time, the Tribes were ruled over by these Element-Lords. But this was not to last."
The image of Spherus Magna took on a silvery hue.
"It was discovered that a precious, mysterious resource known as protodermis lay beneath our feet. The Element-Lords wished to control this substance, and entered into competition with one another. Their greed overtook them. Their lust for power drove the entire planet into war."
The six Glatorian plunged their swords into the stage. The one in purple crossed their arms.
"Displeased by the Element-Lords' shameful display, the Great Beings ordered them to relinquish their commands. The arrogant Lords saw fit to challenge the beings who made them…and were struck down."
Four of the Glatorian crumpled, ending up sprawled on the floor.
"The brutal Skrall even sided with the Rock-Lord, thinking they could overthrow the Great Beings and seize power. They shared in his punishment."
One of the remaining Glatorian fell like the others. He opened his cloak as he did, letting several replica skulls spill out. The last Glatorian, however, simply knelt.
"Only the Sand-Lord had the wisdom to surrender to her betters. She was allowed to live, and would rededicate her life to the serving the Great Beings."
The five "fallen" Glatorian exited the stage. The one in purple drew their arms wide, and at this signal, several Matoran and Toa came to join them.
"The Great Beings knew they could not trust just anyone to solve this crisis. And so, they created the perfect servants to accomplish it. Matoran were born to loyally bear the burdens that lay ahead, while Toa were made to enter the depths of the planet and wield its own Elements to repair the damage done to it. It took several years, but in the end, the Great Beings' plan was successful. The Melding was complete."
The image of Spherus Magna returned to its original shade. The one in purple nodded, and everyone else on the stage (save the Toa of Fire) left them.
"With the safety of all assured, the Great Beings wished to turn again to their work. To better guide us, they taught us the Principles of Courage, Purity, Faith, Creation, Prosperity, and Peace. However, they knew that this would not be enough, and had learned that not just any being could be trusted to lead in their stead. They decided that it was time for new leaders to be forged."
Six new Matoran approached the swords left earlier, each wearing a white cloak and a mask of gold.
"And so the Great Beings crafted the perfect servants: the noble Makuta, second only to their makers in power and wisdom. With these valiant champions carrying out their will, the Great Beings led the world to peace once more…and this time, peace has remained."
The Toa drew the swords and raised them high. The one in purple nodded, looking satisfied, and then walked off-stage.
"For a thousand centuries, we have been at peace, watched over by the Great Beings and the Makuta. All of Spherus Magna has prospered from their guidance, and perhaps none so much as our own great city. Not only is Xia home to the finest smiths, and the hardest workers, but it is also home to the noblest Makuta of all."
The Toa in cloaks backed away, and the image of Spherus Magna vanished. From behind the stage, a new figure stepped onto it. Much of her armor was white, but at least as much was a dull, stony shade of gray. Her hands and feet were clawed, two large, streamlined wings were attached to her shoulders, and while she wore a white and gray Kanohi Kiril, its shape had been altered just enough to give the appearance that its wearer had vicious fangs. Attached to her waist was a sheath decorated by an 'M'-shaped insignia, holding a blade within. The crowd cheered at her appearance.
"With the leadership of Makuta Antroz, Xia has had yet another successful business year! We thank you for all you have done for us, great Makuta, and will continue to work under your guidance for as long as you will have us."
Antroz nodded and smiled. "The pleasure is all mine, Toa Vakama. And the success belongs to all of you! So let us end this ceremony, and let the annual Festival of Bounty begin at last!"
The crowd cheered again. Fireworks exploded overhead, and music began to play from somewhere. Antroz said a final farewell to the Toa, and then turned, stepped off the stage, and began to wade through the masses.
"Spectacular as always, Makuta!" cheered a Matoran.
Antroz smiled at them. "Thank you, my friend."
"Makuta!" shouted an Agori. "Good, I wanted to see you directly! Thank you so much for all your hard work!"
"You are very welcome. It is an honor to serve such fine people."
"Join us, Makuta!" a Glatorian said. "Why not take part in this glorious festival?"
Antroz shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't. But please, enjoy yourselves, all of you. You've earned this."
Eventually she reached the edge of the square, and the crowd gradually began to thin. She continued to converse with the citizens as she wove through the street she found herself on, slowly but surely making her way towards the tall tower at its end, and eventually passed a fruit stall on the side of the road attended by a Vorox and a Zesk.
"Oh, Makuta," said the Vorox, quickly pulling out of his slouch.
"At ease," Antroz said. "Not many customers?"
The Vorox chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, uh, not really. I guess most people want something tastier than a madu to celebrate the occasion."
"I suppose. Be sure to enjoy the festival yourself before it is over."
The Zesk turned to the Vorox, looking a bit excited. The Vorox's eyes focused on the ground. "That's very generous of you. But, we're still a fair bit behind our quota for the week. Maybe next year."
Antroz hummed. Her hand began to glow faintly with black energy, and she flexed it lightly. "There is still time for you to prosper."
The Vorox's eyes widened. Antroz stepped away, and an Agori came in behind her. "Hey, how much for one madu?"
As the Vorox made his sale, Antroz continued on until a familiar Toa of Ice bounded up to her. "Makuta Antroz!" Ehrye greeted. "I guess I missed the opening ceremony, huh?"
"Oh? Where were you?"
"I was double checking that all the cauldrons at my factory were properly cooled. You know, just to be on the safe side."
"You are very dedicated to your work, Ehrye. Toa like you are the reason why we are able to celebrate like this."
Ehrye puffed out his chest and grinned. "Haha, thank you, Makuta! I hope the Great Beings find my work as satisfactory. It's like you always say: there's no greater reward than making the Great Beings proud, and I think I made a good impression on Lord Angonce when he visited last! I'm going to keep working until they all see how dedicated I am!"
Antroz smiled a bit. "…A noble goal, Toa."
"Well, if you'll excuse me, Makuta—I've got a festival to catch up on! Catch you later!"
Ehrye took off the way Antroz had just come, quickly gravitating towards the now-surrounded fruit stand. Antroz stood there for a moment before resuming her walk.
"Wouldn't you like to join the celebration as well, Emsar?" she asked.
A Vortixx slid out from the crowd, falling into step directly behind Antroz. "Won't you ever let me have fun? Honestly, I never dreamed sneaking up on someone without sight would be so difficult."
"Perhaps your efforts would be put to better use on something other than sneaking."
Emsar shrugged with one shoulder. "First you say I work too much, now you're saying I should be working, which is it dear Makuta?"
Antroz sighed.
"Come now, be a good sport. I just want to cheer you up. You've seemed a bit out of sorts lately, not really carrying yourself with the same sureness you usually do. If something's troubling you, why don't you tell me?"
Antroz stopped at the foot of the tower, seeming to ponder this for a moment. Turning around, she asked, "Is there something you were coming to report?"
Emsar rolled her eyes. "Yes, actually. As a Vortixx I'm still offended we aren't included in the grand tale of the Bionicle."
"And I must again reply that listing off all of the Great Beings' creations would have the opening ceremony last for at least a full day. But you aren't actually angry about that."
Emsar let out a small gasp. "Makuta, did you just read my mind? I can't believe you'd violate my privacy so! I demand you shut off that telepathy this second."
"You know very well that all I can sense is where you stand, Emsar. The reason I know you aren't irate is because I know you very well."
"Oh, yes. Pity that."
"You'd rather I walk around bumping into walls?"
"Well, only for a few minutes. Then it'd get old."
"I'm touched," Antroz said. She undid the door. "Will that be all?"
Emsar shook her head. "No, I'm afraid there is something serious I should be mentioning. Lord Angonce is here."
Antroz paused for a moment. "Perhaps you should have led with that?"
"Oh, lighten up. You do have power over Light, it shouldn't be this difficult for you."
"Where is he? Why did he come here—why didn't he inform me?"
"He said he'd be in the weapons district. That's all I've got for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I will go enjoy myself after all."
She vanished into the crowd before Antroz could say anything else. Grunting, Antroz closed the tower door and reached out with her mind, broadening the range of her telepathy to cover all of Xia. To her dismay, she was still unable to sense the presence of Angonce.
Then I can assume he will be in disguise. I suppose I should've expected as much.
Antroz walked down the street, smiling for the sake of her many citizens as she passed them. Truthfully, she felt slightly anxious about this meeting: it was very unusual for a Great Being to show up unannounced, and there was a good chance Angonce had come with another Makuta as a bodyguard. Many of her brothers and sisters did not approve of the Festival, and she had long since grown tired of explaining her reasoning to them. More than that, though, she could not help but think of the last time Angonce had visited, of the criminal who had insulted the Great Beings, of Angonce vetoing her usual trial in favor of a brutal beating and execution…of how she had known it was cruel and wrong, yet done nothing to stop it. Then again, she had already been spending a great deal of time thinking about that.
Antroz shook her head as she set foot in the weapons district. She focused her mind on the area directly around her, getting an idea of how many people there were and which way they were moving. After she had greeted a dozen or so citizens, a Matoran sitting on a nearby bench waved to her.
"Are you enjoying the festival?" she asked as she approached.
"Oh, most definitely!" the Matoran said, nodding excitedly. "I just love the sheer frivolity of the whole thing—and they're enjoying themselves so much! Look at that one! Well, not 'look', but…"
Antroz sat down. "Is something amiss, Lord Angonce?"
The false Matoran sighed. "…Yeah, I guess you could say that. I really am sorry for interrupting, I wanted to wait until the festival was over but this is pretty urgent."
"No apology is needed, my lord."
Angonce looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a moment. "So what we need is for you to go to Nynrah."
Antroz tilted her head. "…I see. May I ask why?"
Angonce looked around, and then leaned in closer. "The Makuta there has taken someone awfully dangerous into custody, and we want you to go get them, since, well…"
As he hesitated, Antroz finished, "The Great Beings lack confidence in Krika."
"You said it, not me," Angonce muttered. "Thing is, we need to be very careful bringing this person to the Valley of the Maze. And hey, the way you handled that last prisoner was great, so I thought of you immediately as the most qualified applicant."
An uneasy feeling began to overtake Antroz. "If I may, my lord, I believe it was more you and Gorast who handled that prisoner."
With a shrug, Angonce said, "Well, you held him until we arrived. That's basically all we're asking you to do here."
"I see. May I ask what makes this individual so dangerous?"
Angonce shook his head. "Sorry, Antroz. We've gotta be real tight-lipped on this one."
Antroz shifted. "…Forgive me, my lord, but I feel it is important for me to know. Not only do I need to be prepared to deal with this person, I would feel uncomfortable delivering them to punishment when I do not know their crime."
Angonce stared forward for a moment. He turned slightly to look at Antroz, not saying anything, his mouth slightly open. A long moment passed before he said, "That's…really all I'm allowed to tell you, Antroz. Sorry, but it's just gonna have to be enough."
Antroz faced forward.
"Believe me: this is absolutely necessary, and you need to be ready for anything. This person…" He stopped, looked around, and then quietly resumed, "This person could tear down Spherus Magna: all the cities we've built, all the people we've created, this whole society we've nurtured…it's all at risk. If you don't do this, then all of this…" He paused to gesture to their surroundings. "…could easily go up in smoke."
The Makuta turned. "There exists an enemy that could do that? That could challenge even the Great Beings?"
Angonce looked up and grimaced. "Not quite yet. Technically speaking. But that's exactly why we need to get them to the Maze ASAP, before they have the chance to become a real threat."
After giving it a bit more thought, Antroz said, "I shall leave at once. I should be able to reach Nynrah before sundown tomorrow."
Angonce grinned and nodded. "Good. Be careful, okay? I'll be waiting for you at the Maze."
Antroz stood, bowed, and headed off. After a minute of walking, she said, "Emsar."
The Vortixx sighed loudly. "Really? Again? You just can't let me have the satisfaction, can you?"
"I trust you weren't eavesdropping?"
"Give me some credit, Makuta. I kept my distance. But if you're offering, I am dying to know."
"Unfortunately, there is little I can share. I must depart at once, and it may be some time until I return—you will be responsible for Xia in my absence."
Emsar raised her eyebrows. "I see. Well I suppose I can manage for a while by my lonesome—it's not as if anything special is scheduled in the immediate future."
"Have you forgotten about the conference with the Sand-Lord?"
"Oh, that's not that special. I suppose I can handle that."
Antroz stopped at the edge of the city. "I have the utmost confidence in you, Emsar. Please take good care of our city."
"Aw, how can I refuse now?" Emsar said, her teeth showing through her smirk. "Good luck on your mysterious journey, Makuta. We'll be eagerly awaiting your return."
The Vortixx disappeared once more, leaving Antroz alone with her thoughts. She still wasn't entirely satisfied—the sheer lack of information she had been given was far too unsettling to her. It was not long ago that the Great Beings had seen fit to torture someone for a petty crime. How could she know for sure that this was different? But as she thought about it, her mind wandered outward, reaching into the city and brushing past several of its citizens as they celebrated. Their joy flooded out from them, filling the crowded streets and reaching back to try to pull her into its flow. Despite her misgivings, Antroz could only smile.
This peace is something I must do my best to preserve. I still believe I can trust Lord Angonce…so I will do what I must.
Antroz spent the night gliding silently over the Great Desert, doing her best to keep her mind empty. She kept close to the southern border of the wastes, noticing only the occasional creature below—though she did take care to slow down as she passed an outpost around dawn, sending a telepathic message to the Makuta who ran it so he wouldn't shoot her out of the sky. She felt the warmth of the sun as it rose behind her, letting it seep into her armor. Her ability to feel had dulled when she evolved beyond her physical body, but there were still some sensations to be felt, and she was sure to appreciate each one.
The sun was high when she reached the shore of the Great Sea. She landed a few miles away from Nynrah, her wings kicking up a small cloud of sand, and prepared to walk the rest of the way. It wasn't long after she landed that a Toa of Plasma ran out to meet her.
"Greetings, Makuta Antroz!" the Toa shouted. "What brings you all the way to our humble settlement?"
"Greetings, Toa," Antroz replied, nodding once. "I am afraid I come on urgent business from the Great Beings. May I return to Nynrah with you, so that I may speak with Makuta Krika?"
The Toa jumped. "Urgent business?! My word, that sounds dreadful! Yes, of course—follow me!"
Nynrah didn't cover as much area as Xia, and its buildings were a fraction of the size. It had no factories, its inhabitants lived in huts, and the people all seemed to move at their own individual paces without any cohesive structure to the community. As Antroz and her escort came through the gates, a few citizens looked up, most of them smiling, but many were too engrossed in their own projects to notice. There were so many sounds: clinking, scraping, sloshing, clanging, none of them loud enough on their own to be a nuisance, but all of them together formed a wretched cacophony that made Antroz glad she hadn't taken Vamprah's suggestion of mastering echolocation.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" the Toa said. "That's a symphony of creation! Oh, making another attempt, Onewa?"
A nearby Toa of Stone waved dismissively in their direction, grumbling as he squinted at the statue before him. He slowly raised his chisel as they walked past.
"It is…certainly a unique sound," Antroz offered.
The Toa of Plasma chuckled. "You don't think much of Nynrah, do you Makuta?"
Antroz took a moment to construct her reply. "It is quite different from Xia, and given that both cities share similar purposes, it is a bit jarring to see things run in such a way."
"We aren't that similar, really. True, the Great Beings sought to foster twin cities of builders, but Xians are more focused on…the matter of fact. You make weapons, and armor, and all sorts of things that are made a specific way for a practical purpose."
He leaned over a railing. Down next to the ocean was a Toa of Water standing before a canvas, furiously assaulting it with two brushes. Antroz couldn't help but notice that the sea itself was calm.
"In Nynrah, we use emotion to create. Our works might not have any particular purpose, but for us, creating without needing a purpose is the noblest pursuit of all." Turning back to Antroz, he asked, "Who's to say which approach is correct?"
Antroz said nothing for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she said, "Those are the words of a lazy Guardian."
The Toa laughed. His body began to change suddenly, reshaping into a tall, lean figure clad in sleek black and gold armor, a Kanohi Mahiki sitting on his face.
"You are meant to enforce order, Krika. Not let them simply float about in pursuit of their own selfish goals."
"Thank you for the words of wisdom, great Makuta," Krika said, giving an exaggerated bow. "But as long as the Great Beings are not beating down my door, I'd say I haven't exactly failed in my duties. Wouldn't you agree?"
Antroz turned and resumed walking. "I have been sent to transport your prisoner."
Krika sighed, and then teleported ahead of Antroz. "Always business. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Isn't your Festival of Bounty going on right now? That was one idea you had that I always liked."
"This matter is too urgent, it would seem."
Krika frowned. "Hm. Indeed. Indulge me, Antroz: what did the Great Beings tell you about this prisoner?"
"We should not discuss this out in the open."
"You just saw how focused they are. No one will hear a word we say."
Giving an unsatisfied grunt, Antroz called upon her Sonic powers. She created a wall of random sound on either side of her and Krika, cutting them off from the din that permeated Nynrah and, more importantly, keeping their words firmly within these invisible boundaries.
"Lord Angonce said this was a person who could destroy everything the Great Beings had created," Antroz said. "I am to escort them to the Maze before they are given that chance."
Krika nodded thoughtfully. After a few more steps, he stopped, turned, and looked Antroz in the eye. "I hear Gorast murdered the last criminal you got your hands on."
Antroz stopped abruptly. Lowering her eyebrows, she replied, "I did what Lord Angonce asked of me, nothing more, nothing less."
"Yes, I know. And you would never even think to question the Great Beings, no matter the order they gave you."
"We were created to serve them, Krika. We are required to be absolutely loyal."
Krika shook his head and kept walking. Before Antroz could say anything more, he called back, "I wonder if you recall one of our earlier assignments. A number of the Great Beings' experiments got loose, and we were tasked with hunting them down—do you remember?"
"Of course I do!" Antroz said, rushing to catch up. "We had to scour all of Aqua Magna to find them all. Not an exhaustion one forgets, especially considering we were still flesh back then."
The streets soon gave way to sand. A cliff face could be seen up ahead, but Krika stopped and looked out at the ocean.
"We had to kill each and every one," he mused. "Dozens of creatures, all one of a kind, all gone forever. All because the Great Beings told us to."
"Those creatures posed a danger to the citizens."
"That's what they said."
"One of them had a thousand teeth, and Gorast's temper to boot."
Krika shrugged. "Okay, fair enough, they were dangerous. But being a Makuta of such upstanding moral character, do you really think killing them was the right thing to do?"
"Our first duty is to the citizens of Spherus Magna. We had to keep them safe. What alternative was there?"
With a flick of his wrist, Krika exerted his own Sonic power, shattering Antroz's walls. It was now that Antroz realized they were not completely alone: not far away, a lone Toa of Earth sat on a rock watching the tide go out. They looked over their shoulder at them. Krika smirked for a moment, and then kept walking. "Oh, who knows?"
The Toa of Earth faced the sea again. Growing frustrated, Antroz walked until she overtook Krika, and continued leading them to the cliff face. "Enough. If you don't take me to the prisoner, then I'll be forced to search your compound myself."
Krika rolled his eyes, but didn't stop walking. "There's no need for that. I'll take you to her."
"Thank you."
At the foot of the cliff was a large metal door, beyond which was the entryway to a small network of tunnels running through the rock, its interior coated in metal and lit by lightstones. Krika led Antroz through a tunnel that sloped upward sharply. As they went, Antroz noticed several doors hanging wide open.
"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Krika asked eventually.
"About what?"
"You know what."
"…I do find it hard to believe that anyone could pose a true threat to the Great Beings."
Krika nodded. "Right? And how we Makuta could have the means to detain and transport someone supposedly on par with our creators? You're smart, Antroz—you must see that it doesn't add up."
"It doesn't seem that you have been able to detain her," Antroz said, pointing to the doors.
"Ah, yes. She has proved quite troublesome. I've been using the most advanced electronic locks you Xians have produced, but every time I leave her alone I come back to find her hacking her way through them like it's nothing."
Antroz turned. "What? That shouldn't be possible."
Krika glanced over his shoulder.
"…More importantly, if she's capable of escaping electronic locks, perhaps you should instead use physical locks."
"I tried. As best I can tell, what she did was pull off a wall tile, rip out some of the piping, and pound the metal into crude lockpicking tools. Just a guess, of course—I didn't realize she was out until she was trying to sneak out one of the maintenance tunnels."
Antroz's footsteps slowed. "She sounds quite resourceful."
"That's an understatement."
"You left her with guards, I assume?"
Krika rubbed his neck. "I was going to, but—"
He was cut off by the sound of another door sliding open just ahead. Someone stumbled out into the hallway: a Glatorian, a relatively young-looking one, with armor that was a shade of teal rare amongst the Jungle Tribe. The Glatorian immediately spotted the two Makuta, and her body froze. A long moment passed before Krika sighed in exasperation.
"Zaekura," he said, "I thought I already demonstrated good faith. If you keep breaking out the situation is only going to get more difficult."
The Glatorian eyed Antroz. Resting a hand on her sword's pommel, the Makuta asked, "Krika, I take it she is the one? I must admit, I hardly expected a mere Glatorian."
Glaring at her, Zaekura muttered, "Yeah, well you're not much to look at either, fangs."
Krika stepped between the two of them. "Why don't I just introduce you, and we can all sit down and discuss matters? Zaekura, this is Makuta Antroz, Guardian of Xia."
Antroz nodded. Zaekura grimaced.
"Antroz, this is Zaekura, a citizen of Nynrah. Her crime is that she possesses a talent not seen fully in hundreds of thousands of years. This girl is a Great Being."
ADDENDUM:
This story takes place in the Melding Alternate Universe first seen in the Brothers in Arms serial, albeit with a few creative liberties taken. Also important to note, this continues off from my story The Gargoyle Knight, which is essentially the prologue. Reading that will give you a much better understanding of where Antroz stands right now.
Kicking off with the legend of the Bionicle seemed like a good way to pile on the backstory without it sticking out like a sore thumb. Granted, it isn't done with rocks, but I think the theatrical telling better fits an industrialized place like Xia. It's also more fun to write this way.
The one representing the Great Beings wears purple because the Great Beings have purple armor. I wanted to give them one unifying color that stood out from the existing Glatorian tribes, and since purple is associated with royalty it was my first choice. Also I like purple. Don't we all?
Eliminating the Element-Lords and the Skrall was done mainly to cut down on the potential number of factions present on Spherus Magna, as well as to show just how strongly the Great Beings react when challenged. I have some plans for the Vorox, though. Also, while not explicitly mentioned, the Iron and Earth Tribes are more or less in the same state as they were in the prime reality (or possibly even worse off)—the Dreaming Plague happened pre-Core War, and the Earth Tribe was ostracized for the hand they had in its start, so that all happened before the divergence occurred.
I should try not to go on too long about Antroz, but I should probably clarify a few things. I wanted the Makuta to be more active leaders of their domains, and this presented a problem if I kept Antroz in Xia: a place known for being run by women isn't really run by women if the appointed governor is male. Making this Antroz female seemed the easiest fix. She is similar to her prime counterpart in appearance because she wants to show that she has "defeated her demons", and took their appearance to serve as a warning to anyone who might challenge her. She also lost her sight, though this was back when the Makuta purged themselves of darkness; she opted not to have her sight restored because she thought that if her eyes were cast out alongside her darkness, it meant she didn't need them, and instead has adapted to telepathically sense were other people and objects are. Her sword has a sheathe to show she values restraint, because she is a beacon of righteousness, justice, and honor to the people of Spherus Magna. This is going on too long, basically Antroz was designed to seem really pretentious!
BS01 says the Great Beings used the Thornax as a base for madu. I didn't know that. But then it makes sense that in this world they would introduce madu as a more edible, equally-resilient alternative for their subjects to cultivate. The energy Antroz uses at the fruit stall is one of her Makuta powers: it's been established that the Melding Makuta use powers tied to the Principles from MNOGII rather than the original Rahkshi powers that counter them, so in place of Hunger she has Prosperity. Some of these Principles are really vague when you think about how to use them as powers, so here I'm presenting Prosperity as a general luck buff—the target becomes much more likely to succeed in their endeavors, at least until the effect wears off. Think of it like a less physical variation on the Calix.
Now, in the prime reality, Krika was not the Makuta of Nynrah—he was in charge of the northern part of the North Continent, which…sounds beyond vague in my opinion, so I freed him up to be put anywhere in this world. Krika was an obvious choice to include in this story, and I thought it would make sense for Nynrah and Xia to be rivals of sorts, so the two just ended up together. It was actually Tridax who watched Nynrah in the main universe, but don't you worry, Melding Tridax is otherwise occupied. And with Teridax gone, there's no one for him to get his name confused with!
A few of the Kanohi the Makuta will be wearing are going to be redundant with some of their powers, unfortunately—it would just be too difficult to pick really good Kanohi without having any overlap. Let's say that using the Kanohi doesn't actually drain the Makuta's energy, while their equivalent Rahkshi powers do.
I think those are all my notes for now. Time to get to work on Section II! Or, maybe one of my other stories...
