1Ahkmou elbowed his way through the crowd at Chute Station 445. This was the busiest station in all of Po-Metru, linking as it did to all the other districts. Getting through it was a nightmare. Ahkmou knew that was most likely the reason he had been directed here. In this mob, anything could happen, and no one would ever notice.
Well, this is one Matoran who doesn't intend to mysteriously disappear, he thought. I'm catching the next chute, and then let them try and find me.
Ahkmou felt only one twinge of regret as he headed for the chute to Ta-Metru. He had hoped to somehow get his hands on the Po-Metru Great Disk before he left. But when Toa Onewa showed up, running suddenly seemed like a better idea. "At least I lost that big Akilini-head," he grumbled. Then he cast a quick glance back to make sure Onewa hadn't followed him. "Why anyone would make him a Toa, I can't—"
Still searching the crowd for Onewa, Ahkmou slammed right into a pair of pillars and fell over. He sat up, brushed himself off, and was about to snarl something about idiots putting pillars in the middle of a chute station when he noticed something very disturbing.
They weren't pillars. They were legs.
Toa Metru legs.
Ahkmou looked up into the smiling face of Onewa. "Going somewhere?" the Toa asked.
"Just—just back to work," Ahkmou stammered. "Can't, um, spend all day sitting on statues, you know."
"That's funny," Onewa replied, gesturing to the nearby chute. "I didn't know they had moved your carver's table to Ta-Metru." The Toa reached down and gently grabbed Ahkmou, lifting him into the air. "Why don't we try this again? Hello, Ahkmou. Where are you going? Why did someone leave a note for you on top of a sculpture? And where is the Great Disk?"
"I don't know what you're talking about! Put me down!" Ahkmou shouted.
Onewa noticed a Vahki Zadakh responding to the disturbance. The chute attendant, Kivi, must have signaled them. Zadakh were huge, strong, very fast, and fearless, some might even say reckless. Their great strength offered simply barreling and charging into a situation as not always a bad option. They were always the first ones into a fight and the last ones left standing. Zadakh Staffs of Suggestion left a Matoran susceptible to influence for the duration of the charge, usually several hours. All this led to a simple preferred tactic for enforcing the law: pacify with excessive force.
The crowd swiftly parted to let the security enforcer through. Onewa considered just bolting with the Matoran, but sudden movement would be sure to provoke a pursuit, and there wasn't time for that. He also wasn't any more in the mood than the crowd was to be 'pacified' (especially 'excessively.')
For his part, Ahkmou had not even noticed the Vahki. His attention was riveted by the sudden appearance of Nidhiki, who was watching the action from a shadowy corner of the station with a sinister grin on his face. The Matoran frantically weighed the choice between an angry Toa or a smiling, four-legged hunter and found it wasn't any choice at all.
"Okay, tell you what," Ahkmou said quickly. "I'll help you find the Great Disk, but we have to go now. Understand? Now!"
Onewa glanced at the Vahki, who was still a short distance away. When he looked over his shoulder to make sure the other direction was clear, he spotted Nidhiki withdrawing into the shadows. The Toa's eyes narrowed at the sight of him.
"Sure, Ahkmou," Onewa said quietly. "I think I do understand."
X X X
"One of them is lying." Vakama's words were hard, but his tone was very soft. The Toa were sitting in the shadow of the Great Temple, sharing the tales of their adventures. When the stories were finished, it didn't take a vision to know something was very wrong.
Nokama nodded and glanced over to a corner of the Temple, where the six Matoran gathered. "They can guide us to the Great Disks…but I am convinced one of them plans to betray us yet. The traps did not succeed before—we must accept the possibility that they will try again. We have to be on our guard."
Onewa shook his head, firmly disbelieving. "I still think all the heat has melted your brains, fire-spitter. But if one of those Matoran does plan to steal those disks…I'll stop them when it comes to that."
Vakama glanced back over at the Matoran, watching them converse in hushed tones. "Each of them claims he or she was lured into a trap."
"What's that you're whisper-saying, mask maker?" asked Matau.
Vakama glanced at the six Matoran, who were standing off to the side and looking uncomfortable. "It's just—look at what happened. It was no coincidence. We went out looking for six Matoran, and each of them was gone. They were lured away and promised whatever they wanted most in return for a Great Disk. Meanwhile, we ran into 'accidents' and sabotage every step of the way."
The other Toa nodded in agreement and reflection as Vakama recounted: "Matau found himself trapped and out of control in a Le-Metru chute. Nokama was forced to swim for her life to escape a squad of Vahki Bordakh. Whenua found himself stalked by Rahkshi through a sub-basement of the Onu-Metru Archives. Nuju was forced to rely on his untested ice power and his crystal spikes to save himself from a crashing end. And Onewa discovered that even a Po-Metru statue could become a dangerous trap. Meanwhile, I found Nuhrii half-buried under rubble in a long-abandoned part of Ta-Metru, after stopping a molten protodermis leak due to sabotaged equipment." After a pause, he restated, "Someone didn't want us to find the Matoran or the Great Disks. And during all our struggles, the Morbuzakh spread—fast. Entire sections of the city have been abandoned."
"And you think one of the Matoran betrayed the others?" asked Nuju. "What about that four-legged monster and his friend? Couldn't they be behind all of this?"
Vakama hesitated. Nokama leaned over and said, "Go ahead, Vakama. Tell us."
"I've seen the four-legged one before, as well as his partner," Vakama said quietly. "His power and his rage were…frightening. I don't think he would bother with such elaborate methods to lure the Matoran. He would have just taken them."
"But which one can it be?" Nokama asked. "They all knew where to find a Great Disk. They all had reasons to dislike one of us. If anything, we have too many clues: notes from Ahkmou to Vhisola, notes from Vhisola to Tehutti, Ta-Metru tools, Le-Metru chute maps, Knowledge Tower dust…where do we start?"
"You are looking at what they have in common, Nokama," said Whenua. "When an archivist is trying to solve a mystery of the past, he looks for what is uncommon, out of place. What is different about one of them?"
Nuju frowned. "Old methods won't solve this, historian."
"No, Whenua has a point," said Nokama. "For example, each of the Matoran recognized us as Toa Metru. Someone must have told them we had transformed. But none of them ever referred to six Toa, did they? Each Matoran only seemed to know about the Toa from his or her own Metru. So maybe—"
"You're wrong," cut in Onewa. "I didn't mention it before. I didn't think it was important. But when I talked to Ahkmou on top of the sculpture, he said something odd. He said, 'You must be one of the six.' And he seemed to know our four-legged friend. He called him by name—Nidhiki."
All eyes went to the Po-Matoran, who was standing apart from the others. "From what you said, Onewa, Ahkmou was the only one who lied about knowing the location of a Great Disk," said Nuju. "AII of the others practically bragged about it."
"Ahkmou's name was on the note to Vhisola," said Nokama.
"There was protodermis dust from Po-Metru near the sabotaged vat controls," said Vakama.
"Ahkmou was asking Ehrye about the Great Disks," added Nuju.
"Orkahm said Ahkmou need-wanted his disk very badly," said Matau.
"And Ahkmou knew about Nui-Jaga, enough to use the idea of one to lure Tehutti to the Archives," finished Whenua.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, finally broken by Nokama. "Do you think…? Why would he do that? Why would anyone want to stop us from ending the Morbuzakh threat?"
Vakama thought for a while in silence, then turned out to face Metru Nui's glittering skyline. "Perhaps…perhaps there is far more to the Morbuzakh than we know, Nokama. And we had better find out what it is fast, if we want Metru Nui to survive."
"l say we ask him," said Onewa, rising. "And then we haul him to the Vahki."
"No!" snapped Vakama. "We mustn't!"
"Fire-spitter, I am getting tired of you giving orders," Onewa growled, taking a step toward the Toa of Fire. "Who made you leader? Maybe it's time we found out just which is more powerful, fire or stone!"
Nokama stood and placed herself between them. "Stop it! Metru Nui is in danger. This is no time to fight among ourselves!"
"If you had something besides rocks in your head, carver, you would understand," said Whenua. "Even if Ahkmou is the traitor, he is still the only one who knows where the Po-Metru disk is hidden. We need him. But if you feel like you can't keep an eye on him, well, I—"
"Listen, you dusty librarian, I found him, and I can keep him in line!" snapped Onewa. "At least until I have the Great Disk in my hands."
"Then our job has just begun," said Nokama. "If Ahkmou has betrayed Metru Nui, he is a danger to us all, and so is that Nidhiki."
"Nokama is right," said Vakama. "We have to find the Great Disks before it's too late. And we have to keep an eye on all the Matoran while we're doing it."
Whenua offered a compromise. "History says there's safety in numbers. Let's split into three teams to find the Great Disks."
"Always living in the past, Whenua," Nuju retorted. He changed his tone to make it clear he wasn't agreeing, but giving a new opinion. "But…it would make it easier to keep an eye on the Matoran."
"Good thought-plan!" Matau chimed. "Of course, you got the idea from me…"
"Just remember," Nokama said once more, "Maybe Ahkmou and Nidhiki are working together, or maybe not, but we must beware of both."
"Or maybe they need to beware of us," answered Onewa.
Vakama replied, "Either way, the Morbuzakh is apparently not our only enemy."
Their conversation was interrupted by the ugly sound of a protodermis structure snapping in two. They turned to see Morbuzakh vines hauling the broken remains of a small Ga-Metru temple into the sea.
"As if we need more than one, with that thing around," said Onewa. "Let's go. We have disks to find and a really nasty weed to rip out by the roots."
X X X
Vakama could not have known how truly he had spoken. Nor could he have ever imagined the monstrous thing that lurked in one of the most well-known places in the entire City of Legends—the King Root of the Morbuzakh.
Othersss have hurt usssssss…ssstruck at ussssss…. But they cannot ssstop usssssss! the plant body echoed in a shrill thought. We will ssslip through the cracksss and then vanish like ghostssss. The Matoran will be driven to the center of the city, as we have been commanded. It triumphantly said to itself, Then Metru Nui will belong to the Morbuzakh!
X X X
Now...
Turaga Vakama paused. The memories of his days as a Toa Metru were powerful ones. There were many times he thought he might never get the chance to tell the tales of Metru Nui and the struggle to save it. Now the words spilled from him like a flood, and he found it almost too much to bear. Toa Lhikan…the forges of Ta-Metru…his life as a Toa…all so long ago.
"So much history followed us here…" Tahu said, unusually thoughtful for a change. "You Turaga, the legacy of this 'Toa Lhikan'…."
"All are secrets I wished I could tell, Tahu," Vakama said. "And in some ways, I tried, if only to preserve memories which should not be forgotten. Do you remember the tales of the Matoran lava surfer named Lhii?"
Tahu nodded three times, then froze. "You surely couldn't mean…"
"Lhii and Lhikan were one in the same on purely level of virtue," Vakama answered. "Lhii never existed, but he served the purpose of keeping Lhikan in my memory, and his spirit in the memories of the Ta-Matoran."
Tahu thought again. In Vakama's tale, Turaga Dume had referred to Toa Lhikan as the last of the Toa Mangai. Glancing up at the Mangai Volcano, he thought about that. "Mangai" meant 'protector' in Matoran. Just as Lhikan was the 'protecting hero' for Metru Nui, the Mangai Volcano was the sight in the sky that brought a feeling of security to those below. Vakama must have used that word to name the landmark as for that purpose as well as a remembrance to the past.
"That can't be the end of the story," said Takanuva, Toa of Light. "I mean, there is more, isn't there? What happened to this Toa Lhikan?"
Turaga Vakama smiled. "You were the Chronicler before you were a Toa, Takanuva, and that questioning spirit still lives on in you. Always you seek to know what is hidden. But you are right, that is only the beginning of my tale."
"Did you find the Great Disks?" asked Tahu Nuva. "Did you defeat the Morbuzakh? We must know!"
"And so you shall," said Vakama. "But I am weary, and there is much work still to be done. I will continue my tale tomorrow. Before I am done, you will know why we fought so hard for Metru Nui—and why we were forced to leave. Mata Nui, in his wisdom, brought us to this beautiful island that bears his name. But home will always be Metru Nui."
"Very well, then," said Gali, Toa Nuva of Water. "We will leave you for now, wise one. I know I feel the need for a long talk with Turaga Nokama, and I am sure my brothers have similar ideas."
"Indeed," answered Kopaka, Toa Nuva of Ice, quietly. "There have been far too many secrets kept on this island."
With that, the Toa Nuva filed away, heading in different directions. Only Takanuva remained behind with the Turaga of Fire.
"What troubles you, Toa?" asked Vakama. "Was my tale not what you expected?"
"It's not that," said Takanuva. "l have been a Matoran and now I am a Toa, and yet I still do not remember this city of Metru Nui! Why?"
"You will learn all, in time. Perhaps we should have shared all of this with you long ago, but we felt it would be cruel to remind you of a home you might never see again."
Takanuva nodded. "Perhaps that was wise, Turaga. But tell me, when you lived in Metru Nui—was it wonderful?"
"Wonderful…and terrible," said the Turaga. "l fear that when I have finished my tale, the Toa will have learned the true meaning of darkness."
To be continued in "Bionicle Phase #03: Provenance - Part II: Botanical Predator"...
(Utopian Mystery was compiled from the guide BIONICLE: Metru Nui - City of Legends; the movie Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui; the book Adventures 1: Mystery of Metru Nui; Graphic Novel #2: Challenge of the Rahkshi, containing Comic #15: Secrets and Shadows, and Graphic Novel #3: City of Legends, containing Comic #16: Toa Metru!)
