BC4 - Water Breathing

“It must be now!” Onua said. Then he charged into the chamber, ignoring the lava, the fire-scorpions, and the angry Manas. Before the creatures could react, he snatched the Kanohi from its resting place and dove for the tunnel entrance.

Whenua watched, wide-eyed, as the Toa of Earth headed right for him on a collision course. “Mata Nui!” the Turaga shouted, jumping aside just in time to avoid being tackled.

Onua Nuva struck the tunnel floor quake-breakers first, carving his way through the stone and vanishing through it. Five seconds later, Whenua heard a splash from far below.

The Turaga rushed to the ragged edge of the hole and peered down. There was Onua, the Kanohi Kaukau on his face, treading water in a subterranean river. “Turaga! Jump!”

Whenua took another step toward the edge, then dizziness washed over him. Heights were for Le-Matoran, not the Turaga of Onu-Koro. “I cannot!” he shouted back. “It is too far!”

The Toa of Earth smiled. “Turaga Whenua, remember the past,” he said. “Haven’t I always caught you before?”


The river carried them far from the Manas and the Kofo-Jaga to the mouth of a wide tunnel. Once they were back on dry land, Onua shifted from the Great Mask of Water Breathing to the Great Mask of Strength. Together, they began the long trek up to the village.

They had been walking only a short time when Whenua paused, running his hand over the tunnel wall. Onua could see faded Matoran letters carved into the stone just below the ceiling, but too much time had passed to read what they said.

“What does it mean, Turaga?” he asked.

“The past,” Whenua said, with wonder in his voice. “I carved these letters long ago… the same day I carved this tunnel.”

The Turaga said nothing further. But he wore a smile all the way back to Onu-Koro.



- BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks, Chapter 2