2003 - Symbols

When the Toa Nuva returned from the chamber of Cahdok and Gahdok, fear and uncertainty rippled through the land. Who were these strange, armored giants? Could they really be the Toa who had fought for and protected the Matoran all this time? Their raw power and frightening visages left much uncertainty…

Worse still, these Toa Nuva were not behaving as the Matoran had come to expect their heroes to act. They were quarreling, fighting amongst themselves, and finally their unity was shattered. Each Toa Nuva returned to his or her village, convinced they had no further need for each other.

That was far from the only strange occurrence on Mata Nui at this time. In the moment the Toa defeated Cahdok and Gahdok, strange symbols appeared in each village. These were the symbols of the new Toa Nuva, and the Matoran of each village placed one on its shrine. Although some of the Toa Nuva dismissed these icons as merely decorative and nothing more, the Matoran were determined to treat them with respect and guard them against Rahi or other threats.

But such best intentions were for naught. In one dread night, powerful thieves struck in each village. With ease, they rendered the guards helpless and stole the symbols of the Toa Nuva. Little did the Matoran know what the devastating consequences of this would be…

Gali Nuva stood on a rock, looking out over Lake Naho. Her mind was troubled. It had been only a few days since the other Toa Nuva had decided to break up the team. She had pleaded with them to change their minds, reminding them that their destiny was to fight side by side. What would happen to Mata Nui if some new danger arose, and the Toa Nuva were not united against it?

No one had listened. Tahu Nuva and Kopaka Nuva were both proud and stubborn and the tension between them had reached a breaking point. As for the others… with the Bohrok defeated, and Makuta seemingly gone for good, they saw no reason to suffer each others’ company any longer.

The sound of waves crashing against the coastline pulled her abruptly from her reverie. The waters of the lake had grown angry, more so than she had ever seen before. Each successive wave was higher and more powerful than the last. The Toa of Water knew that at this rate the tide would soon threaten Ga-Koro itself.

She mustered her concentration and reached out with her mind to calm the waves. She had done this dozens of times before. It required a relatively small fraction of her power, but perfect calm on her part — so closely was she tied to the waters of Mata Nui that her anger or grief could affect them without her even being aware.

Her mind touched the waters — and nothing happened. It was not that the waves resisted her, as they had when Makuta was asserting his dominance over nature. It seemed as if they simply did not hear her call.

With a knot of fear growing in her breast, she reached out to the ponds and streams of the island, even to the moisture in the air. There was no response. The waters had grown deaf…

Or I have grown mute, she thought, her fear growing.

Gali Nuva’s shock was repeated all over the island, as the Toa Nuva discovered that their elemental powers had left them. Returning to their villages, they learned of the thefts, and realised that there must be a connection between the symbols and their powers.

The thieves had done little to cover their tracks. Each Toa Nuva followed the trail from his or her respective village, eventually coming together on a beach.


- BIONICLE 2003 Style Guide, Synopsis