TNB - Rescuing Natives

If a Chronicler told me this story, I would never believe it.

The Shadowed One's story amounted to this: he had possessed the item we sought, the Staff of Artakha, but he had given it to the residents of the island of Xia as payment for a supply of weapons. He was willing to set us free and tell us where to most likely find the Staff, if we did a service for him. It seemed Roodaka, one of Xia's "leading citizens," had been selling the Dark Hunters information – and doing the same for their enemies, the Brotherhood of Makuta. The Shadowed One wanted her eliminated.

To my surprise, Tahu agreed. It was only later he told me that he had other plans for Roodaka, plans that involved sending Lewa Nuva back to Metru Nui. Meanwhile, the rest of us headed to Xia. (Pohatu, of course, had to leave a little gift behind for the Dark Hunters. He told me later that within an hour after we left, every stone in the Shadowed One's fortress was going to suddenly crumble to dust.)

I had never been there before, but I had heard the island was an industrialized nightmare. As it turned out, the accent was on the "nightmare" part – a massive beast called the Tahtorak was rampaging through the place, and an even nastier Rahi matching the description of the Kanohi Dragon was battling him. Buildings were collapsing, factories burning, even their famed Mountain had chunks torn out of it. It was utter chaos.

Tahu sent Onua tunneling into the island to find the Staff in its underground hiding place. The rest of us did what we could to rescue the natives and get them out of the way of the beast battle. It was Kopaka who had the "good fortune" to find himself saving Roodaka.

"Toa," she spat, as if hating the taste of the word. "I don't need your help!"

"Perhaps not," Kopaka replied, with an icy smile. "But we are going to get yours."

[...]

As it turned out, Lewa Nuva did not have to go all the way back to Metru Nui to find who Tahu had sent him to find. The six Rahaga had heard about the events on Xia and, amazingly enough, were on their way to help the Vortixx. (I hope someday to be as generous as they are).

Now, for the first time in over 1000 years, they were face to face with Roodaka, the being who had transformed them from Toa into their current bestial forms.

"Your island is being destroyed by the Tahtorak and the Kanohi Dragon," Kopaka said to her. "And the Dark Hunters want you dead – odds are the Brotherhood of Makuta does too, or soon will. Help us and maybe we can help you."

"We want nothing from her," spat Rahaga Norik. "Let her meet the fate she so richly deserves."

But Roodaka was smart enough to know when she was an [sic] impossible situation. Making no effort to disguise her contempt for us, she nevertheless raised her Rhotuka launcher and fired at the Rahaga. The spinners struck all six of them, and before our eyes, a miracle happened – six twisted, mutated Rahaga transformed into six tall, strong, and powerful Toa Hagah!

"This is ... amazing," said Toa Gaaki, looking with wonder at her reborn Toa armor. "Norik, it's over – we are heroes again!"

"You were always heroes," said Tahu, smiling. "Now you just look the part."

Our celebration was cut short by the arrival of Onua Nuva. He had been sent to retrieve the Staff of Artakha from a store room deep underground. But he carried no staff and looked as if he had been beaten to within an inch of his life.

"A Makuta ... named Icarax ... he was already there ... stole the staff," the Toa of Earth gasped. "He was wearing the Mask of Shadows ... said the Brotherhood was his now ... and soon the realm of Karzahni will be too ..."

Toa Hagah Bomonga spoke up. "It sounds like you have urgent matters to deal with, Toa Nuva. We will stay and deal with the situation here." He gave Roodaka a long, hard look. "We know how to deal with the likes of her."

Tahu Nuva nodded his thanks, then turned to us. "We need that staff, and we're going to have it – even if we have to tear it from a Makuta's dead hands. Let's go."


- Toa Nuva Blog, Entry 5 and Entry 6