BL8 - Nova Burst

The Toa Mahri were fighting the good fight… and losing.

Spurred on by the maddened Barraki, their sea creature armies were attacking in never-ending waves, heedless of their own safety. The faster the Toa fought them off with weapons and elemental powers, the faster more appeared. The heroes had rapidly become surrounded. They hovered in the water in a circle, backs to each other, struggling to repel each attack as it came.

Toa Hewkii spotted a school of sharks break off from the rest and head off in pursuit of Matoro. Using his Mask of Gravity, he increased their mass until they slammed into and through the sea floor.

“They’re going around us!” shouted Hahli. “We can’t stop them all!”

“The Barraki know they just need to tie us down here,” Jaller replied, fending off a mob of venom eels. “And if enough of their creatures reach Matoro —”

Hearing the strain in his voice, Hahli glanced over her shoulder at Jaller. The Toa of Fire was glowing white-hot. “What are you doing?” she cried.

“If there’s no other chance… no other way… I am going nova,” Jaller answered. “If Matoro is far enough away, and his pursuers still in range… well, it may buy him a few more seconds.”

“You’ll kill us all,” said Hewkii. “You know that, right?”

“And all of them,” added Kongu. “Plus everything else for kios around.”

“If Matoro fails, we’re all dead anyway,” said Jaller. “But you four can go — try to get out of range — I will wait as long as I can. Don’t hesitate — go!”

Hahli shook her head. “We have fought together for over 1,000 years, Jaller. We’re not going to stop now. And we’ll die together if we have to.”


Pridak saw the glow around Jaller and knew instantly what was about to happen. “The Toa of Fire!” he shouted to the other Barraki and their assembled armies. “Destroy him — now!”

[...]

A few moments ago…

Jaller had made his decision. Kongu had already fallen to a treacherous attack by Carapar, and Nuparu had been captured by the forces of Kalmah. Hewkii and Hahli were fighting like wild beasts, but had no chance against the overwhelming numbers of the Barraki forces. There had been no sign of Matoro or that he had succeeded in his mission.

This has to end now, he thought. I have to make sure that if we’re defeated, the Barraki can’t stop Matoro or get their hands on the Mask of Life.

Pridak’s efforts to reach Jaller had so far been blocked by the other Toa and by the sheer, overwhelming heat the Toa of Fire was giving off. Now it was time for Jaller to unleash his full power for the first time in one devastating nova burst.

Mata Nui forgive me, he said to himself. He closed his eyes, relaxed his mental control of his fiery energies, and —

“Jaller, stop! Don’t! Stop!”

The Toa of Fire opened his eyes abruptly. He saw crystal towers, Ko-Matoran, the familiar sight of the Coliseum — he was back in Metru Nui! With a supreme effort of will, he forced down his nova power before it could devastate his home.

“We’re back,” he said. “We’re back. How is this possible?”

“More than that,” said Hewkii. “We’re standing on land and breathing air. Thought we couldn’t do that?”

Nuparu helped a reviving Kongu to his feet. “Wait a second,” said the Toa of Earth. “One of us is missing… where’s Matoro? If something sent us back here, why didn’t it send us all back?”

Then the five Toa Mahri heard a sound they could not recall ever hearing before. It was the voice of Turaga Nuju, speaking Matoran rather than his usual language of clicks and whistles. He was shouting from high atop one of the Knowledge Towers to all of Ko-Metru.

“Mata Nui lives! The Great Spirit lives!”

The Toa Mahri could hardly believe it — Mata Nui had returned to life! They had succeeded! And that meant —

The truth hit them like a blow, driving the smiles from their faces. “Oh, no,” whispered Hahli.

“Something didn’t send us home,” said Hewkii. “Someone did.”

“Matoro,” said Jaller. “Then we have to go back. We have to find him. We owe him that.”



- BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall, Chapter 7