The Legend of the Bionicle-2003
Archivist's Note: The 2003 story year was divided into two separate sagas: the attack of the Bohrok-Kal and the finding of the Mask of Light. This exhibit currently contains only the first of these stories.
The Coming of the Kal
Soon after the Toa Nuva emerged from defeating the Bahrag, they decided to end their alliance. Though some, mainly Gali, felt it was their destiny to work together, most wished to help rebuild their own villages, which had all been damaged by the Bohrok attack.
When the Toa Nuva returned to their villages, they learned that a mysterious icon had appeared at each Suva shrine. The Matoran planned to celebrate these symbols of the Toa, as well as the victory over the swarms. But the Toa Nuva and Matoran had another surprise waiting for them. Almost at the same moment, the villages were raided by powerful beings who had only one goal: to steal the Nuva symbols. And once the symbols were taken, the Toa Nuva lost the use of their elemental powers. Gali, who was in the process of summoning an enormous wave, was nearly swept away by her own creation. Kopaka's ice bridge collapsed and left him hanging over a crevasse. In Ta-Koro, the thief electrocuted the village guards and collapsed a gateway onto Tahu. Unable to melt the falling rubble, the Toa Nuva was temporarily buried, allowing the raider to escape.
The Toa Nuva tracked the thieves and found that all the trails came together in the rocky desert of Po-Wahi. They soon found the bandits- or rather, the bandits found them. Six Bohrok with odd coloration and silver armor appeared. They named themselves the Bohrok-Kal and demanded to know what the Toa had done with the Bahrag. When Tahu Nuva insisted the queens had been buried in the collapse of the nest, the Kal tried to extract more information. Nuhvok-Kal increased gravity around Tahu until the shield created by his Kanohi collapsed. Then three other Kal blasted the Toa with sonic shockwaves, vacuum blasts, and lightning bolts.
When the Toa regained consciousness, the Kal were gone to find the Bahrag. Without their elemental powers, the Toa would have no hope of stopping the swarms if their queens were freed. But what hope did they have of stopping the terrible Bohrok-Kal? So began one of their most dangerous adventures.
Powerless Heroes, Powerful Foes
Tahu originally planned for Lewa, Kopaka, and himself to trail the Bohrok-Kal and try to delay their search, while the other Toa would visit the Bohrok nest and discover the fate of Cahdok and Gahdok. But neither plan worked well. Pohatu and Onua could not dig through the collapsed nest entrance without their elemental powers, and an attempt would be more likely to attract the Kal than find anything useful. Following the Bohrok-Kal on their search proved to be difficult and highly dangerous. The Toa changed their focus to finding Kanohi Nuva masks and trying to steal their enemies' krana-kal.
At this point, the Kal made a serious strategic error. Tahnok-Kal decided the squad should find the Kanohi Nuva to prevent the Toa from using them and possibly becoming a threat. The Kal's search for the masks met with no success at all, and it delayed their more important search for the imprisonment site of the Bahrag. The Toa Nuva eventually found all the masks and began laying ambushes for the Kal.
Lewa attempted to sneak up on the Kohrok-Kal, swing up behind it from a tree, and steal its krana-kal. Unfortunately, it was quite aware of him, and its intense sonic power taught the Toa of Air a painful lesson. Next, he, Kopaka, and Gali combined into a Toa Nuva Kaita and challenged the Lehvak-Kal. But Gahlok-Kal and Kohrak-Kal were also nearby. The three formed their own kaita and blasted Wairuha Nuva with a combination of Kal energies until he separated into three component Toa again. Meanwhile, Tahu lead a swarm of Tahnok against the Nuhvok-Kal. Not frightened even of a thousand Bohrok, Nuhvok-Kal removed gravity from the swarm and sent it into orbit. It then increased gravity on Tahu until he collapsed.
Only Pohatu and Onua achieved any amount of victory. They polished a stone ball until it was highly reflective, then hid near the beach where Tahnok-Kal was searching. Onua approached their enemy and bothered it until it threw a lightning bolt at him. Pohatu then kicked the ball into the path of the bolt, reflecting it over Tahnok-Kal's head and into a tall tree. The tree collapsed on Tahnok-Kal, and the Toa were able to take its krana-kal. Though the Bohrok Va soon rescued the Kal, Onua and Pohatu were able to learn from the creature controlling it, which had the ability to communicate. The krana-kal claimed that the Bohrok-Kal now knew the location of the Bahrag prison, and the Toa were helpless to prevent the Kal from rescuing their queens. The Toa also learned that the Bohrok swarms had returned to their nests as if summoned, waiting for the signal to attack Mata Nui again.
The Greatest Challenge
The Toa Nuva quickly assembled and traveled to the blocked entrance of the Bohrok nest. When they arrived, they found bad news- the Bohrok-Kal had already blasted their way through the barrier. In the cavern where the Bahrag had last been seen, a hole had been newly melted through the floor. Lewa levitated into the chamber below, and discovered the Bohrok-Kal battling the Exo-Toa which the Toa had left behind. The suits of armor were able to act without wearers to defend the Bahrag prison, but they could not stand for long against the power of the Kal. Worse, Lewa saw a floating cube with sides carved to match the Nuva symbols. The Toa realized it was the lock to the Bohrok queens' prison- and their symbols, now in the posession of the Kal, were the keys. The Bahrag's rescue team was only moments away from fulfilling its mission.
In this moment of desperation, Tahu revealed a secret: he held Kanohi Vahi, the Great Mask of Time. The most powerful mask of all, it could alter the flow of time itself- but if its wearer lost control, it could destroy all reality. Tahu was determined to take this risk. The power of the Vahi slowed down time around the Bohrok-Kal, bringing them to a halt in the process of lifting the symbols to place them on the Nuva cube.
But the elite squad of Bohrok had one more surprise. As their quest came almost to the point of completion, their krana-kal transformed to silver and surrounded them with an impenetrable energy field. The Toa could not recover their symbols, and the strain of controlling the Mask of Time was quickly becoming too much for Tahu. The Bohrok-Kal, it seemed, were guaranteed a victory.
Or were they? A flash of inspiration came to Gali. The Nuva symbols were more than icons- they were linked to the Toa through their elemental powers. Perhaps there was some way to use the symbols themselves against the Kal. Tahu dismissed the Vahi, and the Toa concentrated on mentally reaching out to their symbols. Their energy broke through the krana-kal shield, took control of the symbols, and directed their power straight into the Bohrok-Kal.
As the Kal recovered from the effects of the Mask of Time, they realized the symbols were feeding them energy. The Bahrag shouted not to become distracted, but the power-hungry Bohrok-Kal paid no heed. Before they realized what was happening, they had absorbed more energy than they could handle. Their individual powers activated uncontrollably. Nuhvok-Kal's weight increased until it crushed into a miniature black hole. The Pahrak-Kal became so hot it melted some of its components and burned through the floor. Lehvak-Kal, firing vacuum blasts in all directions, propelled itself randomly around the chamber and eventually smashed through the roof. Gahlok-Kal, unable to stop its magnetism, attracted the fragments of Exo-Toa armor scattered around the chamber and smashed itself with hurtling metal pieces. Kohrak-Kal became trapped in its own sonic field and disintegrated. The Tahnok-Kal imprisoned itself in an electrical field. Though it ran out of energy before destroying itself, it was no longer a threat.
With their symbols recovered, the Toa were again able to use their elemental powers. The island of Mata Nui was free of further trouble, and the Turaga hid the Nuva symbols so they could not be stolen again. As for the fearsome Bohrok-Kal, the Matoran salvaged some of their components to use in simple machinery.
The Turaga Council
The victory of the Toa was followed by several peaceful weeks. During this time, the Turaga became concerned with an important matter. They knew much about the past, and the Toa could benefit from this information. But these tales held many dark secrets. If the Toa and Matoran knew the truth, they could lose all trust in their leaders. It was a difficult decision, and the Turaga argued about it for some time. They decided to each tell a story of the Toa Nuva, and then decide if the heroes of Mata Nui could be trusted with the knowledge of the past.
Onewa began with a tale of Kopaka and Pohatu. During the quest for the Kanohi Nuva, the Toa of Stone traveled to Ko-Wahi to search along with Kopaka. But the Toa of Ice preferred to work alone. He only agreed after Pohatu rescued him from a Muaka. The Toa then entered a cave which was said to hold a Mask of Shielding. Climbing down a deep crevasse, they found the Kanohi, and also found an avalanche of rubble falling toward them. Pohatu shoved Kopaka toward the mask, enabling him to reach it in time to shield himself, but the Toa of Stone was buried beneath the flood of rocks. Kopaka took the mask to Po-Koro as a memorial to Pohatu. However, Pohatu himself appeared and explained that Kopaka had activated the Mask of Shielding in time to save him. Kopaka gave the mask to Pohatu, and they set out to continue their search.
Onewa then argued that the Toa Nuva did not understand the virtue of unity and that they would not understand the Turaga's secrets either. But Whenua disagreed. He began a tale of an underground search he and Onua made for a Mask of Water Breathing. They were menaced by a giant cave worm, but Onua realized it had very sensitive hearing and would dislike loud noises. By smashing boulders together, he drove it away. The Toa and Turaga then encountered a swarm of Kofo-Jaga, fiery stinging scorpions which they were forced to travel around. They came to the cavern where the mask waited, but found it occupied by Makuta's former guardians, the Manas. A single Toa without elemental power could not hope to fight these monsters. But Onua realized that the rock of the tunnel was surprisingly hot. He drilled into the wall, and opened a pocket of magma which spilled into the chamber. The molten rock attracted the heat-loving Kofo-Jaga. They swarmed into the cavern and drove the Manas back. Then Onua ran in, grabbed the mask, and drilled through the floor, Whenua jumping after him into an underground river. Having retrieved the Kanohi Nuva, they returned to Onu-Koro.
Whenua said that Onua had showed wisdom and trust, and would surely trust the Turaga if they told their stories. But Onewa still argued that the Toa did not even trust each other. Matau broke in with a tale to counter this point. Lewa had encountered Tahu in the jungle of Le-Wahi, and they began searching for Kanohi Nuva, though Tahu was slightly suspicious of Lewa, who had once been controlled by the Bohrok. The path they took through the swamp had been blocked by Nuhvok-Kal, who had lifted trees out of the ground, floated them onto the path, and then made them so heavy they could not be moved. Tahu wanted to chase Nuhvok-Kal and force it to return their elemental powers. But Lewa had a better plan. The Toa brought Le-Matoran to a clearing, where they began to build branch catapults, net traps, and other ambush devices. When they were ready, Tahu baited the Nuhvok-Kal and allowed it to chase him into the clearing. The Matoran catapulted rocks and branches at the Kal in such huge amounts that it had difficulty blocking them, even with its control over gravity. In the midst of the chaos, Lewa dashed in to steal the krana-kal. But Nuhvok-Kal caught him and weighted him into the ground. Tahu suspected that Lewa could be trying to lure him into a trap as well. But he realized that he could not abandon a brother Toa. He ran toward Lewa, dodging and knocking stones into each other to increase the chaos. As he grabbed the Toa of Air and dragged him to safety, Nuhvok-Kal fled. With the enemy chased away for the moment, the Toa resumed their search for the masks.
Matau concluded by saying that the Toa now trusted each other. But Onewa still did not believe they would trust the Turaga after hearing the secrets. Nokama began to tell a story of betraying a Toa. She had lead Gali to a sea cave, telling her that it contained a Kanohi Nuva and a test. Nokama then swam out and triggered a stone slab that dropped across the cave mouth and sealed the Toa of Water inside. Gali began exploring, and came across carvings of six beings, apparently some form of Toa. Continuing her search for the mask, she found instead an enormous squid, which tried to drag her down into its cave. Struggling, she found a Mask of Speed on the seafloor. Using its power, she was able to kick fast enough to make a current which tore the squid loose. This sent Gali at high velocity toward the slab blocking the cave entrance. By using the mask to vibrate her body, she was able to pass through the solid stone unharmed. Nokama waited to welcome her and to warn: "You must be able to look beyond the surface and find the hidden depths below."
The other Turaga were upset that Nokama had showed Gali the ancient carvings. Nokama responded that it was better than lying to the Toa about their history. Nuju began another tale, with Matoro interpreting. Tahu, Kopaka, and Gali had met at Kini-Nui to search for the last three masks. They made their way to a narrow gorge known to the Ko-Matoran as the "place of shadow." Nothing lived there, and the Bohrok swarms had kept away. The Toa Nuva made their way carefully, on the lookout for traps. Suddenly, lightning struck the mountainside and triggered an enormous landslide. The Toa managed to deflect the falling rocks and continued on, quarreling foolishly. Then walls of flame appeared ahead and behind them, blocking the path and closing in on them rapidly. Using a Mask of Speed, the Toa raced through, and discovered the fire was only an illusion. Finally, they saw the three Kanohi Nuva, resting on stakes in the ground. The apparent simplicity made Tahu suspicious, though no trap could be seen. But when they took the masks, the ground gave way, and they fell through a shaft. Using the Mask of Levitation, they landed in a dark chamber. They were surprised to find Onua, Lewa, Pohatu, and Turaga Vakama waiting for them. Vakama warned that this place held a terrible danger: a creature with a single purpose. "It lives to defeat Toa."
Vakama interrupted the tale, saying he would finish it, as he had been there. As the Toa Nuva tried to come up with a plan, Vakama revealed that the creature was called the Rahi Nui, and all they could possibly do was to contain it. Before they could prepare, the Rahi Nui appeared: a huge roaring beast combining features of the most terrible Rahi Makuta had infected and sent against the Matoran. It knocked Tahu across the chamber directly into Onua. When Lewa tried to race in circles around it, it tripped him, and he fell stunned. But Vakama explained that the Rahi Nui was a creature of great power and little intelligence. Using the Mask of Speed, the Toa moved faster than it could follow. Using the Mask of Strength, they struck the floor and toppled the Rahi Nui with the shock wave. But these methods did little damage to the enemy. Vakama used his Mask of Concealment and taunted the Rahi, reminding it that he was the one who had trapped it long ago. This startled the Toa. Vakama laughed, asking whether its master had abandoned it or even sent the Toa to fight it. Then a pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness, and Makuta's voice spoke. "It has not been abandoned, Vakama. It has been waiting for your return." He argued for some time, and then disappeared, certain the Toa would meet their doom. Vakama told the Toa to run for a tunnel, while he distracted the Rahi Nui. Though unwilling to leave him alone with the monster, the Toa obeyed. Then the Turaga reappeared, and the Rahi Nui charged. At the last moment, Vakama stepped aside, and the Rahi Nui struck the wall, driving its horns so deep that it could not pull back out. The Toa returned to the surface, to struggle once more against the Bohrok-Kal. And the secrets of the Turaga waited...
When Vakama finished, even Onewa admitted it would have been better if the Toa had known of the past. The Turaga concluded their council, and walked to the kolhii field in preparation for a great tournament. After the contest, they intended to share their tales with the Toa. But not even the Turaga could guess what lay just ahead for the inhabitants of Mata Nui.