--==Shadows of Evap Nui==-- -=The Epic=-

[The Host]

--==Shadows of Evap Nui==--
-=The Epic=-

-Written and Produced by Zero Legacy Shadow / God of Deamons-
=No part of this may be copied or reproduced in any way, shape or form without the permission of the above. Doing so will lead to severe punishment as well as the chance of being banned. So don't do it.=

-C&C are much appreciated, but please try not to point out evry single spelling mistake. I am human. I do make kistakes sometimes... You can add your comments:
 Here, in the discussion topic

--==***==--


--==Book One==--
-=The awakening=-

-=Chapter One=-
-The Land of Evap-

 Iranu, turuga of Evap Nui, walked slowly out of the throne room of the Apocolesseum, his crimson armour slowly becoming brighter as it was hit by the sun from the outdoors. Using a dull amount of power from his Kanohi Junai, mask of replication, Iranu sent forth three hazy images of himself to greet the matoran who were all wating patiently for the turuga's speech. As the three images walked forwards, Iranu stopped, listening and waiting for the sounds of the crowd to settle. When the sounds had died down enough, Iranu began to walk forwards again, and as he stood in front of the matoran, he was greeted by seven tall figures, clad in shining black armour, thier eyes dull, and their bodies twisted and moving.

 The matoran below let out a unison gasp as the seven beings dissapeared, only to reappear, seperating the matoran into the seven seperate tribes they belonged to. As they did so, a wave of shadows seemed to spread out over the mass of matoran, the dark cloudy wisps causing many matoran to shudder.

 "Matoran of Evap Nui... it is I, your great leader, Iranu, who has brought the Makuta into our midst. As of now, I am no longer your ruler... but your master-" Iranu was cut off by a protosteel blade slicing through his upper body, the sword handled by one of the Makuta.

 "We of Destral had agreed to rule the matoran of this island... but we had no intentions of ruling under a weakling such as yourself..."
 
 The clouds of shadow energy began to drop, engulfing the matoran below in a grasp of death. As the city of Evap fell silent, shrouded in shadows, the lonely laugh of a Makuta was the only noise to be heard. And the noise such as that would be the only type of noise heard for over 1000 years...

***

 Vaho looked at the sky of Fenuin Nui, the land of iron. It had been three years now since the destruction of the trading center of the matoran universe, Evap Nui, and still noone had been able to lift the island from its sunken depths far beneath the Galatra Ocean. The matoran of Fenuin Nui had been working on large ocean rigs and liquid protodermis divers, but nothing so far had been a success.

 The closest island next to Fenuin Nui was a land of flames, Taruna nui. Working together with the matoran of iron, the two tribes had been focussing on creating a mask fo power capable of forcing the island of Evap Nui from the sunken area where it lay, but there were no beings of power able to wield any prototype masks, nor even experiment. All hope had seemed lost for the matoran trading world until the massive quake, which caused the landmasses that had been far away from Fenuin and Taruna Nui to crash inwards towards the two. The great quake had also caused a mountain peak of Evap Nui to protrude from the waters.

 With the arrival of several other matoran tribes, Po and Onu matoran had begun attempts at causing other quakes to bring the lost land up again, and Ga matoran had aided Fe matoran in the construction of sea vessels and deep seeking sea vessels. Le matoran as well as De matoran had begun work on airships which were sent out to search for any usefull materials that had surfaced to the ocean top. The De matoran had also built in primitive radar and sonar systems which aided in the process of seek and search.

 The last tribe to arrive had been the Ko matoran of Koneria Nui. The Ko matoran ahd instantly begun research of Evap Nu's dissapearence area, as well as research of the rahi that inhabitted the nearby islands. The had also compiled many important documents retrieved from the sunken city of Evap Nui. Perhaps their contribution to the raising of the land had been minimal, but the research effort as well as safekeeping of the documents would be a massive surge forwards if the land was resurrected.

[The Host]

 The wind screeched as it whistled through the dense forests of Lor Koro, the rainforest village of Evap Nui. Liera stood in her observatory, a small thatched hut that lay in the upper reaches of the secluded forest, and looked out at the large area around her. Matoran below were at work, rebuilding the village after yet another wild rahi infestation had torn down many of the protodermis trees.
 
 As Liera watched, her mask glowed slightly, the Kanohi Avohkii lighting up the small room. The makuta that had been staring at her for over an hour now hurled itself at Liera, the toa of light now completely aware of the being of darkness. Liera stabbed the makuta with quick jabs from her dagger, but the makuta soon overpowered her.
 
 "Who... who are you? And why are you here?" stammered Liera, her arms flailing as she struggled against the tight hold of the makuta.

 "I am Makuta Israka, the leader of the sixth arm of the Brotherhood of Makuta. My duty here is to capture the last toa of light in the matoran universe... and then sink the landmass known as Evap Nui." The being of shadows stretched his protosteel armour to tighten the grasp on the toa, and as soon as it was locked on, the two beings of opposite elements dissapeared into a cloud of shadows.

***

 Lazare closed sealed the scroll, handing it back to Vaho, who in turn gave it to Kano to replace on the document shelf in Koneria Nui. The three matoran in charge of operations within the Matoran Alliance looked around the skytower observation deck, which allowed them to survey the islands surrounding Koneria Nui. Lazare was the first to speak after the scroll had been returned to its position.

 "So.. who wrote that... and what does it mean to us?" the question was directed at Kano, but Vaho was quick to answer.

 "It means that the makuta had a plan. They didn't go into the island of Evap Nui seeking only destruction. A toa of light is unique. Not only can it create toa stones, but the spheres, if given enough time, can bring out Av Toa only, meaning that if this toa had created toa stones before she was captured, then there are perhaps toa light stones that could aid us if we were to resurface the island," Vaho paused, waiting for input from Kano.

 "It also tells us a bit about the makuta. They seperate themselves into divisions, each one probably specialzing  in a certain attribute. But other than that, it also gives us more hope to resurface the land of Evap Nui. If we are able to get into the region known as Lor Koro, we may be able to seek information about the toa stones whereabouts- if they exist. Even if they have not completely developped into toa light stones, they could still be of use to us, as the Fe and Ta matoran could test the improved Garais on new toa."

 Lazare looked at Vaho, then at Kano. "So what are we waiting for?" he asked, "Let's get down there. We should start our search for Lor Koro."
 

[The Host]

 Makuta Kahario stood up from his throne in the deepest part of Bastion Destral. Around him, the council of the eight arms of Makuta Teridax stood, waiting for the next orders. The ebon-green armour of makuta Kahario flashed, and the throne was empty. The eight makuta who had stood around their leader stepped back, allowing thier ruler to reestablish his presence in the center of the circle.

 "Makuta Israka. Step forwards." The cold words from Kahario's mouth were crisp and silent, and yet, they managed to give a sharp bite to eah of the eight Makuta around him.

 "You have me me, Makuta Kahario," the words belonged to Israka, leader of the sixth arm of of the Brotherhood of Makuta.

 "Your next mission... I have decided what it is you shall perform," the bitter sound of Kahario caused Israka to shudder. "The islands surrounding Ex Evap Nui have begun to come closer to their goal. Evap Nui... it has the possibility to rise out of the ocean once more. You are to see that if it does, it will be destroyed immediately. Do not take action unless it rises."

 "Yes, I will go now..." Israka dissapeared, leaving only a cloud of shadow energy behind him.

 Kahario stepped back, allowing the seven remaining Makuta to move in closer. "Arms two, three and four, return to the defense lines of Bastion Destral. Arms five, seven and eight, return to your respective islands. Arm one... follow six leader Israka. Kill if necessary, that is, if he disobeys orders once more..." the sound of Kahario's voice faded into complete silence, and as it did so, the seven remaining Makuta dissapeared, each one heading to their respective destinations...

***

 ..."Teridax... you shall be... restored... to your ultimate... power..." Kahario's arms flooded with power, and as his protosteel armour shattered, small wisps of shadow glided into the small chamber containing the AntiDermis crystal, as well as the Kraakhan, mask of Shadows. A soft laugh escaped the chamber, and as Kahario's armour reformed, the soft whispering sound of the word 'Teridax' was the only sound in the chamber of solitude...

***

 Vaho sat in the control room of the Search Ship, a small sub water craft created by Fe, Ga and Ta matoran. Behind him sat Lazare, Kano, as well as a Po matoran, an Onu matoran, a De matoran, a Le matoran and a Ga matoran. As the ship began to descend into the depths below, lightstones were switched on, and the sunken land of Eval Nui came into view. Broken trees bent at awkward angles covered most of the land, and as the matoran looked on, none of them had any idea what they were going into...

[The Host]

 Rocks crumbled apart, falling onto lower undersea ledges in the darkness of the Galatra Ocean. Dodging away from the rocks, the matoran in the makeshift sea diving boat were all on edge, as none of them had ever experienced a life below the sea. Gloomy areas were lit up by the submarine's lightstones, and other dark areas remained shadowed and untouched. The surrounding protdermis reefs gave a place of refuge for small aquatic sea rahi, and as the matoran looked around, they realised that under the sea of liquid protodermis, they had no place of refuge if they were to need one.

 Ilora, a Ga matoran, was the first to spot something of interest. A large dome shaped building in the middle of the island. The broken walls and shattered windows and doors gave the place an eerie look, but Vaho imagined it would have been a good place at one point.

 Kano, sensing an need for an explanation quickly added his voice to his fellow matoran's thoughts. "That's Apocolesseum, the center of Evap Nui, cituated in the middle of Evap Koro, the capital village of the great island."

 Lazare looked at him, then, thinking for a bit, replied, "So if that's the middle of Evap Koro, where's Lor Koro?" Vaho nodded in agreement, as did Ilora and the rest of the matoran.

 The Ko matoran paused, looking at the large recked Apocolesseum. "It should be," he answered, "closer to the bottom of the continent... as in, near the bottom of the sea..."

 "It would be far away from us wouldn't it?" said Vaho, his voise sarcastic, amused and annoyed all at the same time...

[The Host]

 Israka stood on the shore of Fenuin Nui, his dark armour shining dully in the sun's light. Around him, small matoran huts blazed with destroying flames. Israka smiled cruely, his hand closing in around a small stone. The dark stone glowed with minute power. Israka laughed quietly, the toa stone in his hand growing in power each second.

 In his other hand, Israka held a limp figure of a matoran. The black and orange Fe matoran lay unconscious in the powerful makuta's hand, and as Israka brought the stone closer to the matoran, the Fe matoran gasped for breath, even the minute amount of power bringing a hope to the matoran's life.

 Israka's figure curled around the matoran's neck, the small sharp tipped talon extending into the muscle of the matoran, shadow energy running through the body of the small sapient being. And as the matoran breathed in deeply, his light slowly faded away, only to be replaced by a string of shadow...

***

 The ship holding the matoran rocked violently as the dead trees it entered cracked and creaked. Vaho struggled to keep the vessel in control, but it was not one hundred percent effective. The trees of Lor Koro were dense, and even in their dead state they were strong and powerful.

 "If we can't get through the trees, then what are we supposed to do?" asked Lazare, looking at Kano for help. But it was not Kano who answered, but Letamaru, the matoran of air.

 "The trees that live-stand in our forests on Leriam are twice as powerful as these. We need to hit-attack them at a certain point. Steer the water vessel towards the left side of the trees. They break easily there."

 "If you say so, then I guess we should do that," agreed Vaho, steering the ship to the side of the trees. The trees cracked, spliting apart, allowing the smaal vessel to go deeper into the sunken land of Lor Koro...

[The Host]

 Ilora jumped out of the small sub, into the waters of the Galatra Ocean. As the Ga matoran swam through the dark waters, a beam of light from the sub guided her towards the remains of Lor Koro. Her quest was simple: find somewhere where a pocket of air existed. After reading the documents that had been archived in Koneria Nui, Ilora had a slight idea of where to search, but the chance was slim that the observatory would still be intact.

 As Ilora went deeper into the darkness, Vaho steered the sub in after her, aiming the beam of light around in many directions, hoping to find what they were looking for. But the dark waters would not stay empty of rahi. It was only a matter of time until the Requnies arrived.

***

 Floating behind the shark-like Requnies, Enlakuta laughed quietly as he watched the lone matoran swim through the dark waters, and the other matoran crowded in the sub. Moving a hand forwards, Enlakuta forced the manipulated shark rahi to swim forwards at an amazing speed. As they tore through the waste protosteel hull of the matoran sub, the beam of light went out in a giant flash, blinding the rahi, causing them to go wild. Enlakuta cried out as the razor sharp hide of a Requnie slid across his side. And then, with one final explosion, the matoran sub exploded, the force of the explosion driving the matoran down towards the base of Evap Nui...

***

 Kano slammed into the base of one of the many trees in Lor Koro. Slumping to the ground, he was greeted by soft water-filled soil, as well as the hand of Ilora.

 "Hey! Hey, can you hear me?" asked Ilora, trying to communicate with Kano. Kano nodded, but didn't speak. He couldn't breath.

 Grabbing Kano's shoulder, Ilora swam as fast as she could, aiming for the top of a tree. The one that held the observatory described in the old documents from Koneria Nui. Quickly enetring the air seeled room, Ilora deposited the now unconscious Kano into the room.

 "I'll be back to help you, but I need to rescue the others. Vaho and Lazare are still out there, and a few others are out there too," said Ilora, sadly. As she left to help others, a tired looking Lazare crawled in, holding a Po matoran.

 "I... I saw you... swimming... and followed you here... Vaho's at the bottom of... the ocean, and the Onu matoran is unaccounted for," said Lazare, breathing deeply every so often.

 "I've got the Le and De matoran, as well as Kano... that leaves only Vaho and the Onu matoran that we need to get... I'll search for the Onu matoran, since I can hold my breath for the longest. You get Vaho if you can..."

[The Host]

Ten minutes earlier...

 The ship rocked to the side, water flowing in slowly. Vaho cried out in shock as bits and pieces of the ship broke off, and sooner than he had expected, the ship was uncontrollable. Outside of the ship, in the open waters, Ilora swam frantically away from the dark shadows that were the Requnie, large shark-like rahi. Lazare yelled at Vaho to duck, and as he did so, one of the rahi came through the ship, a look of rage in its eyes. But it wasn't able to attack, as the ship decided that it would be a good idea to explode. The shark rahi screeched in pain as bits of the scrap metal used to make the ship cut its body. Vaho and the others began to sink, and it was Unira, the Onu matoran, that fainted first. Vaho tried to swim towards his fallen comrade, but just as he neared Unira, a blinding light flashed, and as the lightstone exploded, the whole ocean lit up, giving Ilora a small glimpse of the hidden observatory she saught...

...
 Where am I... Thought Vaho, trying to open his eyes. It was then that he hit the seafloor. Sinking into the soft sand slightly, Vaho's body came to rest, his mind drifting off into the unknown...

***

Present Time

 Lazare touched down next to the unconscious body of Vaho. The Fe Matoran's body was partially covered in drift sand, but his body was easily removed from its resting place. Lazare grabbed Vaho, and as he kicked off the ground and into the ocean, his arms pumped the water behind him, moving the two matoran to the observatory, where they both collapsed, Vaho still unconscious, Lazare completely out of energy. But they were safe.

***

 Unira walked along the ground of the sunken Lor Koro. The small breathing apparatus he had found fit him perfectly, and as he walked towards the movement in the water ahead, he remembered just how he had been saved by the small breathing tool.

 Unira hit a rock, and unlike the sand, the rock was hard. As he returned to consciousness, he cried out in pain, only to stop himself when he realized he was out of oxygen. Searching frantically, Unira ran from side to side, looking all over for something to help him breath. But it was useless; the matoran of Lor Koro had not used breathing apparatus, as the island had been above sea level at the time when the village was inhabitted.

 Suddenly, a dull grey mask hit his side, and the Onu matoran turned to where the object had come from. But there was no one there. Then he understood. It was the work of the tide.

 Using his last ounce of strength, Unira rushed in the direction of the tide, searching for the one object that would save his life. He only needed to go about fifty strides until he came across what he was looking for. And it was then that he realized that great beings really did exist...