Chapter Three

“Where are we going?” asked Takua. “How did you take out those Vahki guards so fast? What’s down here? Have you been down here before?”

“Would you be quiet?” Takanuva snapped. He had never realized before just how annoying he was as a Matoran. “There’s no telling who, or what, is down here, and I’d rather not have unexpected company.”

In truth, it was more than Takua’s chattering that was bothering Takanuva. In his universe, the Metru Nui Archives were filled with exhibits of Rahi beasts, carvings, tools and other things that Onu-Matoran and Ko-Matoran scholars might study. But in this strange world that he had stumbled upon, the Archives were more like a museum of conquest. A long-dead and mounted Visorak stared from the shadows with glassy eyes. A collection of weaponry was nearby, each item identified with a small inscribed tablet. The staff of the Shadowed One, the Spear of Fusion, Zamor Sphere Launchers, Rhotuka launchers, and more. Next to that was the most amazing sight of all: the Kanohi Mask of Shadows, once the property of the leader of the Brotherhood of Makuta, now nailed to the wall like just another trophy.

Moving further into the depths of the Archives, the Toa and Matoran came upon a group of stasis tubes. These were used to keep Rahi in suspended animation so they could be studied. At least, that’s what they had been used for in Takanuva’s universe. In this dimension, he saw with shock that they served a quite different purpose. One tube stood apart from the others, the glow of a lightstone playing on its face. Takanuva wiped the dust from the crystal and gasped. Inside, trapped in stasis, was Turaga Dume, ruler of Metru Nui.

“I can’t believe this,” Takanuva said. “Even Toa as mad as they are here would never do this.”

“Dume talked too much,” said Takua sadly, “and coming from me, that’s saying something. When Toa Tuyet took over, he stood up and said that true Toa value justice and mercy, and she had neither in her heart. You had to admire him for it, all the way up to the moment when they hauled him off and stuck him in there.”

Takanuva fired a beam of laser-light from his left hand, slicing open the crystal case. Takua grabbed his arm, trying to pull away. “Are you crazy?! What if there are alarms? You can’t do that!”

“I just did,” said Takanuva, catching the falling Dume.

Consciousness slowly returned to the Turaga. When he saw Takanuva, he said, “Who are you?”

“I’m… a friend,” Takanuva replied.

“You? A Toa? No Toa is my friend,” said Dume.

“I don’t have time to argue with you,” said Takanuva. “Somewhere down here there is an intelligent Rahi called a ‘Krahka’ — at least, I hope she’s here. We need to find her. Something is very, very wrong in this world, and I’m going to need help if I’m going to make things right.”

“Help is exactly what you need, Toa,” said a voice behind Takanuva.

He whirled to see the one figure he never expected. Takua and Dume both backed away in fear. Standing before them was the leader of the Toa Empire, the wielder of the Nui Stone, and the unquestioned ruler of the known universe: Toa Tuyet.