“Lost”

Dark storm clouds gathered over the mountain peaks as Jaller and Takua struggled through the snowdrifts. On a ridge overlooking the valley, a dark shape watched their progress. Jaller and Takua never noticed it as they clambered through the icy drifts.

Takua paused as the whirling snow cleared just long enough to offer him a glimpse of an odd-looking stone with writing carved on it. “Stop!” he called breathlessly to Jaller. “Does something look familiar here?”

“You mean besides everything?” Jaller panted, gazing around at the whiteout conditions.

“I mean this.” Takua pointed at the stone. “We’ve passed this at least a million times. And look…” He pointed again, this time to footprints in the snow leading off ahead of them. “Those are either our footprints or the steps to a Le-Matoran dance.”

“Well, don’t blame me!” Jaller said. “I’m following the mask.”

“Fine! Let’s all freeze to death because the mask says to,” Takua retorted.

Jaller turned and kept walking. Neither he nor Takua noticed as the mask gradually dimmed. “Well, maybe our path would be straighter if the real Herald had the mask,” Jaller snapped.

“The real Herald has the mask,” Takua returned. “I couldn’t find water if I fell out of a canoe.”

“Well, what do you think I can find?” Jaller said. “I — oof!”

His words cut off as he slammed into a tall white figure, almost hidden in the blowing snow.

Takua’s eyes widened as the ominous shapes of six white creatures towered over them. “Uh, so far you’re good at big scary… Bohrok!”

Jaller’s heart was pounding with fright. The Bohrok were among the most terrifying creatures ever to threaten Mata Nui. But these… why did they just stand there, as still as the mountain itself?

“Frozen,” he murmured as he realized the truth. “What could do this to them?”

Suddenly one of the Bohrok lurched forward. Jaller and Takua jumped in fright. The Bohrok crashed to the ground… revealing a very different figure standing behind it.

“Kopaka!” Jaller exclaimed. “Toa of Ice! H-how did you find us?”

“It was you who were following me,” Kopaka replied, his icy voice full of suspicion.

Jaller kept a nervous eye on the Toa’s ice blade. “We were?” Jaller said.

Kopaka finally put his blade away. He turned and walked off without another word.

Takua and Jaller exchanged a glance. Both were thinking the same thing — the Toa of Ice would make a very useful guide in this frozen wasteland. They hurried after him.

“We didn’t mean to,” Takua called after Kopaka, struggling to keep up with him in the deep snow. “We were lost.”

“We’re on a mission!” Jaller added, holding up the Mask of Light. “We’ve been sent to find the Seventh Toa,” he said, the words tumbling out of him eagerly. “You see, Takua here was in the tunnel where the lava break is, where he’s not supposed to be, by the way, and I told him —”

Kopaka halted, silencing him with an upraised hand.

“Ulp,” Jaller blurted. “Sorry.”

“You are the Chronicler,” Kopaka said to Takua.

Takua was a bit unnerved by the Toa’s icy gaze. “Uh, yes,” he stammered.

Kopaka looked thoughtful. “Your stories have aided the Toa in the past,” he said. “I will take you to my village of Ko-Koro. State your purpose to the Turaga.”

He strode off, not bothering to look and see if they were following.

At the main temple, Lewa glided to a landing in front of Tahu and Gali. He held up his fist, which Tahu clanked with his own in greeting.

“Ta-Koro is gone, Lewa,” Tahu said heavily. “Buried by the very lava that sustained it.”

Gali’s gaze rested on Tahu. She reached out to touch the scratch on his mask, which appeared to be spreading. “Tahu...” she began.

Tahu brushed away her hand. “You worry about scratches?” he said angrily to Gali. “My village is gone! Your power was nothing! My power was...” He sighed in defeat. “Nothing.”

Lewa put a hand on Tahu’s shoulder. “We are samehearted, brother. And that heart will quicken us to stop the evilspread.”

“But first we must be united,” Gali said. “Together we are strong.”

Without answering either of them, Tahu turned and stalked away.