Your wish, is my command…
It was night at New Atero. The city streets were quiet, save for a few late-night wanderers and workers. The vendor stands were empty, and the half-finished statues of po-matoran stood tall in the moonlight. The forges of ta-matoran had been long put out, the embers kept alive by the soot that covered them.
But it had been that way for years. The few late night wanderers were looters, as the city had since been abandoned. But the Toa knew. He could never escape this awful place, this place of death and gore. The monster had dragged him deeper into the city, playing him into a horrible game of cat-and-mouse. Others were dragged in too,
would-be adventurers and thieves, who would be ripped apart, their blood spilling across the bowels of the labyrinthine city. But he was kept alive. Alive to become caring of newcomers, and watch as the monster ripped them apart, their dying eyes still locked onto the Toa, in a desperate plea for help. He had failed to help them too. And more and more bodies piled up, and the monster never tired of the game. It delighted in the agonizing spectacle of killing each of them. And he ran, just as he had done before. Was that his footsteps just then? As he ran through the labyrinth, the splatting of blood and the squishing of gore across his feet, he heard the sounds of bones rattling. The monster was closing in. He ran faster, scaling buildings and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. But as he saw it, his heart dropped six feet under, where he was sure his body would soon be. The horrific mural of the monsters face was in sight, as it twisted in a horrifying smile. More running. The Toa urged himself forward, through the blood, through the sea of masks and helmets, white akakus,orange pakaris, silver mirus, blue kaukaus,and more and more and more. It was behind him now, he was sure of it. He tripped on a mask, and was sent sprawling through the puddles of stagnant blood. The abomination
approached. It seized him in many hands, each caked with filth and grime, disgusting rot coming from each. And then, it spoke. “Why resist?”
It asked, in a hollow, almost decaying voice. “We are bound here, to this place.”
The Toa struggled against the hands, each one restraining him.
“To struggle endlessly, the prey and the predator. You,and I, will never be able to leave…so, why care?”
The Toa stared the beast in the eye. “Because I am a protector. And I will stand against those who would jeopardize others. What would you know about that?”
The monster stopped for a moment. And then, it started to laugh. Thousands of voices culminated into one sickening roar of laughter, a mockery of a voice.
It suddenly stopped, and slammed the Toa into a wall.
“I was born after 20 nights of slaughter, 30 nights of sorrow, and 50 nights of rage.
I know your so-called “bravery”, your valour, all of it. But what your kind are, are energy hound lapdogs, begging after a person who has power, and self-proclaimed righteous values. You, are a murderer. Just, as I am. You have slaughtered all who questioned, all in the name of your “leader.” They say toa never kill. They are too wrong. Too many kill, and without regret. That is why I am bound to you, and why we are bound to this place. I kill and delight in it, just as you once did. You say you have changed, but you are too wrong. If you had-” Its voice dropped to whisper- “None of them would have perished. But no. You failed. As you have always done. Goodbye Toa. You have killed with remorse, and as such, you shall suffer.” And with that, the corners of the Toa’s vision blackened, until the darkness, consumed him.