AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is a humanized Bionicle AU. I do not own Bionicle, and never will.

Confusion.

Shock.

Anger.

Sadness.

Despair.

As the Toa crested the hill, the sun setting behind them, casting their shadows across the plains, they looked out over the fair city of new Metru Nui. They descended the hill, only to be followed by a group of new Toa. These Toa shined in the hearts of many as a beacon of renewed hope against the forces of darkness and despair. As they followed the veteran Toa down the hill, they were met by the Turaga.

Nuju was confused as to the fact that six Matoran had left, but only five Toa had returned. Hobbling over to the new Toa of fire whom he assumed to be Jaller, he inquired of the absence of his assistant. Jaller looked over to the others, who looked distraught and down cast, nodded to him. It was then that Jaller, Toa of New Metru Nui, had to break the old Turaga's heart. He recounted a tale of bravery and sacrifice, of courage and commitment.

He recounted the tale up to Matoro's last moments, where he willingly gave his life to protect everyone he loves. Nuju's heart soared at the mention of his assistant's bravery and achievements, but when Jaller inevitably came to the end of his story, Nuju's heart went still. He started backing away. The news of his assistant's death was too much for his heart to bear. Trembling like a leaf in the summer wind, he shook his head, trying to pass off the bad news as a hallucination, a figment of a nightmare, a hallucination, anything to pass off the horrible truth as a lie.

Clutching his chest, he fell to his knees as the throes of a heart attack ravaged him. He was rushed to the infirmary where he received the best treatments medicine had to offer. The other Turaga followed, having taken the news of Matoro's death as a hard blow. They remembered the slight Matoran fondly, chuckling over his sillier moments. When they reached the infirmary, where their colleague lay sleeping, they felt a great sadness settle over their hearts as they realized they would never again see the smiling face of that sweet Matoran again…

The next day, Nuju was in a foul temper. The other Turaga, as well as the nurses and other patients couldn't get into the room without threats of flying objects. Not only was he in the infirmary due to a heart attack, he firmly believed he was the victim of an awful prank, a vicious lie. When he was pronounced fit, he tracked down the new Toa and loudly started to berate them for trying to pull such a horrible joke on him.

After he finished berating and demeaning them, he started to demand to know where Matoro was. The Turaga couldn't stand seeing Nuju like this so they pulled him gently aside and told him that Matoro was dead, that he died saving the universe from destruction. Finally getting it, he didn't cry, didn't scream. Instead, he fell silent. Once he got to his room, he locked the door and refused to see anyone.

A few days later saw Nuju in the same state of despair, only now he was looking out the window at the celebrations taking place. Scowling, he turned away and closed the blinds, leaving him in utter darkness. A year passing saw Nuju transform from a man in despair to an empty shell as he finally accepted the loss of the only person dear to his heart.

100 years passes

As Nuju made his daily rounds past the shrine where the mask of life now stands, he looks away without a change of expression, but inside, he is furious at the mask for taking his Matoro away. He is bitter towards the one thy call the great spirit for killing the only person that mattered to him in order to restore his own life.

Never mind that Matoro did it of his own free will, Nuju has slowly stopped believing in their deity as some all-powerful, all-loving person; instead, coming to see him as a selfish, egotistical person. A person who will take another's life in order to save his own, a murderer. He turned to leave, to wash his hands of the time he spent there, not noticing the strange glow coming from the mask. Not knowing that it heralded a new age, a new Great Spirit.