Please read the Author's note below. It is very important!

Hi everyone, flamespirit6 here. Well first off, I am so sorry about the extremely late update. I have been delayed due to some personal problems, my computer crashing on me hence, erasing all of my data, the wait for my parent to get a new laptop and then the uploading of my data which I luckily saved in a thumb drive and typing out the latest chapter. So, yeah, those are the lousy reasons why I took so long to update. Anyway, the more important stuff is that I am now the new head chairperson for my student council( which is bad news as it means more work for me! Nnnnoooooo!:( Why me!), meaning that I have less time to work on this story. Furthermore, I have important exams which takes up more of my time leaving less for me to spent on my hobbies. Anyway, I will still try to keep to the deadline that I have previously given to myself however, due to my circumstances, I may have to break the deadline from time to time.

Anyway, I have dragged on for long enough now so, thank you so much for waiting patiently and I hope that you enjoy the latest chapter of Bionicle apprentices: The sixth apprentice!;)

P.s.
I accidently may have made the bionicle characters a bit too much out of character and my chapter title is probably the lamest you guys have ever read.

Chapter 7: Boss fight number one

"All of you, scatter NOW!" Tahu shouted. Right after the words had left Tahu's mouth, the entire group immediately turned and fled. As they ran, the enormous Muaka roared and brought its raised paw down. The paw hit the side of the building, crushing it as well as making the gaping holes in the building wider. The floor of the building trembled under the group's feet as they continued to flee from the angry Muaka. Pohatu glanced over his shoulder and drew in a sharp breath at the sight on front of him. "Pick up the pace," he yelled. "The ground behind us is collapsing. Fast!"

Hearing the brown stranger's shout, Flame briefly looked over her shoulder and watched in horror as the floor crumbled right before her eyes. Flame cursed under her breath and ran even faster, trying to out-run the quick collapsing floor. Running ahead of her were the red, blue and white strangers. Flame struggled to keep up with them when the blue stranger took one look behind and shouted, "Tahu, our brothers are missing!"

The red stranger glanced over his shoulder and replied, "Keep running. They have survived through worse situations before. We will find them later".

"We can take cover behind that debris cover up ahead," the white stranger yelled, whom apparently already analysed the surrounding environment. "The ground there is stable enough to hold our weight".

"Then show us the way," the red stranger spoke. The white stranger nodded and ran ahead of the red stranger, leading the group. Soon, the group caught sight of the hiding spot. The blue stranger glanced behind her, clearly worried about something. Flame taking note of her worried gaze, frowned thinking Seriously, I don't know why that gaze is bothering me so much. I mean I know that she is worried about me and her lost comrades, but I can't understand why that action is bothering me or why it is so familiar. Argh, why the hell do I feel like I had forgotten something?! Flame frowned even more, getting slightly more and more agitated as she pondered about the forgotten 'important thing'.

"Flame". Flame snapped out of her thoughts and stared at the blue stranger. "Clear out whatever is inside your head and focus on the current situation. You are still in danger".

Flame's eyebrow twitched, giving away her frustrated state. "I know that!" Flame shouted. "There is no need to-" Flame was suddenly interrupted by another one of the enormous creature's roar. The group winced slightly at the sound and were nearly knocked off their feet as the building suffered another powerful blow from the creature. The group briefly looked behind them and were more horrified to see that the quick collapsing floor's speed had increased and was approaching them at a faster rate. The red stranger gritted his teeth and shouted, "Keep running and don't look back!"

The whole group dashed for the debris cover at top speed. Despite their earlier advantage, the collapsing ground was catching up with them until it was right behind their heels, falling apart faster than ever before. Flame struggled just to be one step ahead of the quick collapsing floor. Dammit, I am still too slow. Need to be faster. Flame gritted her teeth as she stretched her legs wider and pushed herself to run even faster. Slowly catching up to the blue stranger in front of her, Flame looked up and saw that the group was just a few steps away from the debris cover. Seeing that safety was within reach, Flame allowed herself to relax slightly when a loud cracking sound was heard. The group briefly looked at the ground below them to see large cracks forming at a shocking rate. "The debris cover NOW!" the red stranger shouted.

Just right after the words had left the red stranger's mouth, the last crack on the ground was formed and the floor finally fell apart. The group immediately jumped for the debris cover. The white stranger was the first to land behind the pile of rubble. He shifted his gaze slightly to the right as the red stranger landed next to him. The red stranger briefly met the white stranger's gaze before looking towards the back to see the blue stranger landing right behind them. The blue stranger glanced at them before turning around to see Flame landing right beside her. Flame gazed at the three strangers and made a small smirk as her right foot landed on the ground. Suddenly, the floor under Flame's foot broke, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards. The blue stranger's eyes widened as she cried out, "Flame!"

Meanwhile

The ground shook violently as a terrifying loud boom was heard across the whole second carpark lot. Dan, Jamie, Chet and Harmon all turned their heads towards the source of the sound with the rest of the gathered crowd. At that moment, one thought flashed through their minds. What the hell was that?! They continued to stare at the standing remains of the main school building while an enormous dust cloud surrounding the building began to settle down. As the dust cloud slowly faded away, the four pals squinted, trying to get a better view of the gigantic form standing out among the huge dust clouds. Their eyes widened once the gigantic form was revealed. "What the hell?!" Chet shouted, taking a step back.

Dan who had already gotten into a kneeling position once, felt his knees grow weak as he stared at the building in shock. Harmon, horrified at the scene in front of him, gasped and covered his mouth with one hand. Meanwhile, Jamie stood rigid, uttering the words 'She is not died' repeatedly to himself. "Holy shit, Flame," Dan whispered as the gigantic, tiger-like creature roared and smashed the main school building with its paw.

"She's going to be okay," Harmon spoke. "She is going to be okay, right?" He glanced at the three pals for answers as each of them avoided his gaze, looking at the ground or continued to stare at the main school building. Silence came over the group as each of them began thinking about their female best friend and her chances of survival during the attacks from the huge monster. Soon, the four pals were shocked out of their musing as another loud boom was produced when the gigantic creature hit the building a second time. Slowly coming out of his shock, Harmon said, "Maybe we should get out of here".

Dan turned around to face him and shouted, "Are you crazy?! Do you want us to leave Flame behind?!"

"Actually, I think that getting out of here is a good idea," Chet voiced out.

Dan faced Chet and stared at him in disbelief. "Not you too Chet!" He cried out.

"I agree with Dan," Jamie spoke. "We should wait here for her to come back-"

"Come back?!" Harmon shouted. "There is no way that she is going to come back after a huge blow like that. She might as well just be died!" Jamie immediately punched Harmon in the face after Harmon finished his last statement. Dan's and Chet's eyes widened in shock of Jamie's sudden reaction. After Harmon landed on the ground hard on his bum, he gently touched his bruised cheek and looked at Jamie. Jamie, barely supressing his anger, breathed heavily and clenched his fists tighter. "How could you say that?" he spoke softly. "How the hell could you say that?! You are her friend, aren't you? So, how could you say that? How can you let yourself and tried to convince us that she is died?! She is alive…She is alive, I tell you!" Jamie yelled, clenching his fist even tighter. "She has to be alive, she got to be. If not, everything that I have planned to tell her..." Jamie's voice slowly became a whisper as he continued to talk. Dan walked up to Jamie and squeezed his shoulder. While Chet walked up to Harmon and checked if he was alright.

Then, the four pals heard loud stomping footsteps coming towards them. They quickly looked up and saw the gigantic, tiger-like creature heading towards them. "Shit, we got to get out of here," Chet shouted.

Dan nodded and said, "I agree".

Jamie glared at him and snarled, "So, you also decided to turn your back on Flame too?"

Dan calmly returned Jamie's glare and replied, No, I am not turning my back on her and we are still going to wait her but, not here". Jamie was about to argue when Dan cut him off, saying, "We are just going to wait for her at a safer place, alright. Beside you said it yourself already. We all know how strong she is. That's why she is going to come back to us alive, and besides the hour isn't even up yet".

Jamie glanced at the ground and whispered, "That was before. But, now I am not so sure about it. With that huge, stupid monster and all..., there is a chance the Harmon might actually be right".

Dan pat his back and said, "We just have to have faith that she will come back, alright?" Jamie swallowed his angry words and slowly nodded his head. Dan made a small smile and glanced at Chet and Harmon. They exchanged nods and the four of them began heading for the side gate. As the four pals walked, Dan glanced over his shoulder, staring at the half-destroyed school building. You better be alive Flame, Dan pleaded mentally Please be alive. We can't lose you yet so, please…just goddamn please…, just stay alive.

Shit! Flame cursed as she felt herself falling through the floor and towards her seemly unavoidable doom. Shit, shit, shit! Flame cursed. I can't die here. She reached out for the edge of the stable floor. Dammit, come on, come on, just a bit more. Suddenly another hand appeared out of the blue and grabbed Flame's outstretched hand. Flame's gaze travelled from the hand, up the arm and finally met the blue stranger's amber eyes. "Hold on Flame," the blue stranger barked. "And don't you dare lose your grip on me".

Flame became slightly irritated at that statement and snapped back, "Like hell I will!"

Gali gritted her teeth as she began pulling Flame up. Once, both of them were on stable ground, the whole group let out a sigh of relief. Tahu and Kopaka watched as Flame and Gali leaned against the debris cover, slowly regaining their breathing. "That...*pants*," Flame started. "*pants pants*...was almost too close".

Gali took a few deep breaths and let out a deep sigh. She faced Flame and told her, "This is exactly why I told you earlier to focus on the situation". Gali then pointed to the broken part of the floor where Flame nearly fell to her death. "That fall was proof of my words".

Flame found no way to counter Gali's words. She simply snorted in reply, "Yeah, yeah, whatever". Once, Flame's breathing had returned back to normal, she turned and looked over the pile of rubble. "So," Flame began, gaining the Toa's attention, "How are we going to get rid of that oversized kitten down there?" Flame asked, pointing at the large Muaka which was currently destroying another part of the school. "As much as I love animals and all, that creature is definitely not on my like list for today". The three Toa sweatdropped at Flame's last statement. Tahu was about to speak when Kopaka shouted, "Get down now!"

Gali immediately covered Flame who ducked behind the debris pile. While the other two Toa covered their heads with one arm, ducking down at the opposite sides of their comrade and Flame. The entire group braced themselves against the debris cover as the giant Muaka's paw come down across the building again. The small group coughed as dust clouds formed around them seconds after the Muaka's strike. Almost immediately after the dust settled, Lewa appeared, gliding towards them. Landing on the platform that they were on, Lewa spoke, "Finally found you, my Toa brothers and sister".

Seconds after Lewa's arrival, Pohatu and Onua appeared at the opening bedside them, standing on a pillar of stone and earth. "Whew," Pohatu said, "Well, it's good to be back together again and, glad to see that you guys are doing okay".

Gali looked at them and asked, "So, you were safe, my brothers. Are you guys unharmed?"

"Of course we are," Onua replied. "It is going to take a lot more than crumbling ground to take us down that easily". Before anyone could say anything, a deafening boom was heard as the school building took another powerful hit from the huge enraged Muaka. The Toa Nuva and Flame braced themselves against the pile of rubble, covering their ears when the claws of the Muaka scraped against the building, producing loud sounds of screeching metal. Once the violent shaking of the ground and walls had stopped, the entire group relaxed slightly and removed their hands from their ears. Flame peeped over the pile of debris and said, "Sorry to interrupt this happy conversation but, any of you guys got a plan to get rid of that thing? It is getting really annoying".

Tahu glared at Flame before stating, "We will get rid of that creature after you get to safety".

Flame let out an exasperated sigh before glaring right back at Tahu. "Can we put aside the issue of my safety here?!" Flame said, raising her voice to be slightly louder than usual. "That creature out there is destroying my school and possibly endangering my teachers, schoolmates and my friends. And I don't sit well with the idea of them getting themselves killed because of that beast over there". Then, the building was struck again by the huge Muaka. The whole group immediately ducked as the building shook violently once more. Gali covered Flame slightly, protecting her from any small stones or pebbles that were dislodged during the Muaka's strike. Once the mini shower of pebbles was over, the group removed their hands from their head, still wart of any sudden tremors that might come. "My point proven," Flame muttered.

Tahu glared at Flame through narrowed eyes. He finally sighed in frustration and retorted, "Fine, you can join". Flame started doing a small cheer while the rest of the Toa Nuva stared at Tahu, bewildered at his response. "However," Tahu continued, causing Flame to pause her cheering and stare at him. "You shall remain at the back of the group during the attacks and no buts!" He snapped when Flame started protesting against his idea. As Flame continued to protest, he simply told her, "Or we can always bring you back to safety now. Your choice brat".

Flame immediately became silent and glared at him. She finally sighed and surrendered, saying, "Fine". Tahu nodded and gave Gali a small smile when she flashed him a grateful look. "And the way," Flame spoke, gaining Tahu's attention. "I am not-" Flame was unfortunately interrupted when the building began shaking viciously due to another one of the Muaka's powerful strikes. The whole group braced themselves once more and covered their heads in case of mini pebble showers. Thankfully, there were none.

"Seriously," Lewa commented. "Whoever thought of making a Rahi that hugebig was a brilliant idea must have gone insane".

"Geez, you think?" Flame added in a sarcastic tone. She glanced at the Toa Nuva and said, "But seriously, what's the plan to that thing? It is most definitely not on my like list today. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the fact that it is heading towards the second carpark lot where my friends are right now!"

Tahu nodded and faced the Toa Nuva, "Lewa," Tahu called. "You will support us from above and provide us the whereabouts of where the Muaka is headed. Onua, Pohatu and I will deter the Muaka from continuing on and force it into another direction. Kopaka and Gali will stay with Flame and provide back-up support from afar".

Upon hearing that, Flame was started protesting once again. "Remember our agreement, brat". Tahu interrupted Flame's protesting. "You are supposed to be at the back of the group during our attacks if you want to stay. That was our deal". Tahu looked at Flame straight in the eye and asked, "Besides, what can you do?" Flame's eyes widened at Tahu's question. "What can you do now with that injured arm, kid?" Tahu continued. Flame held Tahu's glare for a few more moments before bending her head down. She bit her lips and clenched her fist tightly in frustration, uttering the word 'Fine'. Tahu studied at the girl before nodding his head and turning to face the rest of the Toa Nuva. "Everyone knows what they need to do?" he questioned.

"Yes," the rest of the Toa Nuva replied.

Tahu gazed at his team and nodded. "Let's go". Tahu commanded. At the exact moment that Tahu shouted his command, Lewa immediately took to the skies. Tahu, Pohatu and Onua dashed after the large Muaka While Kopaka and Gali took their places beside Flame. As Kopaka checked his ice blades, Gali glanced over at Flame who was still staring down at the ground, standing still. Gali and Kopaka shared a brief glance before Kopaka just shrugged coldly and returned to his ice blades. Gali bit back a small sigh and turned her gaze back to Flame. Worried, she walked towards Flame and stopped right in front of her. "Flame," Gali called. Receiving no response from the girl, Gali grew more worried and called once more, "Flame?" She then noticed that Flame was trembling slightly and her eyes widened as she watched Flame clenching her fists tightly and biting her lips. Realising the state that Flame was in, Gali immediately touched her shoulder and called, "Flame".

Dammit Flame thought as she began to clench her hands into fists. Why? She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as Tahu's words rang in her head. 'What can you do now with an injured arm, kid?' Dammit. Flame bit her lips hard, causing it to bleed. Why? Why am I so weak? Dammit. Why? Why must I become a- "Flame!" Flame snapped out of her thoughts as she felt a hand touching her shoulder. Surprised, Flame looked up and saw the blue stranger's worried face. Staring intensely at the girl, the blue stranger asked, "Are you alright? Do you need to leave?"

Flame met her gaze for a few moments, then shook her head, and replied, "I'm fine. Stop worrying much, will you?" The blue stranger continued to stare at Flame who was avoiding her gaze, not believing a single word that Flame said. Feeling the blue stranger's worried gaze, Flame felt her anger beginning to swell up. Shit, not now. Now is not the time to allow my anger to control me. Flame shook her head and began suppressing her anger. Still slightly worried about the girl, the blue stranger sighed and glanced over her shoulder. "Anyway, we are going to head out soon. So, be prepared to go, alright?" the blue stranger told Flame.

"Wait a second, I thought that we are the back-up support," Flame exclaimed.

"We are," the blue stranger replied. "We are just going to observe the battle and maintain a short distance away from the battle. However, even with the short distance, it is still quite dangerous. So stay close to me, alright?"

Flame gritted her teeth and snapped, "I told you already to stop worrying so much. I can take care of myself".

The blue stranger stared intensely at her and asked, "So? What are you going to do? Charge in there recklessly and get yourself killed?"

"But-" Flame protested.

"No buts," The blue stranger snapped. "You charging in there recklessly would not only get yourself but, also might endanger your friends even further". Flame's eyes widened then closed at the blue stranger's words. She then turned her head slightly away, clenching her fists. The blue stranger's intense gaze softened at Flame's reaction. "Look," she spoke, "I know you're worried about your friends. But charging into the situation recklessly will only make the situation worse". The blue stranger smiled slightly and put her hand on Flame's head. As Flame looked up at the blue stranger, the blue stranger continued, "Besides, we are here to help, so just depend on us a little more, alright?"

Flame's eyes widened in surprise. Then, she made a small snort, turning her head slightly saying, "Didn't I already tell you to stop worrying so much? I am capable of taking care of myself, you know". The blue stranger bit back a small sigh when Flame spoke, "However…, since you guys offer your help so willingly, I guess I have no choice but to accept it. So, you guys better do your best since I am depending on you slightly now, okay?" The blue stranger gazed at Flame in shock and then smiled, relieved.

She patted Flame on her head, replying, "Of course".

As the blue stranger continued patting Flame on the head, Flame began to frown. She lightly smacked the blue stranger's hand away, snapping, "Stop that okay! I am not a kid, you know". The blue stranger just chuckled at Flame's reaction. Flame gave her a questioning look which was screaming 'What's so funny look?' as the blue stranger continued to chuckle.

"It is time to go," the white stranger announced, glancing at the blue stranger.

The blue stranger nodded in reply and faced Flame. "You ready?" she asked.

Flame just grinned and replied, "Of course. Let's send this creature back where it belongs".

Damn Tahu thought as he crashed into the wall hard. This is definitely not going well. He glanced up to see the monster-size Muaka still going in the direction of the second carpark lot, the place where Flame indicated her friends were. As the giant Muaka took another step forward, it was suddenly hit on its left shoulder by large slabs of concrete. "This is as far as you are going to go, Rahi," Pohatu shouted.

The Muaka just simply shrugged the attack off, raised its right paw and swiped at Pohatu. Pohatu jumped and used the mask of speed to dodge the falling debris as the Muaka's paw slammed into the ground. After dodging the last concrete slab, Pohatu noticed a shadow over him. He quickly looked and barely got a glance in before being hit by the Muaka's swipe. Pohatu grunted as he crashed into a broken wall. As the Muaka was about to resume its original path, it was suddenly hit by a large dirt wave. The Muaka roared and glanced over its shoulder to see Onua standing a few metres away. "You know, it would be much easier if you just stop now and return home," Onua commented.

The Muaka gave a loud, annoyed growl and continued its way towards the second carpark lot, ignoring Onua. "Well, you had your chance," Onua spoke. He struck the ground, causing earth spikes to rise and stab the Muaka from beneath. The Muaka let out a yelp of pain as the earth spikes stabbed its unprotected underbelly, causing it to be unbalanced. Onua watched as the Muaka wobbled and topped, collapsing onto its side. Soon after the Muaka collapsed its side, the concrete remains of the school building poured onto the Muaka. After the rain of concrete had ended, Pohatu appeared beside Onua. "Good job brother," Onua complimented. "That should keep it from going anywhere for a while".

"Good job to you too my brother. You're the one who made up the plan," Pohatu replied. He pat his hands against each other, grinning. "Well, looks like our work here is done for now".

Onua grinned back in reply. Suddenly, they heard the sounds of moving concrete. They immediately looked back to where the Muaka was and watched in disbelief. The Muaka stood up, glared angrily at them and growled. It then raised its right paw and smacked a large slab of concrete towards them.

"Watch out!" Tahu shouted. He leaped in front of Pohatu and Onua and activated his Kanohi Hau Nuva. The shield came up just in time to block the large concrete slab. The large concrete slab shattered as it slammed hard onto Tahu's shield. The three Toa Nuva stood unharmed as the shattered pieces of the concrete slab harmlessly flew past them. Tahu then deactivated his shield and turned to Pohatu and Onua, snapping at them, "Don't drop your guards so easily, you Kolhii-Heads. The battle isn't over yet".

Pohatu and Onua chuckled guiltily at Tahu's statement. "Well, what can we say? We thought that the plan had worked perfectly, right Onua?" Pohatu said nervously.

Onua made a small cough and replied, "You could say that, brother".

Tahu sighed and spoke, "Anyway…" He looked at the Muaka which had currently resumed its original course. "We need to prevent the Muaka from going on any further. Any closer and it will be at that...second carpark lot in no time".

"Fret not, my brothers. I'm on it," a voice spoke from above. Tahu, Pohatu and Onua looked up and saw Lewa fly pass them. Tahu nodded, then shouted, "Lewa, we'll be counting on you to slow the Muaka down until we get there".

"Understood, fire-brother," Lewa replied. Lewa immediately summoned a large gust of wind and glided faster towards the Muaka. Once he was above the Muaka, he swooped down and sent a powerful air blast towards the Muaka's eyes. The Muaka roared and carelessly swiped its right paw at Lewa. Lewa merely shifted slightly to the left, dodging the attack. "You're going have to do better than that to even scratch me you slowthink Rahi". The Muaka snarled in frustration as it blindly tried to swipe at Lewa. Lewa effortlessly dodged the careless strikes and continued to attack the Muaka from all sides.

Meanwhile

"Ha, Ha, haa". Panting slightly, Flame used the back of her hand to wipe a bead of sweat off her chin, looking up to observe the battle between the airborne green stranger and the enormous Muaka. Flame spoke, "Geez I swear, even though I know that you guys are from another dimension or something like that and having elemental powers is one thing. But having the ability to fly and fight at the same time is another. Seriously, I swear you guys are just full of surprises".

"You're the one who is full of surprises," the white stranger grunted, giving Flame a stern stare.

"Kopaka," the blue stranger chided. The white stranger gave no response and simply looked away, watching out for any sign of danger. The blue stranger sighed and turned her focus to the panting Flame. "Are you alright?" the blue stranger asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just need to get my heart rate back to normal after the last scare that giant boulder gave me," Flame replied. She took in one, last deep breath and glanced up at the battlefield in front of her. "Man, I swear that with all the surprise attacks popping here and there, people are going to have heart attacks and then die every two seconds".

"Behind us now". the white stranger commanded. Flame immediately raced towards the two strangers and covered her face with one arm. Flame bit her lips in frustration as the two strangers blocked another stray boulder. She then sighed and said, "You know, it would be a lot easier to catch up to them if I had some sort of weapons, hence reducing your need to defend me so much".

"I already told you that we will find something on the way," the white stranger snapped.

Flame simply snorted and retorted, "Ha, like as if we actually got the time to go and look for something". Receiving no response from the cold, white stranger, Flame huffed and uttered, "Aarrggghhh! Why did I have to lose those metal poles of mine during that stupid fall?!"

"Not my problem," the white stranger commented. "And stop being so impatient".

"Listen here you arrogant idiot-" Flame said angrily.

"Flame," the blue stranger called out. As Flame and the white stranger turned their attention towards her, the blue stranger asked, "Would this do?" The blue stranger held out a long black metal pole, offering it to Flame. Flame took it from the blue stranger's hands and began examining it. "Hmmm". Flame played around with the pole a bit, feeling its weight before trying to bend it to test it strength. "Not too bad, a bit rough but, quite strong. However…," Flame commented. She held the pole in one hand and made it stand on one end, comparing its length to her height. "It's a bit too long and I prefer swords to staffs though.

"Then, what should the suitable length of the pole be?" the white stranger asked.

"Hmmm... Well, technically I don't think that the length of the pole would really affect my defence or offense. But, for me to move more freely and easily, I guess about one-fifth of the pole length needs to be cut off". The white stranger motioned for Flame to lower her pole. After Flame lowered her pole and held it straight, the white stranger froze a small part of the pole and sliced through it with his ice blade.

"Better?" the white stranger asked as Flame began to play around with the pole again.

"Well, I still prefer swords. But this will do," Flame replied. "Thanks and...um…" The white stranger raised his eyebrow as he waited for Flame to continue. Flame bit back a small sigh and said, "Sorry for being so impatient earlier".

The white stranger simply raised his eyebrow higher and replied, "Apology accepted. Now, we need to get moving". Flame and the blue stranger nodded in response before the whole group dashed off towards their destination. As they ran, Flame looked up and watched as the green stranger continued to battle the large, cat-like creature. Really, they are really amazing. Being able to hold off the creature off its tracks like that. But, I don't think that they can keep that up for long. Flame tsked, gritting her teeth. Dammit, we are at a serious disadvantage here. The strangers are probably half-exhausted from their previous battle, I have an injured shoulder and we still have no way of defeating that creature. Dammit, we are seriously in deep shit here. Then, Flame heard a sudden, soft sound from behind her. Just now, Flame gazed over her shoulder, looking behind her, what was that?

"Incoming!" the white stranger yelled. Flame, momentarily distracted from the sudden sound which she had heard, looked in front and saw a few more large boulders heading towards them. Flame gritted her teeth once more and dodged as many boulders as she possibly could. Meanwhile, the white and blue strangers blocked every single boulder that came their way, even using their power to destroy them in mid-air if necessary. However, just when Flame had dodged another boulder, she saw something coming towards her at the corner of her eye. What is that? Flame thought as she slowly turned her head to the side. Then, a small rock fragment which was unfortunately slightly bigger than an adult's fist entered her view. Shit! Flame winced as the rock fragment rammed into the side of her head.

"Flame!" the blue stranger shouted. Flame immediately shut her eyes as she crashed into the hard ground below her. She winced as she slid across the rough surface. Ouch, Flame winced once more, slowly getting up from the ground. That is definitely going to bruise. Sensing something huge above while taking notice of the large shadow covering her, Flame glanced up and saw another large boulder heading towards her. Shit! Suddenly, the boulder was pierced by an ice spike which was reinforced by a water stream. The boulder immediately spilt into several large pieces, leaving Flame no time to completely get up and dodge the broken fragments. Then, the blue stranger jumped in front of her and deflected the rock pieces, shattering them when her axes' blades touched them. Flame covered herself with her left arm and watched as the blue stranger blocked the rock fragments flying towards them. After deflecting all the rock fragments, the blue stranger turned to Flame and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just had a little rough landing, that's all," Flame replied. Flame grimaced slightly as she got up with her knees wobbling slightly as she stood. The blue stranger frowned, then sighed softly and gently touched Flame's injured arm "What are you…" Flame broke off as the blue stranger's hand began to glow. Soon, a smoothing sensation filled her entire body, almost making Flame relax completely and sigh in contentment. Trying to get her mind to focus on their current predicament, Flame ignored the comforting sensation and asked, "What are you doing?"

The blue stranger briefly glanced at Flame before turning her focus back to Flame's injured arm. "Healing you," the blue stranger replied, concentrating hard on Flame's injured shoulder.

Flame confused by her reply, spoke "Huh? How the hell are you exactly-? You know what, never mind. Just leave my wound alone. You should be saving your energy".

The blue stranger glanced up again, briefly meeting Flame's stubborn gaze. She then focused back on the wound, saying, "Then, at least let me stop the bleeding. The wound has opened up again".

Flame bit back a frustrated sigh before noticing a quick moving shadow behind her. Okay, what the hell is that thing or things that keep following us? Flame glanced behind her, looking around frantically. Hearing a small stone being kicked away, Flame immediately shoved the blue stranger away, shouting, "Look out!" Then, one of the smaller creatures leaped out of the shadows and pounced at Flame. Flame quickly held her pole up, clashing it against the creature's claws. Struggling to hold the creature back, Flame pushed back with all her might. Then, the smaller creature lunged forward, using its jaws to snap the metal pole into two. Crap, there goes my chance at staff play. Flame flicked her wrists, slashing the creature's face with the two broken ends. The creature reared back, yelping in pain. Then again, Flame thought, glancing at her weapons, I always did prefer double sword play. She slashed her weapons in front of her again, allowing her weapons shift forwards slightly by releasing and gripping the poles. Her body had already began to form a battle stance as she got up.

The creature pawed at its face, wiping away its blood from its eyes. It faced Flame, snarling. Flame just smirked at the small creature, giving it a brief mocking look. The creature agitated, growled and charged at Flame. However, before it could even reach her, a powerful water stream pushed the creature aside. Flame looked to her right and said, "You know, I could have taken care of that myself".

The blue stranger glanced back at Flame and walked towards her. She replied, "True. But, the battle could have taken more time than we have to spare. Besides, I wanted to return the favour from earlier".

Flame simply snorted in reply.

"Look out!" the white stranger shouted. The blue stranger and Flame turned to their left and saw another creature leaping towards them. Then, an ice bolt struck the creature, freezing it in a block of ice. The blue stranger and Flame relaxed slightly from their battle stances, staring at the white stranger standing beside the creature ice cube. Flame smiled and commented, "Nice save".

The white stranger simply nodded his thanks and glanced at the blue stranger. "Look like the smaller Muaka recovered faster than we expected. Either that or," the white stranger paused, narrowing his eyes. The blue stranger's gaze intensified as she answered. "The battle is taking a lot longer than it supposed to be ".

"Look out! One giant Rahi coming through!"

The small group immediately jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the huge creature being pushed away. The small back-up group covered their faces as the dust clouds flew past them. Flame and the blue and white strangers were coughing slightly when the brown stranger appeared beside them. "Ah, sorry for the late warning," the brown stranger apologised. "We were a little preoccupied".

Before the blue or white strangers could reply, Flame snapped, "I can get the part that you guys were preoccupied. But, can you not fling it in our direction? We are supposed to be your back-up support, not your collateral damage".

The brown stranger just grinned nervously, apologising. Then, the red and black strangers joined them, overhearing Flame's comment. "Well, we just thought that since you wanted to be in on the action so much, we decided to bring it to you," the red stranger added.

Flame glared at the red stranger and snapped, "I thought the whole point of putting me into the support team is to keep me out of the action. Wouldn't "bringing the action to me" defeat that purpose then?"

The white stranger made an amused snort while the brown stranger snickered and commented, "Look like she got you there, Tahu".

"Shut up, Pohatu. Kopaka," the red stranger growled. "It seems that the battle will take a bit longer than expected. See anything so far?"

The white stranger shook his head and replied, "Nothing that seems to be a weakness so far. Plus, we got another problem".

"What now?" the red stranger questioned.

"The smaller Muaka seem to be recovering faster than originally thought," the white stranger answered.

"Already?!" the brown stranger exclaimed.

"Hmm, it looks like we should have just taken off all their infected masks first," the black stranger commented.

"I don't think that is going to work, brother," the blue stranger spoke.

"What do you mean, Gali?" the red stranger asked.

Before the blue stranger could replied, Flame cut in, saying, "Exactly what she means. I don't know what the heck does breaking the masks do. But, I can tell you that whatever shit is supposed to happen, didn't occur because the creature was completely fine even after she broke both masks on one of those creatures' shoulders".

The Toa Nuva excluding Gali were shocked upon hearing Flame's exclamation. "Is that true?" Tahu asked. "A Muaka didn't disappear?"

Gali nodded and replied, "Yes, it is true. That Muaka still remained in this world despite having its masks broken".

"B-but, that's impossible…" Pohatu stated. "By all means, the Muaka should have been transported back to our world".

"It seems that the masks are no longer what anchor the Muaka to this world," Onua concluded.

"Then, how are we supposed to defeat them?!" Pohatu commented. "If the usual method doesn't work, then how in Mata Nui's name are we supposed to defeat them?!"

"Three Muaka right behind us," Kopaka shouted. Tahu immediately summoned the great mask of shielding, defending Gali and Flame from any attacks. While Onua, Pohatu and Kopaka fended the Muaka off. Suddenly, they heard Lewa crying out in pain.

"Oh no, your comrade…" Flame spoke.

"Lewa!" Gali called out. The Toa of air fell through the sky with a Muaka on top of him, heading towards them. The Toa of ice blasted the Muaka off while Pohatu raced to catch Lewa, softening his landing. However, the force of the fall was still enough to push them a few metres back.

Once they finally stopped, Lewa said, "Many thanks, stone-brother".

"No problem," Pohatu replied.

Gali glanced at Flame and noticed the girl's intense gaze. "Flame," Gali voiced out, gaining the girl's attention. "What is it? What did you see?"

Dang it! Flame thought, cursing the pain she felt on her back as she watched the green stranger fall out of the sky after being pounced on by one of the smaller creatures. Dammit! So close and the green stranger's earlier attack would have hit the giant creature if it weren't for the small guys intercepting the attack and pouncing on him at the same time. Wait a minute. Flame looked at the giant creature, trying to focus on the spot where the green's attack nearly hit it. How did the smaller creatures know when to attack the green stranger and intercept his attack? No, a more important question is why did the smaller creature intercept that attack? Up till now, the smaller creatures haven't been exactly taking blows for the larger one so, why now?

"Flame!"

Hearing her name being called, Flame broke out of her concentrated trance and faced the blue stranger. 'What is it? What do you see?" the blue stranger asked.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure how to explain it," Flame replied. "But, did any of you see what was on the creature's shoulder?"

"I don't think so, why?" the blue stranger commented, confused.

"Sure did," the green stranger answered. "There was a mask on the Rahi's shoulder".

"But, why do you want to know?" the black stranger asked.

"Well, I'm not sure if my theory is correct, but I think that the mask on that shoulder may have something to do with the rest of the creatures," Flame explained.

"What?!" the brown and green strangers exclaimed.

"And how do you know this?" the red stranger demanded.

"What do you mean how do I know? I mean didn't you see it just now too?" Flame exclaimed. "Just now, when one of the smaller cat-like creatures attacked greenie here, another intercepted his attack, protecting the big guy. However, they weren't doing that until the large kitty-cat nearly took a hit at its shoulders where the said mask is. Most likely, that mask may be the 'anchor' which you guys were talking about earlier".

The red stranger gazed at Flame, considering her words seriously. "Lewa, Pohatu and Onua, take out the Kanohi previously mentioned by Lewa while delaying the Muaka as much as possible, and be on the lookout for any more Kanohi on the Muaka's body. There is a chance that there is more than one. Meanwhile, Kopaka, Gali, Flame and I will observe from afar. Return after the mask is broken".

"No problem," the black stranger commented.

"Agreed," the green stranger added.

"Then what are we waiting for?" the brown stranger spoke. "Let show this Rahi why it shouldn't mess with us, Toa". Then, the three dashed off to face the large monster.

Lewa flew into the sky, high above the large Muaka. He looked down and spotted a mask on the Muaka's shoulder. There it was. "Wind-fly," Lewa called. "Swirling winds". Strong gusts of wind headed straight for the mask when a smaller Muaka appeared on top of the larger Muaka's upper back. It jumped in front of the mask, roaring in pain as it took the full blast of Lewa's attack. "Mata Nui, not again," Lewa groaned. Then, he spotted one more mask on the other shoulders and two more masks on the Muaka's hindquarters. "Hmm, it seems that fire-brother was right," Lewa commented. "Oh well, wind-fly".

Pohatu concentrated hard, using his elemental powers to lift the concrete debris and toss them at the large Muaka. However, the debris were either blocked or destroyed by the other smaller Muaka which were even using their bodies to block the attack. "It would appear that Flame was right about the smaller Muaka defending only certain areas of the big one," Onua spoke. He then punched the ground, producing earth spikes from the ground where the Muaka stood. The Muaka roared as it felt pain surging through its body as the earth spikes pierced its left leg. Despite the numerous spikes, only one was able to scrape the mask before being destroyed by another Muaka.

Pohatu whistled and complimented, "Not bad brother. Not only did you scratched the mask you also found two more of them". Pohatu then pointed at the two lower parts of the Muaka's forelegs where a hidden mask laid on each leg. "However," Pohatu began, lifting up more concrete debris. "I bet that I can do more damage or even destroy the mask before you can".

Onua simply chuckled and replied, "Challenge accepted, brother". At that very moment, Pohatu tossed the debris at the Muaka while Ouna punched the ground once more, causing more earth spikes to rise. As the three Toa's attacks landed on the giant Muaka at the same time, the Muaka growled in pain, tossing its head around and even taking a few steps back towards the half-ruined buildings behind it. Luckily, this caused the smaller Muaka to lose their bearings, making them immobile or fall off the large Muaka's back. This time, with no smaller Muaka to intercept the attacks, the mask took full blow of the attacks and finally broke while others became damaged. As the mask fell from the Muaka's shoulder, the Muaka began to tremble, roaring even louder in pain while some of the smaller Muaka began to disappear.

"Well, would you look at that," Pohatu spoke in slight mix of surprise and admiration.

"Indeed, it would seem that our human friend was right after all," Onua commented. He turned around, saying, "Come on, we need to return to Tahu and the others".

"No need, Onua," Tahu spoke. "We are right here".

Kopaka briefly gazed at Onua and Pohatu before going back to observe the Muaka. "Look like Flame may have some hidden skills unlike to what we first originally thought," Kopaka uttered.

Flame simply raised her eyebrow and asked, "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" Kopaka just shrugged, still focused on the large Muaka. Flame began glaring, signalling Gali to step in and keep Flame from exploding.

Tahu sighed heavily and faced Onua and Pohatu, asking, "Well, spotted any more infected Kanohi?"

Pohatu nodded and said, pointing at the creature's forelegs. "Two more just right over there on its leg".

"And three more above. One at the other and two at its hindquarters," Lewa added, landing beside Kopaka and Gali.

"So, there are five more Kanohi to get rid of," Gali uttered thoughtfully. Putting her hand on Flame's shoulder, she faced Tahu and asked, "What do we do now?"

Tahu took a few seconds to think before answering, "First, we have to split up into two groups. One will hold off the smaller Muaka while the other focuses on destroying the masks. The problem now is…" Tahu broke off, staring at Flame.

Flame getting agitated at Tahu's stare, snapped, "Hey! Didn't I already tell you that I could take care of myself ?! Plus, this is my school, I can help". Gali kept Flame from moving forward with one hand and whispered calming words into Flame's ear. Tahu, still doubtful, turned to his deputy and asked, "What do you think?"

Kopaka, still keeping his eyes focused on the scene before them, answered, "Her fighting skills aren't half bad. She must have incredible good stamina or luck to last this long into the battle". He paused, looking slightly amused as Flame glared at him. "She can help," he added, "with someone keeping an eye on her of course," ruining the slightly proud look on Flame's face. Irritated again, Flame was about to snap at him when Gali stopped her with a sharp look.

Tahu raised his eyebrow, thinking deeply about Kopaka's comments. "Alright," he said. "Gali will stay with Flame. Kopaka and Pohatu, you are going to be with me to destroy those masks. Lewa, Onua and Gali-"

"Ahem!" Flame interrupted, making a small cough.

Rolling his eyes, Tahu added, "And Flame. You guys will focus on keeping the smaller Muaka away from the other group". The rest of the Toa Nuva nodded. Flame just smirked triumphantly. Taking a quick glance at everyone, Tahu then turned and shouted, "Alright. It is time to tame this uncontrollable Rahi".

"Yeah!" some of the more energetic Toa Nuva members and Flame shouted as the rest of the Toa Nuva charged towards the giant Muaka. Almost instantly, the smaller Muaka sprung out of hiding, having their fangs and claws out, blocking the Toa Nuva's and Flame's way.

"Wind-fly," Lewa shouted. "Swirling winds". Immediately, gusts of strong winds swept the first wave of smaller Muaka off their feet and sent them flying in every direction. At the very moment the first wave of Muaka was cleared, the second wave of Muaka appeared. Onua stopped, focused on gathering his elemental powers in his fists and slammed the ground. Once more, earth spikes rose from the ground, disrupting the Muaka's formation while clearing a path to the large Muaka for Tahu's team.

"Lewa, Gali! We are going to hold our ground here," Onua shouted.

"Roger that!" Lewa replied as he casted a mini tornado at the Muaka.

Meanwhile, Gali summoned a small flood, sweeping the small Muaka away. She glanced at Onua from the corner of her eye, answering, "Understood". Hearing a shout from the opposite side, she turned her head slightly to the right to see Flame whacking a reared Muaka away from them.

"Hey," Flame called out. "Is this alright? Isn't this distance a bit too far away from your comrades?"

Gali smirked and replied, "What are you talking about? We will still be able to reach them from this range".

"Huh?" Flame said. Gali just smiled as Flame tilted her head slightly in confusion. Then, Flame noticed something happening behind them. "Oi, your friends-" Flame began to warn. Gali just calmly gazed in front of her, seeing Tahu's team about to be ambushed by another Muaka. However, before the Muaka could even get one metre close to the group, one of the earth spikes became a gigantic hand and grabbed the Muaka in mid-air. Onua then willed the earth hand to toss the Muaka back into the crowd.

"-are in trouble…" Flame trailed off, surprised by Onua's counterattack.

Gali just smiled and said, "See, we are still able to reach them from this distance, right?"

Blinking out of her surprised state, Flame spoke, "Hmph, yeah, yeah I can see that alright". She dropped her hand, her weapon facing groundward, saying, "Seriously, I should have expected that after seeing your previous battle with the small kittycats".

Gali just kept smiling, gazing fondly at the girl. She then turned, readjusting her posture into a battle stance. "Here they come, get ready", Gali spoke.

"Yeah, I know," Flame spoke. Just as three more Muaka charged at them, Flame slashed out at them, knocking them off their course with one strike. "You don't have to tell me that!"

Gali just smiled wider in reply.

As the earth hand tossed the Muaka, Pohatu spoke, "Great, at this rate all the main spotlights will be taken. Well, I guess it's my turn". Pohatu then began to concentrate, lifting up the concrete debris with his elemental powers. When he, Tahu and Kopaka got close enough, Pohatu threw the concrete debris at the giant Muaka, shouting, "Take this, Stone Barrage!" As the debris flew past the three Toa, several smaller Muaka jumped out and managed to block the concrete debris. However, some still managed to slip past and hit the infected mask on the Muaka's left foreleg directly. The infected mask instantly cracked under the strong impacts.

"Stop with the lame names," Kopaka snapped as he shot an ice bolt at the cracked mask, breaking it completely in an instant. "It's annoying," he added.

"Says the person who always competes with Tahu to prove that he is better," Pohatu retorted. Kopaka just huffed before proceeding to freeze the large Muaka's legs. The Muaka growled as it struggled to get out of the thick ice. Sensing the opening that Kopaka has created for him, Tahu charged at the Muaka's left foreleg and used his flaming Magma swords to shatter the infected mask. The Muaka groaned in pain, feeling the heated, sharp blades slice into its leg. Freeing its left foreleg, the Muaka vigorously waved it about, trying to shake Tahu off. Tahu used the momentum of the Muaka's moving leg and jumped into the air. As he began to fall through the air, Tahu used his hot Magma swords to heat up the surrounding air, slowing down the speed of his fall. He landed safely on top of the Muaka and glanced down. Seeing the infected mask, Tahu aimed and shot a small fire steam at it. The fire stream heated up the infected mask, causing it to expand rapidly. Suddenly, an ice beam appeared out of the blue and met the hot infected mask, causing it to contract rapidly. The combination of rapid expansion and contraction caused the metal mask to fracture, almost splitting the mask into bits instantly. Pohatu flung a decent-sized, concrete rock at the mask, shattering it to pieces.

"Well, that's four down and two more to go," Tahu spoke. "Whoa!" The large Muaka reared up on its hind legs, tossing Tahu off its shoulder. Lewa immediately took off and glided towards Tahu, saving him in time. Seeing an opportunity, Pohatu used his 'Stone Barrage' move again, making the Muaka fall backwards. The Muaka crashed into the ground, letting out a small yelp of pain. The Muaka slowly tried to get up before slipping and crashing into the ground again. The cause of the Muaka's slip was thanks to Kopaka who decided to coat the ground underneath the Muaka's feet with ice. Still hanging from Lewa's arm, Tahu shot a large fire stream at the Muaka, pushing it back into a structure. The Muaka crashed roughly into the building, causing more of the building to collapse. Tahu glanced at the Muaka which seemed to be slightly dizzy from the impact of the crash. He then glanced up at Lewa and said, "Lewa, drop me onto the Muaka's back".

"Roger that, fire-brother," Lewa replied. He headed towards the Muaka's back with Tahu in tow. Once reaching a suitable distance, Tahu let go of Lewa's arm and landed perfectly on the Muaka's back. Dashing over to the top of the Muaka' left hind leg. Tahu found the infected mask and stabbed it with his flaming Magma sword.

"Tahu, look out! To your right!" Pohatu shouted. Hearing Pohatu's warning, Tahu looked over to his right and saw a pair of feline eyes along with unsheathed claws and baring fangs.

Flame swung her metal pole at the Muaka, slashing its chest. The Muaka fell back from its rearing position to its four paws. It shook its head, groaning before turning its glare at Flame, making a snarl. Extremely agitated, the Muaka charged at Flame. Glaring back at the Muaka, Flame adjusted her stance and gripped her weapons tighter. As the charging Muaka leaped at Flame, another sneaky Muaka jumped as well, trying to attack Flame from behind. In spite of being in a tight spot, Flame calmly thrust her weapon forward, penetrating a weak spot on the Muaka's underside. The Muaka groaned loudly, harmlessly flying past the girl. As for the sneaky Muaka, it was blasted away by a powerful water stream. The water stream sent it to another bunch of Muaka which were trying to attack Kopaka and Pohatu. Flame just glanced over her shoulder and spoke, "You're not bad, you know. But seriously, I thought that I told you at least ten times that I don't need protection".

Gali just smirked and replied, "Consider it as watching your back in exchange for watching mine".

Flame's eyes widened upon hearing Gali's words. She briefly stared at Gali, her entire body and mind stiffened in surprise. However, just before Flame could even think up of a reply, a loud crash was heard. Both looked at the source of the crash and found the large Muaka resting against a school building. Flame frowned and snapped, "Oi you, tell your friends not to wreck my school so much, especially that building where we originally were".

Gali just stared blankly at Flame and asked, "Any particular reasons why?"

"Err, well, um you see, um". Flame scratched her head, tilting it slightly to the side. "How do I put it…," She spoke, looking slightly guilty, "With all the action going on, I feel like I'm forgetting something very, very important…" What was it, I wonder… Flame tried even harder to recall the forgotten memory.

"Flame, behind you!" Gali shouted. Already sensing the Muaka just a second before Gali's shout, Flame whirled around and swung her metal weapon at the pouncing Muaka, using the gained momentum, to send an even more powerful strike. Then, another Muaka leaped out and attacked Flame from the side. However, Gali immediately intercepted the attack by summoning a strong water steam, sending the Muaka back into the crowd. Fortunately, the majority of the Muaka crowd continued to head for the gigantic Muaka while four of them turned to Gali and Flame. The few small Muaka immediately tried to ambush Flame, intent on taking her down. Gali instantly joined Flame, easily beating one Muaka after another. As they fought the Muaka with their backs facing each other, Gali began to wonder. What's going on? Looking at the situation as it is now, the main objective of the smaller Muaka is to protect the huge Muaka. But…

After the last Muaka went down, Flame spoke, "Damn these cats. Don't they ever learn their lesson?" Gali briefly glanced at Flame, thinking, Why? Why are they aiming for Flame? They even ignored me and went straight for her despite the fact that I was the greater threat. What on Mata Nui is going on here? "Oi, blue stranger," Flame called, gaining Gali's attention. "Those pussycats are still trying to attack your comrades". She pointed at the smaller Muaka who were smart enough to avoid fighting the other Toa Nuva at the huge Muaka's feet and headed for the half-ruined school building.

Realising the Muaka's intention, only one thought came into Gali's mind. Tahu! Gali quickly started running towards the building, shouting, "Come on Flame! We need to intercept those Muaka". Before they reached Tahu. With that thought in mind, she raced towards the building. Nearing the school's lobby, Gali felt herself being yanked to another direction opposite of the large Muaka.

"This way!" Flame yelled, puling Gali along. "The spiral staircase is out at the moment, so we have to take those instead". Looking up at where Flame was yanking her to, Gali saw another staircase a bit further behind the spiralling staircase. Quickly beginning to run beside Flame, she spoke, "Alright, you lead. You do know this place after all and I hope you also know a way to get to the roof".

Flame smirked and replied, "In that case, you better have your axe ready because we will be chopping down some doors to get there". They hurried up the stairs and met the steel, locked gate door which prevented people from getting to the rooftop. Gali immediately broke the lock with her axe and hurriedly opened the door. Flame and Gali rushed out onto the roof after breaking the second door to roof down. Arriving at the edge of the roof, they stared at the large Muaka's back, feeling a small breeze blowing past them. Instantly, Gali spotted Tahu stabbing presuming an infected mask on the Muaka's left hindquarters. We made it. Gali breathed out a small sigh of relief. "Oi, one of those kitties is trying to pounce on the red guy," Flame exclaimed, pointing out her finger.

Gali, already spotting the creature, quickly formed a water stream and blasted it at the pouncing Muaka. The water stream pushed the Muaka away just seconds after Pohatu's warning shout, saving Tahu just in time. Startled by the sudden appearance of the water stream, Tahu turned around and saw Gali and Flame standing at the edge of the roof of the school building. "Go, destroy the mask!" Gali shouted. "I will cover you".

Tahu nodded and began running towards the right hindquarters when the large Muaka started to move. As the Muaka moved, its whole body trembled, causing Tahu to lose his balance and nearly fall off the Muaka. He jumped off the Muaka's right haunches and stabbed his Magma swords into the building beside the Muaka. Unfortunately, due to gravity's pull, Tahu and his swords were being dragged down the side of the building. The Magma swords screeched as they slashed into the building. The friction created between his swords and the building overcame gravity's pull, slowing Tahu's descent to a stop. Dammit! Tahu cursed as he climbed up the building. "This is bad," Flame said as she stared at the moving Muaka. "If the creature starts moving now, we might not get another chance like this". She tsked and prepared to jump onto the Muaka when Gali pulled her back.

"Flame, stay back!" Gali shouted. She took a running start and jumped off the roof, pulling her axe back. Like Flame said, we might not get another chance like this. So, we got to make this count. She focused, aiming for the sixth infected mask. Not yet, just a little closer. Gali slowly counted down the seconds as she timed her final strike. Now! Nearing the end of her jump, she swung her axe, striking the mask hard. The strong impact sliced the mask into two, even almost piercing almost all the way through the Muaka's armour. As the Muaka's amour and its infected mask broke, a sickening crunch was heard. The Muaka roared, making everyone in the area to face its direction.

"A-a-amazing…," Flame spoke, still sitting down from when Gali pulled her down, staring at the blue Toa. The Muaka twisted its body to face its right haunches and raised its right paw. Realising the Muaka's intention, Flame shouted, "Oi blue stranger, get off the creature! Now!" Hearing Flame's voice, Gali started yanking her axe out, only to find it struck solid in the creature's armour. She began pulling on it even harder. However, the axe stubbornly refused to move. "Oi, what are you doing?! Hurry up and get out of there!" I know that Gali thought, already put away her other axe and now using both hands to yank out the axe with all her might. Unfortunately, I don't think that I have enough strength left to yank my axe out which isn't good. I will need both axes to cling onto the building's walls. "Forget about the axe and just get out of there!" Flame shouted.

Sensing something above her, Gali glanced up to see the Muaka's paw coming down upon her. Eyes widening, Flame screamed, "Get out of there now!" Gali shut her eyes and braced herself for the painful impact to come. Suddenly, she heard something landed beside her, making another sickening crunch and felt an arm wrapping around her, grabbing her hands. Then, she heard the Muaka's paw crashing against something solid. Gali cracked open her eyes to see Tahu right beside her, activating his Kanohi Hau Nuva. She drew in a sharp breath and spoke bewildered, "Tahu..."

"Damn you Gali," Tahu grunted. "What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Before Gali could even reply, he tightened his grip around her hands and the handle of her Aqua axe. "On the count of three, we pull together," Tahu told her fiercely. "And you better hang tight because it's a long way down".

Gali gave him a small glare and replied, slightly irritated, "Understood Tahu".

Tahu made a small smirk and asked, "Ready?" Gali just gripped her Aqua axe's handle tighter. Understanding her action, he ignored the constant pounding that the Muaka was making and counted, "One". Gali and Tahu braced their legs, getting ready to push themselves off the Muaka. "Two". Tahu prepared to undo the shield. "Three!" They pulled on the axe together, using their combined strength to yank it out. The axe finally gave way, allowing the two Toa fall back. Tahu then wrapped his arm around Gali's waist and prepared to stab his Magma sword into the building once more when a sudden gust of wind lifted both him and Gali higher up the building. Once, he and Gali were slightly higher than the roof's edge, Tahu stabbed his sword into the roof. Trying to help Tahu, Gali hooked her Aqua axe to the edge of the roof. Seeing two hands reaching out to them, they looked up to see Kopaka and Pohatu.

"Give us your hands now!" Kopaka snapped. The Toa Nuva of fire and water immediately both reached out and grabbed their comrades' hands at the same time. Kopaka and Pohatu pulled them up just seconds after Onua and Lewa had arrived.

"Are you alright, sister Gali, brother Tahu?" Lewa asked.

"Yeah, we are fine," Tahu replied. "Thanks for the save back there, Lewa".

Lewa grinned and said, "No problem, Tahu".

Gali then glanced at Kopaka and Pohatu and asked in a worried tone, "What about Flame? Is she-"

"I'm here," Flame spoke up from behind Pohatu.

Gali looked at Flame and whispered, "I see…you're safe. That's good".

Flame clenched her fists and was about to ask Gali a question when Pohatu shouted, "Hey guys, the smaller Muaka are disappearing". The rest of Toa Nuva and Flame went to the edge of the roof top and looked down.

"You're right," Flame commented. She looked at the huge Muaka which was currently lying down, resting against the building. "Look like the huge kitty-cat is fading too". They watched as the smaller Muaka went down and began fading two or three times before disappearing completely.

"So, the theory about the huge Muaka's mask being the anchor for all the smaller Muaka was right after all," Onua spoke. Kopaka nodded, silently agreeing. It's over. Gali thought as she let out a sigh of relief. She gazed at Flame, thinking She will be safe until it's time to pick her up.

Flame watched on as the smaller cat-like creatures began to fade before completely vanishing into thin air. Too stunned to speak, she remained silent for a few more moment before asking, "So, where are they going? Back to your world?"

"Yes, they are," the black stranger replied. "With nothing to keep them in this world, they will return home, back to our world"

"And probably back in Makut-ouch!" the green stranger broke off after the white stranger whacked him on the head. The green stranger glared at the white stranger and asked, "What was that for?"

The white stranger calmly returned the green stranger's glare with one eyebrow raised. "We are not supposed to let her know about that yet, you fool," he snapped.

"Oh right, I forgot," the green stranger replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Flame, no longer paying attention to the two strangers, turned her focus back to the vanishing smaller cat-like creatures. Soon, this battle will be over in just a few seconds. Man, what an insane day. First these creatures come out of nowhere, then… Flame glanced at the six strangers, wondering …them. Who the hell are they? They just suddenly came to my aid without any reasons at all or at least, as far as I know. Oh well, never mind, I can get my answers later. Right now,… She looked in the direction of the second carpark lot. I have to check on my friends and see if they are safe. Flame then noticed something strange about the smaller cat-like creatures. She stared at them, observing them even more closely. "Hey, some of those creatures are still fading on and off for a long time now".

"Really? Is that so?" the black stranger asked.

"Well, that shouldn't be too much of a concern. Come on, we should get you to safety," the red stranger commented.

Flame, still uncertain, continued to observe the small cat-like creatures. The smaller cat-like creatures were fading on and off like a flicking light until it seems like that they were going to vanish as well. Suddenly, they became solid again and opened their eyes. They slowly got up or jumped out of their hiding places before beginning to move again. Their roars echoed throughout the entire school area. "Oi red guy! I think that we should get me to safety later because those things are still here!" Flame shouted.

"What?" the red stranger exclaimed.

"Tahu," the black stranger called. "The giant Muaka is still here too".

"What in Mata Nui's name is going on?" the brown stranger yelled, "I thought destroying the infected masks were supposed to make the Muaka disappear".

The white stranger's eyes narrowed in thought. "Perhaps we didn't destroy all the masks," he suggested.

"But, how is that possible?!" the brown stranger exclaimed. "Even if we did miss one, we certainly didn't spot it when we were fighting it. And Lewa didn't spot it either, and he was the one flying so, where can it be hiding?"

Flame gazed the huge creature's entire body, searching for a hint or sign why the creature and the smaller creatures were still here. She then spotted another mask at the creature's chest. "There, below its neck!" she shouted, "There is another mask".

"What?" the strangers exclaimed. They ran to the edge of the roof and searched the huge creature's body for the seventh mask, infected mask.

"Oi, I don't see it," the brown stranger said.

"Where is it, little one?" the green strange asked.

"It's right there, just below its neck," Flame answered. "Can't you see it?" As the strangers struggled to spot the mask, Flame began to grit her teeth. This is bad. The reason why we didn't spot it in the first place is because the mask was below the creature's neck, well hidden by its other body parts like its chin. At this rate, the creature will recover and start to move again, making it harder to spot the mask and destroy it. No choice then. Flame quickly turned around and ran towards where her metal poles had been laying since the time the blue stranger had pulled her. Without stopping, she bent over, quickly picked up her poles and made a quick turn. She then charged towards the edge of the roof.

Hearing quick footsteps, the blue stranger looked to her right to find Flame gone. Looking behind her, she began, "Flame, where are-" she broke off as Flame suddenly appeared before her, stepped on the edge of the roof and jumped. Shocked by Flame's sudden dash and jump stunt, the blue stranger cried out, "Flame, don't!" However, her warning came too late.

Flame sailed over the gap between the building and the giant creature. Landing slightly off on the Muaka's back, Flame struggled to regain her balance. Then, the creature stood up, making the surface that Flame was standing on shake. Now totally off-balanced, Flame fell over letting go of her weapons and was about to roll off the creature's back. Quickly looking around, Flame spotted one of the many cracks in the creature's armour. She immediately grabbed it, incidentally cutting her right hand, and used her left hand to save one of her weapons. Using all of her strength to hang on, she watched as her other weapon rolled off and dropped to the ground below. The metal pole broke into several pieces upon hitting the ground. That was close. Flame sweatdropped, staring at the broken pieces below. She let out a sigh of relief, put the metal pole in her mouth and began making her way up. She climbed back onto the creature's back. Kneeling down on one knee, she looked around her surroundings to realise that the creature was nearly at the halfway mark between the school building and the second carpark despite being heavily injured. Crap, this creature is moving really fast. I gotta hurry Flame started running towards the creature's head and destroy that mask.

"Flame!" Gali shouted as she watched the girl rolling off the huge Muaka's back. She calculated the growing distance between building and the huge Muaka and hesitatingly got prepared to jump.

"Gali wait," Tahu spoke, grabbing Gali's hand. Looking over at the Toa Nuva, he called out, "Lewa!"

"Got it, brother," Lewa replied, nodding. He jumped off the edge of the roof and took off, following the huge Muaka.

"Meet us back at the area where we first met Flame," Tahu shouted.

"Roger that," Lewa shouted back.

Tahu turned to the rest of the Toa Nuva and said, "Alright, everyone else, head to that area now. Hurry!" Gali stared at the moving Muaka, reluctant to move from her spot. "Gali, come on," Tahu called. Gali continued to hesitate, staring at the Muaka while clenching her fists in worry. Tahu's gaze softened slightly and put a hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay," he said reassuringly. "Lewa will bring her back"

Gali forced a small smile and faced Tahu, saying, "I know. But, I am just afraid the Flame will do something reckless".

Tahu gazed at her, understanding her worries. He then turned around, saying to Gali, "Come on, let's go".

"Right," Gali replied. As they ran to catch up with the other Toa Nuva, Gali bit her lower lip, praying Please Flame, don't do anything reckless and stay safe.

Flame panted as she stayed still on the side of the creature's chest. Damn, Flame glanced to the side to see the mask just a few metres away from her just a little more. Spotting another crack, she grasped it with her right hand, hissing at the stabbing pain and moved her foot to the earlier spotted foothold. Climbing her way towards the mask, Flame bit down harder on her metal pole. Dammit. Luckily, I'm good at climbing if not, I might not be able to do this. I gotta to hurry. Finally reaching the mask, Flame grabbed it with one hand. Yosh, in order to get rid of the creatures, I have to destroy the mask. First I have to pull it off and, she looked at the ground below and hopefully gravity can help me do the rest. Looking back at the mask, she began yanking with all her might. Dammit, it's struck tight. Flame narrowed her eyes in determination while using one hand to grab the metal pole in her mouth. In that case… Flame brought her hand out to the side and jammed the metal pole into the gap between the infect mask and the creature's chest.

"Yosh," Flame commented. "Now, time to destroy this thing and finally finish this crazy day". Flame pushed the metal pole with her right hand while holding the mask with left, struggling to pry the infected mask free. Grr, come on, come on. Flame pulled harder and harder on the mask in desperation. If I don't get this mask off in time, Flame then began whacking the metal pole, alternating the action with desperate attempts to pull the mask off. everyone is going to be in terrible danger. As she continued to pull, the mask started to give way, becoming looser with each strengthening yank. My friends, Harmon, Jamie, Chet, Dan, Flame began recalling her friends' smiling faces, starting with four closest friends. everyone will all be in danger. If I don't stop this thing now, With a sudden burst of strength, Flame pulled harder than never before, who knows what might happen to them. I must stop this creature now!

Suddenly, the mask popped free from the Muaka's chest. It came off. Flame thought as she started to fall off the creature's chest. Relying solely on her instincts, she looked over her shoulder and spied a sharp, pointed rock. Perfect. Flame grinned, turning herself around with the mask held in front of her, and aimed for the rock. I have to destroy this mask no matter what. She then flung the mask at the sharp rock, tossing it with two hands as if it was a basketball. Once the mask left her hands, she began spreading her arms and legs out. However, before she could do anything else, something or rather someone scooped her up from her free fall in mid-air. The event took place so fast that Flame lost her breath and her vision. Once the blurriness in her vision had cleared up, Flame glanced around, realising that she was on someone's back. "Quick-thinking you did there, young one. Although, that was quite a risk you took there," the green stranger commented.

Flame made a small guilty grin when she remembered what she was doing the moment before the stranger had arrived. "The mask!" she shouted. She quickly looked over the green stranger's shoulder and saw the mask still falling through the air. As if time had decided to slow, Flame held her breath, watching the mask fall down to the rock below. The mask hit the rock, then pierced through by its sharp tip, before fracturing slightly. Flame breathed in sharply, hoping that her plan would work. Unfortunately, it seemed that lady luck was against her as the cracked yet whole mask stayed still on the rock, not even dropping to the ground in pieces. It didn't work Flame stared blankly at the mask before biting her lips. "It didn't work," she spoke softly. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!"

Then, loud, thumping footsteps of the creature was heard. The creature Flame quickly turned and saw the huge beast coming closer to them. "We can't stay here," the green stranger spoke. "We need to wind-sprint now!"

Hearing what the green stranger said, Flame immediately reacted, shouting, "NO, we can't leave. We need to destroy that mask now! Before that thing can even reach my friends". She leaned over the green stranger's side, stretching out her hand a failed attempt of trying to reach the mask.

The green stranger adjusted his gliding wings as his body began to slope due to Flame's sudden movements. "The Muaka is approaching us at quick-speed," the green stranger added. "We can destroy the mask later".

"No, wait, please!," Flame cried as the green stranger carrying her flew higher into the sky. Unable to do anything else, Flame stopped her struggles and looked over the situation once more, suddenly taking note of the creature's path and the location of where the mask currently rest. "Wait, if the creature continues on this path," Flame stated quietly, looking back and forth at the creature and the mask trying to deduce next conclusion. "The mask will be- Oh please, please, let that be it. Please let the mask be-". The green stranger glanced over his shoulder, worried about the girl on his back. The large creature took another step forward, unaware of the mask-on-the-stone beneath its foot. Once the creature put its foot down, the mask and stone cracked and broke into pieces under the creature's heavy weight. "-crushed," Flame finished. The creature roared painfully as the mix of metal mask and stone shards stabbed its foot, and fell to the ground. Soon, it started to fade, the creature's form soon flickered in and out rapidly before finally disappearing into thin air. The green stranger and Flame stared at where the creature once stood. Remembering something, Flame exclaimed, "The other creatures!"

Flame and the green stranger looked down to witness the smaller creatures disappearing as well. They watched in shocked silence, watching the army of creatures vanish. Once, the last of the creatures had disappeared, an overwhelming, blank silence came over the entire school. Flame blinked, not believing what she just saw for a second. "I-It's really over?" she questioned.

The green stranger grinned and assured, "Yup, the battle is finally over".

Taking a few minutes to register the green stranger's words, Flame started to smile. "Yes!" she shouted, striking a fist in the air. "The battle is over! Everyone…" Putting her fist down to her face's level, Flame smiled even wider with eyes closed. "Everyone is safe and sound". Thank god. When she opened her eyes, she saw the school building right in front of her. "Oi green guy," she called, "Where are we going?"

The green stranger sent her a quick glance, answering, "Back to where we first met you. The others are waiting there". The place where we first met? The school library's lobby? It's still there. Flame wondered before arriving at the gaping hole in the building. The green stranger landed just slightly behind the gaping hole on the second floor and let Flame climbed off his back.

"Flame!"

Flame turned around and nearly bumped into the blue stranger who just suddenly appeared right beside her. The blue stranger gazed at her sternly, asking, "Are you alright?" Looking up, Flame bit back a sharp snarky remark once she saw the blue stranger's worried expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Flame replied. The blue stranger simply raised her eyebrow in doubt and gently placed her hand on Flame's right upper arm. Flame hissed at the contact and sweatdropped at the blue stranger's glare. "Um, okay, okay, I may have reopened my wound just a little bit...and gain a few...extras," Flame added.

The blue stranger sighed and was about to lecture Flame when the building started shaking. The group of strangers and Flame looked around in confusion, however prepared to fight should another threat appear. "Oh come on, what in Mata Nui's name is going on now?!" the brown stranger shouted.

Could it be? Flame wondered as she glanced up at the ceiling above. Cracks were already starting to form at incredible speeds. As Flame realised what was happening, the white stranger cried out, "Everyone head for the exit now! This part of the building is going to collapse". The group immediately dashed for the exit. Rushing past the library, Flame felt something probing the back of her mind sharply. Why is there still this big nagging feeling that I have forgotten something? Flame wondered. What was that thing that I forgot?! Then, it hit her. Shit, it's not a thing, it's a her. Flame made a quick turn and dashed towards the library. "Flame, what are you-," the blue stranger questioned.

Ignoring everything else around her, Flame ran towards the library, screaming, "Amy!"

Help me. Amy prayed after being woken up by crashing sounds of rocks and wood. Somebody, help me! She quivered underneath a table as large stones of concrete fell heavily onto the tabletop. Whimpering slightly, Amy covered her ears and felt her tears running down her cheeks. Help me… Amy mentally pleaded. Help me, Flame! "Oi Amy! Where are you?" Flame's voice rang out. Amy perked up at the sound of Flame's voice and timidly crawled out slightly from under the table.

"Flame? Flame! I'm over here!" Amy whimpered loudly. Then, another gigantic rock hit the table again. Amy squealed, jumping at the sound and crawled back underneath.

"Hey Amy, what are you doing?" Flame asked, looking under the table.

Amy turned and started crying, "Flame…"

"Oh for goodness' sake, stop your crying and get out from under the table already," Flame snapped unsympathetically. "You will die if you stay there and crying won't help you escape a quick death". Amy gazed at Flame with scared, teary eyes, causing Flame to soften slightly and stretched out her hand. "Come on, let's get out of here and go home".

Amy looked at Flame's hand, and then looked at Flame herself. Grabbing Flame's hand, Amy nodded and whispered, "Okay".

Flame grasped her hand tightly and dragged her out, saving her just in time as the table broke in half under the rocks' weight. As the two girls stared at the crushed table, Flame mumbled, "This damn school needs to get stronger tables. Ikea tables break way too easily". Amy giggled at Flame's remark. "Damn, where is an exit when you need one," Flame exclaimed angrily, looking frantically. Spying an over-turned chair and looking at the school library's glass wall separating the corridor and the library. "Well, people always did say," Flame added, setting Amy down and grabbing the over-turned chair. "When you can't find one, make one". She then hurled the chair at the glass panel, shattering it, scooped Amy up again, and jumped through the opening. Landing one foot on the ground, Flame immediately took off for the school hall.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked panicky. "The exit is in the other way". She tugged on Flame's sleeve, pointing in the direction towards the school library's lobby.

"Relax, will you? I know where I'm going," Flame snapped. "That exit is blocked right now so, we're taking this route instead". Just as Flame had finished her sentence, another large concrete rock landed beside them. Amy squealed and starting bawling. Dammit. Flame bit her lips, tsking as she held Amy tighter and ran even faster. Even this part of the building has started to collapse. She looked in front and saw the entrance to the hall just a few steps away from them. Then, a small rock hit the back of Flame's head, causing her to yelp and let go of Amy. Amy flew forward, slipping across the floor into the safety zone of the hall. "Flame!" Amy called.

"Head for the staircase to the school cafeteria and go to the second carpark lot. Now! You need to stay alive and get some help!" Flame shouted at her, crawling towards her in an attempt to survive, even for just a moment longer.

"But-" Amy protested. Suddenly concrete rocks fell between them, trapping Flame on the other side of the corridor. Amy stared at the pile of rocks sealing the entrance of the hall. "Flame?… Flame!" Amy screamed. She ran towards the pile of rocks, banging her small fists at them, screaming Flame's name. After a few minutes of unfruitful screaming and banging, Amy sniffed, wiping her tears away. Remembering Flame's words, she got up and headed for the stairway.

"Where the fuck is she?" Jamie exclaimed among the loud cheering of the crowd.

"Watch your language, Jamie," Harmon snapped.

Putting his hands on both his best friends' shoulders, Dan reassured them, saying, "OI, you guys don't worry so much. She will be here soon". I hope. Dan silently added. While Dan was reassuring them, Chet was struggling to get rid of Wendy who was desperately trying to gain his affections.

"Quit it, will you?! It's annoying," Chet shouted at her.

"But Chet, it was so scary. All these creatures and the big flying rocks…" Wendy spoke, continuing her persistent flirty cries, annoying Chet further. He sighed and pushed Wendy, trying to keep her at an arm's length. Then, everyone froze when they heard a voice screaming.

"Someone help! Help Flame! Please! Somebody please help Flame!" The four pals dashed to the crying little girl upon hearing Flame's name and began to overwhelm her with questions. A teacher then approached the small crowd, and shoved the boys away stating, "Alright everybody, back off, you're scaring her".

"But Mr Lin, she knows where Flame is and-," Dan protested.

"I understand what you are saying, Dan," Mr Lin interrupted. "But, she is very scared right now and does not need to be scared further by the four of you". Facing Amy now, he gently asked, "Hello, what's your name and can you tell me what's wrong?"

"M-My name is Amy," Amy replied, crying. "And please, you got to help Flame. She's trapped under a huge pile of rocks!"

The hall remained silent, only having that silence broken by the occasional drops of small pebbles falling off the blocked exit. Suddenly, the rocks that were blocking the exit burst out leaving behind six Toa Nuva and a human girl in their place. "Whew, it's good to be out of there," Pohatu commented.

Tahu who had just used his Kanohi Hau Nuva again to protect everyone from the falling rocks, called out tiredly, "Gali, is she unharmed?"

Gali, already healing the major wounds on Flame, replied, "She knocked unconscious by the rock that hit her and is definitely heavily injured". Looking at Tahu directly in the eye, she added, "We might not make it, if we searched for help in her world".

"So, we need to bring her back to ours," Tahu concluded. Receiving Gali's nod, he turned to Kopaka and Onua and told them, "Get the portal ready. We need to return to Gali's village now".

Kopaka and Onua nodded and immediately the teleportation. Lewa uttered under his breath, "Oh Mata Nui, we better prepare ourselves for some long anger-shouting from the Turaga when we return home".

So, what do you guys think? Anything that I can improve on? Plus, are my battle scenes okay?( It's my first time writing these kind of scenes so, they are probably going to be terrible.)