Author's Note

Note: In my previous chapter, I spelled Onewa "Onua", which would be correct if I were talking about Tahu and Gali, not Vakama and Nokama.
And yes, the Rahkshi only communicate in hisses and screeches, but I am happy to translate for you. You're welcome.

First Encounters

Turahk lifted an armored hand in front of the bright light before him. Something seems off. Really, really off.

This couldn't be right. The Makuta's shadow couldn't have dissipated that fast, even if he had been beaten (which is unlikely considering I'm still alive) Turahk thinks. Okay, so more than just the sky is bright. Everything seems subtly brighter, the grass, the trees, even the strange pastel quadrupeds... okay hold it. What kind of rahi are these things? It is like a strange, butter yellow muaka, with a weird pink blob behind its head.

The strange creature, facing away from the Rahkshi of fear, turns its head to the right, giving Turahk a good look at its face.
Wow its eyes are huge. No rahi I know of have eyes like that thing. Turahk thinks.

Turahk gets up to his knee, causing the the creatures ears to perk up, and to turn its head fully towards him, with a smile on its face, instantly replaced with terror as the thing freezes, locking eyes with the Rahkshi.

Well it seems pretty harmless. Turahk wonders. Honestly, how could this be a threat, so why hesitate.
Turahk stands to his full height and stretches. Don't want to alert any local creatures. This thing could give me away to the Toa, if not do me harm. Where are my brothers and the Makuta anyway? Maybe I should just get rid of it. Its not doing the Makuta any favors, Turahk thinks as he readies his staff and the yellow thing takes a couple steps back. It doesn't look like protodermis, Turahk wonders. "Just what are you made of, you weird blob." At his voice the thing cowers, eyes wide. He takes another two strides forward, and the thing flees, making a weird, high-pitched whine, possibly some kind of warning to other creatures. That's not a good sign. Individuals can be weak, but together some creatures can be highly dangerous. "So that's how it's going to be" Turahk mutters to himself as he hops in the air and begins to hover, legs out in front of him. "If you want to run, then I'll be happy to follow".

Fluttershy was out in the Everfree forest, on an absolutely beautiful spring day. She wasn't busy with any of her animal friends (surprisingly) and had taken a stroll through the woods, admiring the scenery, picking flowers, and just enjoying herself. She turns her head to watch as a flock of birds fly from a nearby tree. Hmm. What could have startled them? Fluttershy wonders, as a crunching sound makes her turn around fully. Smiling, it sounded large, so maybe it was Mr. Bear, coming out after a late nap or maybe... Fluttershy's thoughts were abruptly halted, as she looks into the red eyes of a metallic red beast, with claws, and spines on its back. Okay not Mr. Bear. Definitely not Mr. Bear. Fluttershy freezes, and tells herself that it is probably more afraid of her than she is of it. She starts to believe it too, until a large, spiked metal rod appears in its hands, and Fluttershy takes a couple of steps back. Oh Celestia, what is this thing? What is it going to do to me? Fluttershy panics. She doesn't think it can get any worse, until the thing's face opens up, revealing a strange tentacle squirming and screeching at her. She cowers, and folds her ears back, rooted in place. The thing starts towards her, and she bolts away. Behind her, she hears another screech, followed by a strange humming noise. She doesn't dare look back, fearing that the thing would catch her all the faster. "I need to find Twilight, and fast. She'll know what to do." Fluttershy panted to herself. "I hope."

Fluttershy sprinted past her home, out of the Everfree, and straight through town, towards Ponyville's resident magic expert. Panting, even through this much fear, she still has the decency to knock, if not rather aggressively.

*Knockknockknockknockknockknock*

"Whoa, what's with the rush-" Twilight managed out before Fluttershy's furious knocking clocked Twilight right on the muzzle.

"Oh my gosh, Twilight I am so sorry, I was just so scared, and I think the thing chased me, and are you alright? Oh, I got so caught up in my fear I forgot to ask if you were okay, I'm sorry" Fluttershy spewed

"No worries Fluttershy, I'm alright. Now what is this thing that that you were so afraid of?" Twilight questions as she steps aside to let Fluttershy scuttle in, still obviously disturbed by what she had seen. It could have been just Mr. Bear, awoken early from a nap. Knowing Fluttershy, it probably wasn't anything major, but I'm happy to help my friend anyway, thought Twilight. "Well, you see..." Fluttershy started.

"Gah!" For something so brightly colored, Turahk had lost it surprisingly quickly. Without the Makuta's great shadow, his other powers such as his flight were severely diminished. His staff powers, however, were just as powerful as ever. "Whatever that was, it can run surprisingly fast. And now, not that I ever knew where I was, am lost. Great, just great." Turahk says to himself as he spins his staff and splits a tree with it. "Ugh, at least let me find the others. They might not know where we are, but at least there's strength in numbers." He mutters as he brushes the underbrush back. "Oh great, another clearing! I hate being this exposed. What if something slightly more dangerous that the yellow blob sees me.." Turahk's rant is cut off as he realizes that in fact, it is not another clearing, but the forest had abruptly ended, and a small town, unlike that of matoran lay before him, just down the hill. "Perhaps this is where that yellow thing came from. No matter how much I would love to ransack it looking for the yellow thing, I better keep looking for my brothers. If the Toa are down there, I don't want to face them alone, and for that, I need the others." Turahk sighs. "Better go keep looking, I guess."

As Turahk finishes his sentence and turns to renter the forest, slamming right into Panrahk. "Brother!" Panrahk cries. "I thought I had lost you. Where are the others? Makuta? The Toa?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." The red Rahkshi replies.

"All I know is that I saw Nokama and Nuju walking together, seemingly just as lost as I was. It seems we were not the only ones who were separated. If they are divided, we can conquer them." Panrahk says happily

"I guess, but don't get your hopes up. Just as I found you, they could have found the others, or one of our brothers." Turahk responds. "Do you feel something strange about this place?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah I do. It seems as if everything is emanating love and tolerance, or something disgusting like that."
Turahk looks at Panrahk quizzically. "Why so specific?"

"Well, I guess it just fells specific hey look a town!" Panrahk exclaims, wanting to change the subject. "It doesn't look like any matoran village I've ever seen."

"I agree, and the wildlife isn't that familiar either. From here you could probably see what I mean, if you closely, you can see these weird little... Kurahk?" Turahk exclaims. "WHAT IN THE MAKUTA IS KURAHK DOING?"

"It looks like he's terrorizing the locals, by the looks of it." Panrahk says calmly. "Think we should stop him? This is a great way for the Toa to find us sooner."

Turahk responds coldly "Yes, let's. I like to have a word with our brother of anger, anyway."