Chapter Three

Before long, the group had made their arrangements to travel into the upside down city. After the Glatorian had explained the situation, Whenua agreed to wait with the group inside the ruins, until the remaining Matoran had returned.

“Be careful up there,” the Turaga had warned, as he directed Tehutti and Ehrye in tossing the remains of the Vahki into the pool of liquid protodermis. “If anything has been left behind up there, it’s not going to be friendly.” He grumbled, kicking a partly destroyed Vahki head into the silver sea. “Tehutti believes that the Vahki were activated by accident. I only hope we’re so lucky…”

The cryptic warning remained with the trio of Glatorian as they paddled across the pool in a makeshift metal boat. They continued traveling until the Coliseum hung over the group like a shadow, and they looked up directly into its mouth. The building only had a few of its spires still standing, like the teeth of a beast waiting to consume them.

Only worsening their dread was an ominous shudder, resounding through the metal hull. It started faintly, only to slowly rise in intensity. A haunting groan echoed throughout the city, as dust began to rise from the ceiling.

Then, just as abruptly as it had begun, it stopped.

“What was that?” Gresh asked.

Ackar gripped the handle of his flame sword. “I don’t know,” he said. “Let’s stay on our guard. We don’t know what all is up there.”

Kiina stood up from her spot, picking up a bundle of metal wires that had been salvaged from a downed transport. As she held them, she couldn’t help but have some doubt in the plan. Of course, that was the skepticism she afforded most of Berix’s ideas.

“This had better work,” she mumbled under her breath, as she took one end of the wire. She flung it into the air, watching as it traveled upwards towards the tip of the Coliseum. Just as it reached the end of its momentum, the artificial gravity of the ceiling kicked in, allowing the wire to spool out and touch the top spire.

Letting go of the wire, Kiina took a step back, and looked at it. The cord was now caught in between the two forces of gravity, standing straight up as it hung off from the ceiling. It was a bizarre effect, and a blatant violation of the laws of physics.

“Huh,” Gresh said aloud. “Neat.”

“If all goes according to plan, we should be able to climb this, and land… on the ceiling,” Ackar said. “Right?”

Kiina shrugged. “That’s the idea.”

Stowing his weapons on his back, Gresh took the lead. “Let’s get going, then.”

Without a second thought, he began scaling the thin wire, pulling himself up. Quickly placing one hand in front of another, he made fast progress, ascending up into the air as he climbed further.

With a quick nod to Ackar, Kiina grabbed on, and began climbing upwards. It didn’t take long for Ackar himself to join, and the three were soon on their way up into the upside down city.

As the trio climbed upwards, they gazed up at the city in awe, its details slowly coming into view. The Coliseum took up much of the view, its open maw looming over the group, and one could see the various chutes and roads that extended out and flowed in from each of the other metrus like rivers into a delta.

For the three Glatorian, it seemed as though they were diving down upon the city from the air. Ackar found himself recalling a Matoran story he had overheard, about six heroes who descended from the heavens to save an island paradise.

Reaching up to grab the next bit of wire, Gresh felt a strange sensation overcome him. It was as though someone was pulling his hand, tugging him along the wire. As he moved towards the phantom pull, he soon felt strangely as though he was no longer looking upwards, but now looking down. It was a disorienting sensation, the ceiling slowly becoming the floor, and it was one the young Glatorian was ill equipped to handle.

One slip was all it took, and Gresh was unshackled by gravity, and sent plummeting upwards to the ceiling.

“GRESH!!!” Kiina exclaimed, holding tight to the wire. Her first instinct was to move quickly, but she wasn’t sure what to do.

Gresh spun through the air, rapidly approaching the sloped walls of the Coliseum. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his twin blades from his back, and brought them together into a shield in front of him, just in time to break his fall as he slammed down onto the metal wall.

His gambit paid off. Before long, an array of sparks shot out from behind him, as he rode his shield down the Coliseum walls like a snowboard.

“Woo-hoo!” Kiina called out, cheering on Gresh. Then, she thought to join in on the fun, and flung herself off of the wire, whistling out to Click as she did. With a sudden glow of light, the beetle materialized into a shield below her feet, and she soon began skidding down after Gresh.

Ackar chuckled to himself, and continued inching down the wire. “Have fun, kids,” he grumbled to himself, as he descended at his own, much slower pace.

The wind rushed between Kiina’s arms as she held them out wide, feeling the adrenaline as she raced down. She turned to face Gresh, who clung tightly to his own makeshift shield board, and smirked playfully. She thought of challenging him to a race, but she quickly became distracted by her surroundings. The buildings that once hung like stalactites were now growing closer and closer, as she raced onwards toward the ceiling. She should have been falling to her doom, but instead, she was skidding to a halt at the base of the Coliseum.

The world had turned upside down.

At last, Gresh’s descent came to a stop as the Coliseum’s walls sloped down to the ground. The young Glatorian slowly arose, before clutching his sides. While his maneuver had saved him, the pain of the impact wasn’t lost on him.

“Ow…” Gresh groaned, rolling over onto his side. “Gravity hurts.”

The last to touch down was Ackar, gingerly reaching out his foot to touch the floor. He slowly dismounted the wire, regaining his bearings on solid ground. “Are you okay, Gresh?”

“Yeah,” the Glatorian said, slowly brushing himself off. “Never better.”

Kiina stepped off of her shield, allowing Click to return to beetle form and scamper onto her hand. She gave the beetle a quick pet, checking to make sure it was alright. As soon as she was back on her feet, her jaw dropped as she examined the cityscape she found herself in.

“We’re… upside down,” Ackar said, hardly believing his own words.

“Not just that,” Kiina replied, awestruck, “we’re in Mata Nui’s brain.”

She found herself lost in the sights of the city. Several feet ahead of them stood the towering Coliseum, casting a shadow over the expansive city. All around them were dilapidated skyscrapers, fallen airships, and crumbling architecture. The sky was lined with glass chutes, many of which were damaged, but nonetheless created a maze of lines in the sky.

The Glatorian had never been in a proper city since the Shattering, and certainly never one of this scale. This alien world was like something out of a dream for Kiina, and she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Uh, pardon me,” came a meek voice from across the street.

Turning on a heel, Ackar spotted a short, green Matoran, peeking out from behind one of the buildings.

“You may want to hurry-rush inside,” the Matoran said, “the weather out here can be a bit unpredictable. A bit safer with shelter.”

The three Glatorian looked at him, confused. None of them were quite sure how to find a Matoran when they got here, but it seemed a Matoran found them.

“I appreciate the heads up,” Gresh finally said, kneeling down to the Matoran’s level, “who are you?”

“My name is Orkahm,” he said, “follow me.”

✴        ✴        ✴

The three Glatorian dutifully followed behind Orkahm as he led them through the hull of a downed airship. The pathway through what he had described as Le-Metru was precarious, winding through the rubble and cutting through the destruction.

“These things used to windsail above the city,” Orkahm explained, gesturing to the metallic hull. “I never got to see, of course. Maybe one day, we can get them up and rightworking again.” He grunted, shoving a storage crate out of the way.

Seeing how difficult it was to navigate the city gave Kiina some pause. “What have you been doing up here?” she asked, ducking under a loose metal beam.

“Don’t worry,” Orkahm replied, as he cleared a path through some discarded stones piled on the floor. “Once I get you to the others, it’ll all make sense.”

That got Ackar’s attention. “Others?”

Orkahm peeled back a thin sheet of metal, opening up the exit hole in the airship’s hull. All at once, the city was visible once more, and the Matoran beamed. “We’re here,” he announced with pride.

Stepping out into the city, the three Glatorian looked upon it. Dwarfed by the shadow of the Coliseum was a smaller tower, but one still impressive all the same. The gateway, carved into the shape of Turaga Dume’s mask, loomed over them. The stone walls of the fortress stood firm, even in the wake of cataclysm after cataclysm.

“Welcome to the Tower of Toa,” Orkahm said, gesturing to the gateway. “Years ago, the Toa Metru made this place their stronghold in the war against the darkbad Visorak. Now, we Matoran call it our dearhome.”

Gresh breathed out in awe as he placed a hand on the outer wall. “Impressive,” he muttered. “A couple of these, and we could’ve gotten rid of the Skrall a lot sooner.”

Ackar frowned. “Or they could’ve gotten rid of us.”

For the Glatorian, entering the Matoran shelter was something eerily familiar. The technology that lined the walls had been stripped, workstations and screens repurposed into beds and furniture. Cloth sheets hung from the ceiling, providing shade from the sunlight pouring in through the roof. When the Matoran had their world ripped away from them, they had to sacrifice the advancements of Metru Nui for practicality.

It reminded Ackar of how society on Bara Magna adjusted in the wake of the Shattering.

As Orkahm led the way through the cozy living space, he patted the shell of a small crab that scuttered about the floor. Click took note of the creature and chirped aggressively. The crab spotted the small beetle, and scurried over to greet it.

“Pewku!” Orkahm chided, attempting to lead the crab away from Kiina.

Kiina laughed, and lowered Click down in her hand, allowing the two creatures to meet face to face. They chirped happily together, as Kiina allowed the beetle to scurry onto Pewku’s claw.

“Someone’s made a friend,” Gresh laughed.

“I’m glad,” Orkahm smiled, “I was worried the poor girl would get long-lonely.” With a wave of his arm, he led the trio through the door, followed close behind by the Ussal crab and Scarabax beetle.

In the next room, the Glatorian were greeted by two more Matoran.

“Nuhrii, Vhisola,” Orkahm gestured, “these Glatorian have come to swift rescue.”

Hunched over a workbench, a red armored Ta-Matoran grumbled, as he pressed a blowtorch against two metal disks. “Great. The otherworlders,” he mumbled, without so much as looking up. “The day is saved.”

Vhisola sighed, looking up from an old tablet she had been poring over. “Come on, Nuhrii, at least greet them.” Turning to the trio, she flashed an empathetic gaze. “Sorry about him. It’s good to have you here.”

“Thank you for having us,” Ackar said, “we’ve come to rescue you.”

“And we appreciate that,” Orkahm added, “but…”

“We’re not leaving,” Nuhrii finished, slamming a hammer down upon his work. “Simple as that.”

Kiina balked. “What do you mean?”

Nuhrii stood up, pushing his chair to the side. Gently using metal tongs, he held up the mask he had finished crafting, still red hot from the heating process. The edges were bent and misshapen, and by the look on the crafter’s face, he was quite unhappy with his work. With a huff, he dropped the mask to the ground. “I mean that this city is home. We’re not abandoning it.”

“This place is ruined!” Gresh said, “It could fall apart at any minute!”

“So we’ll fix it. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.” Nuhrii scoffed. “Besides, you felt the same force that we all did. The gravity that pulled you to the ceiling. That’s no mere accident. It’s Mata Nui, calling us up here. It’s destiny.”

Kiina sighed. “Mata Nui wanted you to come to the outside world, with the rest of the Matoran. The thing pulling you into the city, it’s… Well, I don’t know what it is, but it’s not Mata Nui.”

Nuhrii scowled. “You don’t know anything about Mata Nui.”

The words struck a chord with Kiina, and she bit her tongue with rage, out of fear that her next words would be less than kind. Several angry rants began formulating in her mind, but she did her best to dispel them. These Matoran didn’t know what she did. They didn’t know what she had lost.

Through the silence, Nuhrii’s stern expression never wavered.

“Again, I’m sorry about him,” Vhisola explained, “but he’s right. We’re not leaving.”

Kiina groaned. “Look, I get that you’re nostalgic, but-”

“We’re not just homesick!” Orkahm exclaimed. “We went through a thousand years of darktime on the island, and for what? Just for the city to be taken by Makuta?”

“I understand, but–”

“Do you?” Vhisola asked, calmly. “Do you know what it's like to be forced from island to island? To never stay long enough to call a place home?”

Kiina fumed. “I had the opposite problem, actually. We spent our lives in a desert, struggling to survive, and you had this incredible city to live in! Now Mata Nui leads you to a new world, and you turn your noses up at it?!”

“Kiina–” Ackar started.

“No,” Nuhrii hissed, shooting up to his feet. “We’ve been forced out of our city time and time again, and you expect us to just pack up our things and leave?!”

“Yes!” Kiina groaned, now facing Nuhrii directly. “You’ve been handed a paradise on a platter, and this place is a dump!”

“A dump?!”

“ENOUGH!” Ackar interjected, stepping between the two. He turned to Kiina with a glare. “We’re not here to fight.”

“Good,” Nuhrii scoffed, storming off to the other side of the room. “Cause I’d take you all on.”

A brief chuckle escaped Gresh, quickly halted by Ackar’s elbow jabbing him sharply in the gut.

“I think it's best if you leave,” Vhisola said, in a tone that dismissed any further arguments. “Go back, tell the others that they’re welcome to come up if they want. But we’re not leaving.”

Unable to come up with any further argument, Kiina sighed, a dejected expression coloring her features. She had expected some difficulty in rescuing the Matoran, but she hadn’t expected the difficulty to come from the Matoran themselves.

As Gresh turned the Matoran’s words over in his head, a light suddenly turned on in his mind. “What about this,” he began, being careful with his words. “You guys want to repair this city, right? What if we hung out here for a bit and helped? That way, we can get a better idea of why you want to stay, and you get help making this a place to live. Everyone wins, right?”

Vhisola frowned at first, but then mulled over Gresh’s offer. She didn’t have much reason to trust these Glatorian, but the extra Toa-sized help was hard to decline. Shuffling over to Orkahm, he looked especially enthusiastic about the idea. Then, she looked over to Nuhrii.

“No,” the Ta-Matoran spat. “No way.”

“We could use the help,” Vhisola mused.

“Not theirs,” Nuhrii shot back.

While the Matoran were busy convening, Ackar brought his own team in for a discussion of their own.

“Are you sure about this?” he whispered, being careful not to let the Matoran hear. “This place isn’t safe for them.”

“I know,” Gresh replied. “But we can keep them safe here. Maybe we can even level with them a bit, get to see their perspective.”

Kiina nodded, looking to Ackar. “I agree. Let’s just try talking to them, see where it goes.”

The three turned back to Vhisola, who seemed to be receptive to the idea.

“Alright,” the Ga-Matoran said, “You can stay.”

“But be warned,” Orkahm added, “we’ll be hard-working you.”

Ackar chuckled. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Nuhrii groaned loudly, shoving past the Glatorian and leaving the room in a huff. Ackar watched him leave, before slowly turning back to the other Matoran.

“I’ll go talk to him,” he said. “You all go ahead and get started.”

✴        ✴        ✴

Amidst the rubble and dust of the upside down city, a sluglike creature slithered onwards. Its purple flesh undulated as it made its way over each obstacle, sliding across the ground as though it were on ice. It had been unstoppable on its quest for the past few days, slinking past every obstacle the city had thrown at it. Unstable machinery, fickle weather conditions, and even loose Rahi had all been incapable of putting a stop to the creature’s quest.

Of course, they would have no reason to. After evading detection during the exodus of the city, the only beings left in the city were bottom feeders and stragglers, those who were unfortunate enough to be left behind. For them, they would either be too weak to combat it, or had no idea of its true potential. It was demoralizing, being reduced to such a state, but it had its advantages. The creature’s plans had been fulfilled without obstruction.

At last, the creature had arrived at its destination. Preserved perfectly where it had left it behind, an empty suit of Rahkshi armor rested on its knees, dormant as it awaited a pilot. It had been some time since the creature had left its suit behind, but the time had come to regain its prior form. Slithering towards the azure and white armor, it made contact with the limp gauntlet, and began climbing upwards.

As it made its way towards its cockpit, the Shadow Kraata’s mind raced with dreams of destruction.