Lord of Elements

Far to the east of Bota Magna, in the rugged volcanic lands, a great explosion of fire belched from the mouth of a dark cave as if a furnace had been opened. Nearly as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

But this was no flame geyser, as any observer might have reasonably suspected. Nor was this the mouth of a volcano. The cave did not lead far into the earth. Indeed, the source of the fire paced angrily.

“Fire has no allies,” he roared. “Fire has no equals.”

When no response came, he seemed to calm down, if only a little.

“I will continue as I always have… unchecked and untempered.”

You don't know what awaits you in the lands beyond the Maze.

“I know this world better than anyone.”

It is a new world… one filled to the brim with creatures of exotic powers. Your simple flame means little now. You will have to grow accustomed to this fact.

“No!” the being snarled. “We are Element Lords!”

A second explosion of flame rippled throughout the cave, illuminating the others who were present. None looked impressed at the fire show.

“It was I who won the Core War. I claimed the Core by right of conquest. If the tribes go to war again, Spherus Magna will again know the might of flame.”

Element Lords stripped of your power, came the voice around them. Beings who could be defeated in battle and beaten to their prize by a lone warrior with a shiny mask and a Scarabax beetle.

“The core was found in my lands,” the aggrieved, jaded Element Lord of Ice responded. “The Fire Tribe must pay for the path you seared across my land.” He turned toward the voice. “Speak. Unlike this entitled warmonger, some of us have cooler heads.”

It is a simple offer.

The Element Lord of Jungle frowned.

“You have lifted Mata Nui's curse from us. Now you offer to work with us. Why?”

“More to the point, why would we work with you when you have already given us the one thing we needed from you?” asked the Element Lord of Sand.

“The Element Lord of Water follows no course but his own,” the Water Lord butted in.

“Water is slippery, and sand possesses no integrity,” the Stone Lord shot at them. He turned in the direction of the voice, speaking in a manner measured and firm. “Stone, on the other hand, is reliable. I will repay a debt… to a point.”

You must be restored to your full might to reclaim your places, replied the voice. It is a necessary step in the order of things.

“What does our power matter to you?” asked the Sand Lord.

I have walked into the great expanse, an infinite infinity, sprawling beyond all measure. I have seen truths and touched realities unfathomable to those chained to your primitive forms. Now I have returned and deigned to intervene in this game against the greatest minds this planet has seen, for I will guide the people of this planet to the gifts I have brought for them.

The Element Lord of Sand scoffed. “You talk big among those who wield the forces of every physical element,” she rumbled.

I value your humble powers, came the reply. They are, however, meager for my purposes.

“Meager!” the Sand Lord bristled. “I am every speck of sand that exists on this planet. Every desert, every beach, every dying rock crumbling into the earth. Do you realize how many grains of sand there are? More than millions. More than billions. You can't count them; you can't even imagine them. And I am in every single one of them.”

…and yet, you are so very, very small.

Once more there was a charged silence. Discreetly, the Element Lord of Sand sent small grains rolling through cracks and crevices in search of the speaker. The others, in their own ways, also looked for any clues. But there were no signs to be found, and no possibility of turning the table on the one who had brought them together.

“The power at the heart of the planet is gone. The power at the heart of the Maze is gone,” the Element Lord of Jungle said thoughtfully. “My only desire now is to restore the law of the jungle in my lands. If you interfere with me or my right to rule my tribe, I will destroy you. But if you support me, the very power of nature will support you.”

You will all have your tribes back, the voice agreed. I need not contest them. No, this planet is rich with minds of a sort I have not seen… minds raised from base metal and flesh, created from nothing. I would see those minds made greater, share with them a glimpse of the infinite.

Through much of this, the Element Lord of Water had looked on, taking it all in and soaking information like a sponge. So far from his domain, where he ruled all-powerful, he knew he was weakened and vulnerable. To compensate, he was cautious but strategic, taking the path of least resistance but slowly seeping into the else's weak points of those around him.

Now, seeing the balance of power so rapidly shifting was beyond belief. Compelling as this voice was, did the all-encompassing struggle for Spherus Magna warrant such a pathetic end?

“It cannot end this way,” he simmered. “The Core War can only end once one of us has won and the other five lie defeated.”

“Glory is only found at the head of armies, not fighting like beasts in the Great Beings’ Maze,” the Sand Lord scoffed. “I will restore my tribe first. Then if any of you seek to challenge me, you may do so.”

“You are fools, both of you,” the Jungle Lord spoke again. “Our real enemy lies entrenched, unchecked in the great forest. She must be brought to heel. Then we will right whatever wrongs remain and restore order… where the tribes and the realms submit to us once more.”

You exist in every aspect of your element across the planet. You are entire worlds unto yourselves. And yet you squabble here like apes over a scrap of food. It pains me to see planetary beings think so small, came the voice softly. You will rule your tribes again, but you must learn to think bigger.

“Bigger?” asked the Element Lord of Rock.

This planet brims with untapped potential. Already, we have scoured worlds afar for knowledge; taken our first steps into understanding the universe. I will lift this planet's thinking to a higher level… this, I swear.

Within the darkness of the cave, silence reigned as the great hierarchs pondered the offer. There was a soothing quality about the voice, something reassuring about its promises. Was she lying? It didn't seem likely. Even if she was, they didn't feel compelled to investigate now.

Nor could any of the Element Lords afford to reject this voice and risk letting one of their ancient rivals gain its powerful alliance. Somehow, like some innate instinct, the Element Lords recognized that this voice could be a decisive factor in the war that lay ahead. Even the Element Lord of Sand found herself wondering if the fate of the Bara Magna Vorox could be reversed.

So it was that, oddly enough, each of the powerful entities found themselves reaching the conclusion that this creature, whatever it was, was far too valuable an asset to spurn.

“Very well, ally,” the Element Lord of Fire smoldered. “None of us have left yet, and it seems none of us will. But tell us your name.”

“And show yourself,” agreed the Lord of Ice.

In the far corner of the cave, the air seemed to ripple and dance. The fabric of reality as they understood it seemed to unfold, revealing a being that somehow had prevented them from perceiving it.

“I am the Elder Sister, Lord of Psionics,” the being replied. “The six of you wish to dominate a planet's worth of minds. Fortunately for you… I was made for this.”