#chosen three au

[sideartblog999]

I knew I wanted to draw but didn't know what to draw so Chosen Three AU meming it was.

For readability that is "One Night after Patrol" and then Buffy saying "In front of my salad?"

[spirit-lanterns]

Xipe is kinda made out of puzzle? I'm imagining her just taking one of her peens away by breaking the pieces away because we can't handle her at all lmao

Xipe raising a brow when they see us struggling to please all three cocks at the same time 😭. Not only are they big, but they’re so eager for your attention, and Xipe being the loving mate that they are, would break away one of their cocks so that you won’t be so overwhelmed…

Well, two is still a lot for a puny mortal like you, but Xipe is already being so generous! So you take it like a champ and take two of their knots at the same time. Maybe one day you’ll be able to take all three…? Xipe is doubtful, they don’t want to break their mate but you seem so determined to do so.

Xipe will train you. They are reluctant to use all three on you but how could they decline your begs when you look at them so sweetly 🥺

[oppipopi]

✨flourless pancakes🥞

you just listen it

[a-little-lost-in-my-own-head]

Guys, I found the perfect Sokka creature.

So we all know the dragon Zuko au, where he turns into a dragon, right? And I thought "hey, what if other nations have that too?" So I started my research.

The first creature I thought of was Tangie, because it's perfect for a fanfic. It's a water horse beast, that can appear as either a horse or a handsome man. When someone mounts it in horse form it's pretty safe until Tangie smells water. Then the back becomes adhesive and human can't escape. Tangie takes human to water and eats it.

Zukka fanfic where Zuko wants to put himself in danger (again) with no consideration for his own safety (again) and self sacrifice for others (again), but Sokka in horse form turns on his adhesive trait and literally carries him to safety like "no you stay right here"? Yes please.

BUT!

I thought, why force our western mythology here? So I searched for Inuit creatures, since you know, water tribe is based on Inuit culture. There aren't a lot of them on Wikipedia, so it didn't take long to look through every single one and guys

Guys.

Akhlut.

Do you guys know what an akhlut is? You probably don't, so let me tell you. Akhlut is an orca that becomes a wolf once it steps on land. It also has a merge form.

Do you know what looks an awful lot like it was inspired by orca, or at least has orca colors?

THAT'S RIGHT!

Do you guys know what was definitely inspired by wolves?

EXACTLY!

He already is an orca wolf! What's more, most of ATLA animals are merged from two animals, so it even fits lore! Tangie is perfect for fanfics, but akhlut is perfect for Sokka.

Why isn't this common in fanfics? Why isn't it popular? Besides, look at this good boy.

Baby Sokka akhlut.

EDIT: okay so maybe Sokka's war paint doesn't look all that orca-ish, but not having it in front of my eyes I thought it fit so I kept it in the post even after I double checked it. It has the colors. That's enough for me.

Art source:

Tangie from Bailee on Deviantart

https://www.deviantart.com/tag/bailee?page=5

Big Akhlut from Scorching Kami on Deviantart

https://www.deviantart.com/scorchingkami

Baby Akhlut from Hburton on Deviantart

https://www.deviantart.com/hbruton/art/Akhlut-Pups-895973610

[cyanvalour]

It's swap au day!! (Somewhere!!) I kinda forgot we had this day so I speedran this scuffed relationship chart thingy that I don't know the actual name of!!

[saphstories]

Chapter Two: Invasion

The Three Sovereigns

Act One: The Chosen

(Index/Masterpost) (Previous) (Next: 1/15)

QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you can/like to listen to music while reading, I HIGHLY recommend listening to I Am All of Me by Crush 40 for this chapter! 😁😁 Happy reading!

A town of simplistic yet undeniable beauty located in the heart of Big Sky Country, Green Hills captured the hearts of any that entered her with her kind—if eccentric—citizens and gorgeous landscapes iconic for the state of Montana. Despite the excitement gathered in recent years from the insane Dr. Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik to capture their beloved ‘Blue Devil’, Green Hills remained a humble town of friendly faces and bright blue skies.

Bright blue skies maliciously hidden by dark scarlet thunderclouds and arched with horrific bolts of lightning, churning into a terrifying vortex that dropped monstrous aliens of all shapes and sizes seeking the destruction of the town and the death of every citizen within her. Screams, roars, and sirens pierced the chilly November air, yet Sonic Wachowski only felt the race of his own heart and the cracked pavement beneath his sneakers as he ran through the streets to locate any stragglers that missed his father’s order to evacuate. His emerald eyes swept over every upturned vehicle, each wrecked building, in hopes of finding survivors and getting them to safety.

Curling into a spin dash to blast his way through the debris that blocked his path, Sonic sped onto Main Street and nearly lost his footing at the nightmarish sight that greeted him. Panic seized his chest, and he couldn’t stop the scream that clawed from his throat. “Dad!”

The monster towered six feet over Tom, all bulging muscle and murderous yellow eyes, and raised its claws, bared fangs dripping saliva, and Tom scrambled backward until his back hit the undercarriage of a totaled Chevy, eyes wide as his bullets ricocheted off the monster’s scales without penetrating.

Rage tinted Sonic’s vision a searing red…he was not going to lose his family, never again. Sapphire lightning buzzed in his quills and fur, turned his emerald eyes to shining cobalt disks, and with a howl of fury, he launched at the beast threatening his father’s life. The blue hedgehog was nothing but a blur as he rammed at Mach speed into the monster, managing to send it skidding down the street, its claws gouging marks into the cracked asphalt rather than Tom’s chest. The beast shook debris from its elongated spines and snarled at Sonic, but Sonic was already moving, curling into another charged spin dash aimed at the monster.

But the monster was prepared this time. With a single toss of its gigantic arm, Sonic ricocheted into a streetlamp, which snapped in two under the force. Groaning, Sonic shook his head free of his swimming vision and ringing ears. He spat red onto the sidewalk and glowered at the beast now looming over him. “That all ya got, ugly?” He challenged. The beast growled and lifted its claws. Sonic bared his teeth, the corners of his irises glimmering blue.

Sonic’s ears pricked, and his brow furrowed in confusion. His puzzled expression morphed into stunned confusion when a dark shape roared like thunder and collided with the beast head-on, igniting a tower of flames and smoke where the monster once stood. Parts of a Harley rained down on the street—Tom swore and dove to avoid getting clocked by a piece of the handlebar—alongside a figure that landed in a crouch in front of Sonic.

“Get up, kid.” The gruff voice startled Sonic out of his stupor at seeing another hedgehog like him…A male hedgehog with quills and fur black as night, streaked with crimson, and a glower that could put Oscar the Grouch to shame. He scowled expectantly at Sonic, brow quirked and mouth set in a tense frown on a tan muzzle.

Sonic indignantly bristled when the stranger’s words registered. “I’m not a kid!” Garnet eyes owned by the black hedgehog rolled, and Sonic sputtered when he was snatched under the elbow and roughly hauled to his feet.

“Up, kid. I’m not going to repeat myself.” The stranger barked.

Okay, so maybe not so much like him…

“Let go of me!” Sonic smacked the stranger’s hand away and dusted himself off his clothes, wincing at the state of his Green Hills baseball hoodie.

The stranger crossed his arms over his chest, glowering at him. “You’re welcome.”

“I had it handled.”

“Didn’t seem that way to me.”

“I did!”

“Sure.” The black hedgehog rolled his eyes again, and Sonic felt his blood boiling as the stranger turned away and studied the still-burning fire of his motorbike bomb. He only glanced back when Sonic inched forward and glared at the blue hedgehog. “You should run; I’m not sticking around to save your quills a second time.” He warned.

“I didn’t-oh, forget it!” Sonic scrubbed a hand down his face. “Look, we’re trying to evacuate the town-,”

“Trying being the operative word.” The stranger interjected, quirking an unimpressed brow.

A vein in Sonic’s temple throbbed. “We’re doing just fine, thank you!”

“Clearly.”

“WOULD YOU JUST SHUDDUP AND LISTEN-?!”

“I would, but evidence shows you don’t have anything of import to say, so I’ll be going now.” The black hedgehog gave a sarcastic two-fingered salute, and Sonic gaped as he vanished in a dart of orange—were those rocket skates—deeper into Green Hills.

“How…” Sonic worked his jaw like a gasping fish, but a groan behind him had him whirling a 180 to face his father, uneasily climbing to his feet and leaning on the Chevy for support. “Dad!” The blue blur bolted over.

 “I’m fine, kid.” Tom assured him with a half-grin and tucked his gun back into the holster on his belt. “Don’t worry about me.” He gestured down the street. “You gotta find that hedgehog.”

“What?!” Sonic exclaimed and shook his head. “No way! I gotta get you outta here, check in with Knux and Tails, and make sure Mom and Ozzy made it to the ranch!”

“I’ll check in with the others and head for the ranch. You need to find that hedgehog.” Tom’s voice was stern. “He probably doesn’t have another motorcycle to blow up anymore of those things, and he doesn’t know his way around. You gotta find him and convince him to evacuate with everyone else.”

“But-,”

“Sonic.” Tom knelt and gripped Sonic’s shoulders, squeezing tight, his eyes unwavering and expression hard as stone. “Remember what being a hero is. Part of taking responsibility for other people is prioritizing who needs you most. I’ll be fine. Your mom and Ozzy will be fine. Your brothers will be fine. That hedgehog, unless you find him, probably won’t be. Which means?”

“He’s priority.” Sonic grumbled reluctantly.

Tom ruffled Sonic’s ears. “Atta boy, champ. Now get going; I’ll see you soon.” He stood up and raised his hand expectantly, and Sonic hopped up to complete the high-five with a grin. He watched his father carefully pick his way down the broken street, climbing through the wreckage, and Sonic rolled his shoulders before taking off in the opposite direction.

‘It’s only been a few minutes! He can’t have gotten that far, right?’ Sonic frantically reasoned after several minutes of searching each nook and cranny of the town for the black hedgehog and finding not a crimson or black quill.  

A flash of scarlet caught the corner of Sonic’s eye, and his sneakers left skids on the cracked asphalt. He watched, surprised and a tad bit impressed, as the black hedgehog evaded each strike of the grotesque lithe green beast with a grace Sonic was slightly envious of. The stranger leapt and flipped over the beast, landing a roundhouse kick to its head, but grunted when he was caught in the stomach by a fist and was thrown hard enough into the pavement to stun him.

‘Time to return the favor.’ Sonic bolted forward and socked the beast in the jaw, the sheer force enough to send the creature staggering back. The resident Blue Devil offered a hand up to the black hedgehog. “Found you, faker.” Sonic smirked.

“Faker?” The black hedgehog slapped Sonic’s hand away and stood up with an ugly scowl on his muzzle; he poked Sonic in the chest with a tattered-gloved finger. “I think you’re the fake hedgehog around here.” He sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest, the gold bracelets on his crimson-black cuffs glinting despite the soot and ash soiling his ratty t-shirt and jeans. “You’re comparing yourself to me?” The stranger mocked and glanced disapprovingly over Sonic’s attire—the messy quills, soot-stained fur, ruined baseball hoodie, and tarnished jeans—and shook his head with a scoff. “Ha! You’re not even good enough to be my fake.”

Sonic’s quills rose. “I’ll make you eat those words!”

The stranger bared his fangs. “You won’t even get the chance!”

Before the hedgehogs could turn the challenge physical, an enraged roar turned their attention from each other and towards the beast…who had a Toyota Camry lifted above its head. “Move!” Sonic tackled the black hedgehog just as the vehicle crashed into the bakery behind them. “Oof. That was Dad’s favorite bakery.” Sonic cringed.

The stranger climbed to his feet, ruby light sparkling in his eyes. “Chaos Spear!” He bellowed and flung his arms forward. Sonic’s emerald eyes popped wide at the sudden bolts of crimson light that exploded against the monster’s chest. The cocky smirk cast over the stranger’s shoulder towards him raised Sonic’s hackles, and Sonic charged a Spin Dash, clocking the beast in the maw and knocking the wind from it. He winked arrogantly at the black hedgehog, who growled under his breath.

Sonic revved sapphire blue, stray arcs of blue lightning charring the sidewalk. “Chaos-,” The stranger snarled, his entire body shimmering crimson red. “-Blast!”

The monster never stood a chance. A volley of sapphire strikes, followed by a shockwave of ruby energy, sent the alien beast flying into the Green Hills Chamber of Commerce building, and the weakened structure collapsed on top of it. The monster didn’t reemerge for a rematch.

The black hedgehog dusted himself off, grimacing at the monsters’ slimy black blood staining his already ruined shirt. “Not bad for a kid.” He reluctantly commended.

Sonic, however, glowered at him. “The name’s Sonic, and for the last time, I’m not a kid!”

“Whatever.”  

“Ya know, this is the part where you tell me your name, Or should I just stick with Oscar the Grouch-Hog?” Sonic smirked.

The stranger glared at the Blue Devil, but Sonic was undeterred and waggled his brow. “Shadow.” The black hedgehog finally grumbled.

Sonic snorted. “Not very original.”

“Oh yeah, like Sonic is any less dumb.” Shadow shot back.

“Better than freaking Shad-,”

“Sonic!” Both hedgehogs snapped their glares away from each other, moments away from trading blows with one another, and Sonic beamed and raced through the rubble to his little bro.

“Tails!” Sonic chuffed the twin-tailed fox’s ear. “Glad to see you still in one piece, buddy.”

Tails playfully shoved Sonic away before he could give the customary noogie but cocked his head at his brother’s companion. “Who’s your friend?”

“We aren’t friends.” Shadow firmly interjected.

“Oscar the Grouch-Hog.” Sonic snickered.

“Shadow.”

“Ignore him.” Sonic waved his hand dismissively and grinned at Tails with expectant emerald eyes. “Whaddaya got for me, little bro? Hopefully that you got this rift all figured out so we can close it and send all these uglies back to Hell?” Shadow raised a brow interestedly and stepped slightly closer as Tails pulled a sleek yellow stick outfitted with blinking blue lights from his backpack.

“First, don’t let Mom or Dad hear you.” Tails rebuffed; Sonic shrugged. “Second: yes and no.” The fox split the stick in two and a blue holographic screen filled the empty space between the pieces. “I’ve been running scans on the rift and its effects on my Miles Electric; it’s a rip in the fabric of reality, an interdimensional wormhole that these aliens are using to cross dimensions.”

“So, a Ring without the Ring?” Sonic scratched his head.

Tails paused. “Kinda, in function. But the mechanics are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. This wormhole is powerful enough to tear a hole in time and space and transport an entire army through!”

Shadow glowered at the blood red sky as if personally offended. “This makes no sense.” He muttered. “If these invaders can do that, why come to a tiny nonsensical town in Montana? Why not go for a more valuable target, like Washington? What’s here that they tore through reality with an army for?” Sonic stared at Tails, spotted the equal horror in the fox’s aqua eyes that the blue hedgehog knew was paling his own face under his fur the longer Shadow spoke. The black hedgehog’s garnet gaze flicked between them, alarm causing his fur to prickle reading the terror on their faces. “What?”

“We gotta get home.” Sonic’s voice was barely audible; the urgency lowering his tone to a sickened breath.

“I’ll call Knuckles!” Tails cried and twirled his namesakes, launching into the sky. Sonic’s quills hummed with sapphire energy, but before he could bolt, a firm hand clutched tight to his hoodie.

“Hedgehog, what is going on?” Shadow shoved Sonic to face him. “What do you know?”

Sonic wrenched away from Shadow with a snarl. “Let go.” He took a deep breath and regarded the black hedgehog with crackling blue eyes, enough to give Shadow pause. For once, the kid actually looked ferocious. “Get out of Green Hills.” He ordered. “There’s a ranch: Red Peach Ranch, just off Highway 12 going East out of town. You can’t miss it. Find Jack and Maggie Wachowski. Tell them Sonic sent you. They’ll shelter you until this is over.”

“And where are you going?” Shadow demanded as the blue hedgehog backed away.

“To save my home.” Sonic gave a sarcastic two-fingered salute. “Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.” Before he could protest even a syllable further, Sonic vanished in a blur of blue, and the following sonic boom nearly knocked Shadow off his feet.

“Christ, the kid’s fast.” Shadow muttered, impressed and if only a tad envious. He observed the demolition surrounding him, his ears pricked as screams and roars continued to fill the air along with the smoke and ash of the fires.

Shadow could follow the kid’s instructions. Find Highway 12, this ranch, and take cover until the invasion ended. Apparently, the blue hedgehog knew the owners well enough that the mere mention of his name would be enough for them to house Shadow for a time without question. It was a decent plan, and perhaps Shadow would get more than a roof over his head if he were to follow it. He glanced down at his oversized and tattered t-shirt and jeans and grimaced. What were the odds that he may receive a change of clothes, something better fitting and more durable than the garments he’d ‘borrowed’? It was a decent plan.

Two issues with the plan, however:

One, Shadow did not take orders from kids.

Two, Shadow did not run away. Never again.

“I’m going to regret this.” Shadow groaned, activated his skates, and tore off in pursuit of the impetuous blue hedgehog.

(Logo design by the amazing @eclipsed-jester and @the-sky-queen!)

Can you see all of me? Walk into my mystery, step inside and hold on for dear liiiiife~ 😁

SHADOW HAS ENTERED THE CHAT!!! WOOOOOO!!!! MY MANS IS HERE LETS GOOOOO 💖🔥 And what is it these monsters want in Green Hills? 👀 Five points to your House and cookies if you figure it out like Tails and Sonic!

See you guys for Chapter Three: Defenders of the Emerald on Wednesday, 1/15!

[bookishbroadwayandblind]

Mage Voice: It seems like the kids these days are also posting their COC things on Tumblr and not just AO3! So here are the things!! Just vibes for each day I've done so far and the link to my series :) I'll be back tomorrow!!

Day One: Childhood, Paddington bear, angst, comfort, emotional support, acts of kindness

Day Two: Family feels, retrospective, epistilary/poetry vibes (not actually lol), hoping for the future when you never had the luxury to do so before now

Day Three: High School, teen angst, rom-com-ish, awkward messy teens, sidewalks and cozy couches and tender moments, identity, and it's a kissing book! (Took me long enough LOL)

[non-cannon]

I've noticed that a lot of people seem to have accepted that the chosen one and osirian can't be together or there'll be danger as a fact, and incorporated it into their fics and AUs. And no shade to you if you do.

But it's been 11 years and I still don't accept it. I still think it's bullshit. What little we learn about paragon and the osirian is season two is that they're ying and yang. A team who works together to protect the world. The osirian is supposed to protect the chosen one. How can he do that if they can't be together. Also where the fuck did Nina learn this knowledge? Seriously, where?

I know Nathlia Ramos left, and some of my problems with how Nina was written out are because she was no longer available to help but, seriously.

I could believe Nina leaving to look after her gran. And I could almost believe Nina leaving because she knows the chosen one is a curse, and she doesn't want her friends to be hurt by it anymore. I still think it's stupid, but sure. But the paragon and osirian can't be together? Bullshit. That sounds more like one of Nina's bad lies, than something that should be actual canon.

And am I supposed to believe that Nina would be so cold hearted an cowardly that she breaks up with Fabian in a letter. As apposed to say video call, since in person isn't feasible? And am I really supposed to believe that Nina is such a terrible friend that she doesn't bother to give anyone else in Sibuna goodbye? Or at least Amber? Really?

These are the reasons why the vast majority of my fanfic/AU ideas either ignore Nina leaving/the chosen one and the osirian can't be together thing, or come up with some alternative reason for her to be gone.

One of my favorites is kidnapping, and either the kidnappers fake the letter, and the chosen one osirian thing, or they force Nina to come up with a lie, and known bad liar Nina, comes up with a bad lie that she's certain her friends will realize has to be a lie. And then years later when they reunite, they get mad at her for abandoning them, and she gets mad at them for thinking the worse of her and it's all very angsty.

[flowerbarrel-art]

and also: Happy birthday Chosen :D

He was touched. Happy Birthday Chosen!

[catsafari25]

A/N: Hello again, and with this I think (?) I may have succeeded in writing enough bionicle fic to get it out of my system (unless another plot bunny hits me like a cannonball, but... eh, we'll see) and thus, here is the companion piece to the Vakama & Roodaka oneshot.

This time, exploring the scene where Vakama entered the Great Temple, from his side of things! This was also partially inspired by the scene in Challenge of the Hordika where Nokama is almost physically repulsed in trying to enter the Great Temple :)

x

In the tunnels beneath the temple, Vakama must stoop.

At first he shuffles, mutated arm tucked against him and his sole hand brushing only briefly along the floor to steady himself, but the passages are dark and deep and lined with creatures which seek out the weak. The eyes that watch him are not hungry. They keep their bellies too full for that.

In the end, it is easier quicker to drop to all fours, to share the weight between claw and tool that feet alone cannot. His altered form folds into the new stance with frightening familiarity. It's comfortable.

Natural.

The crown of his mask grazes the tunnel's ceiling, but only in passing. His gait is sure. Well. Surer than the ungainly slouch it had been before.

It was said – back when Matoran were awake to say such things – that even the strongest swimmers of Ga-Metru would hesitate before plunging into the depths of the protodermis sea. Not because the creatures there had any fondness for the taste of Matoran. In truth, it was thought that the rahi actively disliked the flavour. No, it was because the way Matoran swam was indistinguishable from the rahi's usual prey. Only when they had sunk tooth and jaw into their meal would they realise their mistake.

It was an annoying, if harmless mistake for the rahi.

Matoran couldn't say the same.

Vakama's early crawl through the passage had been like that of a Matoran swimmer: functional, but slow and indiscernible from wounded prey. Creatures drag themselves down into these depths to die, in hopes that they will be devoured only when they are too far gone to feel it. The eyes are patient. They will wait to see if this newcomer is similarly inclined.

And so when Vakama drops to his haunches, the eyes blink. Reassess. He moves less like the hunted and more like the hunter now, more predator than prey, and the eyes – and teeth – keep their distance after that.

The path Vakama stalks through was once a protodermis pipe, made obsolete even before the cataclysm. Newer conduits had been built, more efficient, more resilient, and this one had been disconnected but never dismantled. When he reaches its origin, it takes some effort – and his blazer claw – to break the seal across the hatchway, but when he does, one of the temple's protodermis purification chambers looms above him.

The room beyond is quiet.

Unmarked.

He doesn't realise he's stopped until the chittering of his audience draws closer. The snarl he throws back echoes off the pipe's walls, and the eyes retreat, but do not leave.

Vakama curls his hand around the lip of the hatch, and then falters.

Something is wrong.

It's not a pain, because the feeling does not hurt as it ought, but something is undeniably, fundamentally wrong. It causes his breath to catch, his hand to flinch, and it would be so easy, so easy, to turn and walk away, only...

Only he came here for a reason.

The wrongness flares, amplified for a moment, and then he pulls himself up. The eyes watch, but do not follow. Do they feel it too? Can even such base creatures sense the innate malice the temple exudes?

He clambers out of the purification chamber – empty and abandoned now – and stumbles upon his landing. He catches himself, but does not rise back to his feet.

Wrong.

This is wrong.

And at the edge of the wrongness there is a strange sort of terror. It dreads the same way the fire fears the sea, the same way the prey fears the predator; it is the meeting of two primally antithetical forces where only one can survive. It whispers turn back through his mind.

He moves into the next room.

It's one he knows well. Light filters down from the rot-stained windows, centering – as it had the day he'd first seen it – on the suva, and casting long sentinel shadows of the columns standing to attention around it. A crack mars the suva, its stone dome now split cleanly in two from the quakes, and – drawn by some desire he cannot identify (instinct, curiosity... nostalgia?) – he approaches.

It seems so small now. Even bowed and altered in his Hordika form, he looms over the Ta-Metru symbol he'd once had to stretch to reach.

Unbidden, his hand moves to the niche where once he'd placed a Toa Stone – where once he had though himself chosen, duty-bound, destiny-gifted – and falters a breath from the stone.

The wrongness spikes.

Screams.

And with a twist of something he will not call horror, he understands it is not originating from himself.

But from the temple.

It is repulsion. It's alienation. It's recognising him, but as other, as rahi.

It's disgust that a monster would dare enter its sanctuary.

In the Ta-Metru carving, stone once polished to the point of fragmented reflection, he sees a glimmer of his own face. Neither Toa nor Matoran. Nothing blessed by Mata Nui.

Vakama recoils.

And then a wave of his own disgust, propelled by that fury that runs so close to the surface now, rolls through him. If you didn't want us as the Toa, you should've stopped Makuta from choosing us, he thinks, and digs his claws into the stonework.

The wrongness sings.

But he knows it for what it is now, and his morphed, clawed hand gorges scars through the carving. The stone is soft. Its makers had never imagined someone would take a blade to it.

There comes a tapping from across the room, echoing brazenly off the ancient stone walls, and Vakama retreats instinctively into the shadows. A Rahaga enters.

Norik?

No, this Rahaga's armour is more akin to a Po-Matoran than a Ta-Matoran's, the colour of dust and stone. Vakama tries to recall the Rahaga's name – and then dismisses the attempt.

It won't matter, in the end.

The Rahaga walks as he always has, stooped and slow, but clearly unhindered by the temple. He passes by the suva and runs one gnarled hand across the stonework, his movements marred by curiosity rather than reverence.

The rage arrives a fully-formed creation. It drowns out the wrongness, floods the apprehension, and he is moving before he's decided that this is the path he wants.

It is not pain, for it does not hurt as it ought.

But it does still hurt.

x

Whatever the Rahaga might once have been, they are old and weak now. Four are captured before Vakama's rage has a chance to cool, but the ire is no less dangerous when it does.

(That's the thing about Ta-Metru; it's not a place of fire so much as it is of magma. And magma doesn't extinguish with the cold; it sets. It moors itself into place, an unmovable, burning force.)

The rage settles, solidifies around his heart and lungs and carves a home between his breaths.

(Magma is not fire. It does not leap blindly from one source to the next. Instead it advances. Slowly. Steadily. It finds a channel, a destination, and it engulfs all in its path until it reaches it.)

He finds the last two remaining Rahaga, pathetically ignorant to their brothers' fates and still scavenging the temple for answers. He hears the way Norik appraises his sister's translation, relief clear in his voice that they are one step further on this wild rahi chase. Relief, surely, that the Rahaga are one step closer to regaining their Toa form.

(And Vakama's anger has found its destination.)

He does not descend on the Rahaga's leader the way he has the others. No. Norik will know what's coming for him first. He gets to fear. Vakama waits until Gaaki has gone, until Norik is alone, and then he circles. The wrongness thrums in his veins, weighing him down and labouring his breaths. It doesn't matter. Let Norik hear his approach.

Norik doesn't try to run. Vakama will give him that much. (A wise choice. Vakama intends for this encounter to last, but if Norik runs, Vakama cannot be sure he won't chase.) Instead, the malformed once-Toa calls out and actually tries to approach him. Stupid. Doesn't he know that he won't win any fight, transformed as he is? As both of them are? No, instead, he tries to talk. As if they are equals, as if Norik has done anything to deserve his respect rather than his scorn. As if he has earned the temple's forgiveness for his trespassing.

Even when Vakama raises the fate of Norik's fellow Rahaga, Norik attempts to sway him with the illusion of reason, talking of duty and unity, as if he's not using the other Toa Hordika to chase after a rahi myth for his own desires. As if their roles are in any way comparable, both Toa of Fire once, both leaders, it's true, but Vakama hasn't forgone his duty to chase after selfish needs.

And it stops now.

Vakama circles closer, and Norik is still talking, unease in his voice, but not fear. Still searching for the right words to turn Vakama to his bidding as he has the other Toa Hordika. Ever the voice of two-faced logic.

Why won't he just shut up?

Does Norik think him to be as gullible as the others? As quick to desert his duty as them?

And Vakama knows he wants – needs – to shake that assurance, that arrogance out of Norik. Needs to see that facade of self-righteous wisdom crumble into the terror of his situation.

The growl begins deep in his chest and, unleashed, it becomes a roar. He rears out of the darkness, into the weak sphere of light surrounding Norik – and there, there he finally sees true fear fill the old fool's eyes.

Something slams into Vakama and he reels, his roar cut short. His hand reaches automatically, defensively, to his mask. He finds only water there. It clings to him, imbued with some sort of power – he can feel something other in it – but otherwise impotent.

"Leave my brother alone," Gaaki snarls. She stands in the doorway, small and hopelessly overpowered, but her shoulders are tensed with a stubborness Vakama recognises. Already, her spinner is powering up for another shot.

Well. Two can play at that game.

Vakama's rhotuka fires into motion, but the water has seeped into the mechanism, and dowses the fire before it has a chance to catch. He gives it a withering look, before turning the expression onto Gaaki. "Very clever."

Another water spinner hits him, but this time he is braced for it and all it does is wash harmlessly off him.

"Is that all you have?" he asks. His blazer claw splutters, but the claws on his hand flex. After all, there's more than one way to defang a muaka...

Gaaki steps back. Good. She knows she's outmatched. "It's a devastating attack underwater," she offers, and her words are strong but there is a cracked edge to them.

"Then you'd better start finding a puddle," Vakama growls, "before my claws find you," and he drops into a run, feet pounding and fangs bared and that ever-present wrongness humming about him.

She doesn't flee. Just like Norik, she stands her ground, gnarled fingers wrapped tight around her staff. Her eyes are hard, but he sees the way her hands shake.

How long will her resolve last, Vakama wonders. Before or after the claws find their mark?

He never finds out.

He's knocked off his feet before he reaches her, and when he hits the ground, ropes of energy pin him to the earth, like a water-bound rahi caught in a net.

What–

Norik.

He'd forgotten Norik.

He thrashes against the restraints, but they hold strong – for now. His blazer claw splutters again, but it does nothing to the energy that binds him.

He stills as he hears footsteps approach.

The two Rahaga hobble into his line of sight. Gaaki is breathing hard, as if only now is she allowing herself to feel the fear. "You left that late, Norik," she says, and even the breath that follows sounds more like a shaken wheeze than a nervous laugh. "Almost too late."

"I only had the one shot. I couldn't afford to miss," Norik replies. "He's got our brothers. Gaaki, go find–"

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," she retorts. "I only went for a moment before, and look what would have happened if I hadn't returned."

Vakama tilts his head as well as the energy net will allow. He grins at the Rahaga, anger curdling it into a sneer. "Yes, Gaaki, you're very good bait, congratulations." He shifts his gaze to Norik. "But you've always been so good at getting others to do your dirty work, haven't you, Norik?"

Norik doesn't even have the decency of guilt. Instead, he simply looks tired. "Whatever you think you know–"

"I know the truth! You don't care about the Matoran, you only care about yourselves!" He strains against the ropes, and although they do not break, there's a little more give in them than before. He slumps back to the ground, breathing hard. "You might have the other Toa fooled. You might even have the temple fooled, but not me," he growls, and the temple's hatred presses down on him, straining his last words.

Gaaki places a frail hand on her brother's arm. "Norik," she says, and there is such unbearable sorrow in her voice. "He looks in pain."

"It's not my doing," Norik assures her softly. "My snare spinner only binds."

Vakama snarls. "I don't need pity from the likes of you. I know what you are."

"We're allies, Vakama," Norik says, in that insufferably reasonable way of his. "Friends."

"You're frauds," Vakama snaps. He twists against his restraints. They slacken, just a touch. "Liars. You don't deserve to walk these floors."

And the Rahaga stand there, unburdened by the temple's hate, strangers to this land, to Metru Nui, and yet it is Vakama the temple repulses? After everything he has forgone, the life he's abandoned, the friendships he's lost, Mata Nui punishes him?

His rhotuka fires off a fire spinner, and it goes wide, cracks a wall. Norik and Gaaki stumble back, Norik preparing another snare shot, but the energy net holding Vakama snaps. Vakama lurches forward, suddenly free, and slams into Norik.

The snare spinner wraps itself around a column. It lights up the room with crackling energy.

A blast of water grazes past his shoulder, too shy of hitting Norik to commit to taking the easy shot, and Vakama reels towards Gaaki. He fires with a snarl, but hears the snare spinner coming again and ducks at the last moment.

Again his own attack misses and the shot cleaves clean through a wall. Something on the other side begins to smoulder.

Then it begins to rumble.

It's a low sound at first, as deep as the earth and just as vast. Almost like a distant growl. But then the cracks begin to spiral out across the roof, along the columns, and the room buckles.

The light flickers. The frames of the high windows above collapse.

The world becomes fragmented, filled with flickering images. Falling masonry and toppling pillars and dust – but the sounds never relent. Even in the depths of the passing darkness, the thunder continues.

And when the dust settles, so does an awful silence.

Vakama straightens, or does his best approximation of it. Fragments of cracked protodermis fall from his shoulders, his head, his back. He withdraws the hand which has somehow found itself raised above Gaaki, knocking aside the stone slab caught against his arm.

Where's Norik?

Both Hordika and Rahaga stand side by side, that quietness disturbed only by the skittering of stone shards settling. There is wrongness in his breath, his head, and it's impossible to separate where the temple's ends and his begins. But any moment now, Norik will reappear from the wreckage, bearing that ever-same holier-than-thou look, and the anger will rise anew in Vakama.

Any.

Moment.

Now.

"You've killed him," Gaaki says, and her voice breaks that terrible stillness. She draws in a half-breath that cracks into a sob. "You've... oh, Norik..."

No.

No, it was an accident. He hadn't meant to– Norik had simply been in the wrong place. It wasn't as if he'd taken a blazer claw to Norik, or hit him directly with a fire spinner. He'd only meant to... what? What had he only meant to do?

Something swings towards him and he grabs the staff before he even registers what it is.

"He's not dead," Vakama says, and maybe if he says it, he might even believe it. He snaps his gaze to Gaaki, as if her grief is bringing it to pass. "He's not. He's not as easy to kill as that. When the others– when the Toa find him, he'll be fine. Fools like him always find a way to survive."

Gaaki attempts to pull her staff free, but her strength is no match for Vakama's. He wretches it out of her grasp and tosses it aside.

"Stop that."

She doesn't listen to him, only steps back and charges up her rhotuka. The grief in her eyes fogs into hatred.

The water spinner hits him but does little more than rock him.

"Stop."

Gaaki screams, a sound of rage and anguish, and releases a volley of spinners as ineffectual as the first.

Vakama's patience – or whatever had held him in place until now – snaps. He lunges forward. His claws close around the joints of Gaaki's rhotuka and pins the mechanisms harmlessly into place, in the same manner one might pick up a baby ussal crab by the widest edge of its shell. She thrashes, but Vakama's grip holds.

"I said, stop," he snarls.

She's breathing hard, her gasps sharp-edged with agony. "You killed him," she says, voice hoarse and hateful.

His insides twist, and – Gaaki hauled by his side – he starts the ascent to where the rest of the Rahaga are trapped. He doesn't look back to the rubble. Doesn't glance for one last glimpse of Norik's resting place.

He's not dead. He's not dead he's not dead he's not

The wrongness, the hatred, has woven so deep into him, it's almost a part of him now.

Toa don't kill. Vakama can't remember who taught him that (he recalls, briefly, the flash of a gold mask, but it comes with pain – grief – and he pushes it aside before it can take root) but it gnaws at him like a trapped stone rat. Toa don't kill.

But he was never meant to be one.

And if the Great Temple – if Mata Nui – thinks a mistake was made in Vakama's destiny....

Well. That's somebody else's problem.

x

The Hordika that returns to Roodaka is different from the one she sent out. There's something new in his eyes... or perhaps something lost.

"How was the temple, Vakama?" she asks when it's just the two of them.

He looks to her. Beneath the anger, beneath the rahi, there's almost a haunted look to those eyes. It vanishes a moment later, but Roodaka never doubts her own eyes.

"Unwelcoming," he replies, and Roodaka smiles. She could have suggested Vakama pick the Rahaga off one by one in the chaos of Metru Nui, outside where her Visorak could have been an aid... but the temple had been too good an opportunity to miss.

"Good." She sets a hand on his shoulder. "You owe no loyalty to Mata Nui, Vakama. Not anymore."

He rolls his shoulder, but not sharp enough to dislodge Roodaka's hand.

"One thing I do not understand," she says. "What happened to the sixth Rahaga?"

The Toa growls. It is a gutteral sound, rooted deep in the chest and at home in a way it wasn't before. "You wanted a message left for the other Toa. I needed a messenger."

"Alive?"

Vakama shrugs his shoulder again, and this time she lets him roll her hand loose. "Does it matter, so long as they understand?" he growls.

No, Roodaka concedes as she surveys the remains of the Toa before her. She supposes not.

[wolfblood-of-anubis]

Eddie: Where's Nina?

Amber: Don't worry about Nina.

Eddie: Oh I'm sorry, have you met me?

[legendary-pancakes]

i've done it again lads i've drawn art for my au i never talk about

alt version under the cut:

[tallsc]

AvA AUs (Virored)

So a little while ago I made a summary of my main AvA/AvM AU/headcanon thing, if you haven't seen it and you want to it's here.

That one is what I use for most things, and I try to keep it close to canon just with a few of my own interpretations and such. If you ask any of the AvA characters anything on my blog, I'm usually going to answer with the one linked above unless you specify that the character is from one of these AUs XD

That said, I have a few smaller, more canon-divergent AUs, generally focused on one or two characters each. And, hey, why not share those too? And since I don't think I have the motivation or ideas to make cohesive stories for all four, I'm going to give you a summary of each!

However since each of these is gonna take some time and be decently long to write, I'm just gonna be posting one at a time - let's say starting with Red's, then Mango's, then Green's, then Dark's. But I will give you this little sketch to make guesses from until the other three are posted :) I'll try to make one a day but no promises there.

Edit: Hehhh nvm I'll make the others some time but idk the exact schedule I'm too busy sorry XD

(Note: All of these operate using my old headcanons for the most part unless otherwise specified, so for example there still isn't shipping in any of these. Haven't decided if the jewelry still applies for any of these but it does it's not very plot important anyway XD)

Virored AU

(originated from a dream)

I have so many dreams about AvA and a few of them ended up having cohesive enough plots that I spent some time to figure them out more and make them into AUs. This was one of them XD

This takes place some time after both AvA 5 and AvM 30, along with it being in a universe where Dark is on Chosen and the CG's side now. There, however, are some existing virobots, who have started running around destroying things now that they're not getting any more commands from Dark's bracers.

Dark, Chosen, and the CG decided to team up to either shut down or outright destroy any remaining virobots, but during one of those fights, Red got bitten.

Now virobots in this AU can get stronger and smarter by eating code, and this guy in particular was pretty successful. So it decided that, instead of deleting Red and probably getting killed by the rest of the CG, it just jumped inside Red's code like how virobots can infest the computer.

Yeah Red's getting possessed for a fourth time, this kid can't catch a break.

But anyways, since the virobot was taking its time doing any actual possession - it's probably harder to take over a living creature anyway - Red and the CG just decided they were very lucky that nothing too bad happened and went home to patch themselves up and rest.

And that night, the virobot took over. Virored escaped back into the internet to continue their destruction and rally together more virobots, they themselves regrowing virobot-like claws and a venomous mandible from the mixed stick-figure-and-virobot code.

The rest of the CG quickly started trying to track Virored down, getting Chosen and Dark's help (although low-empathy Dark was mostly just annoyed that Virored's stealing Dark's old brand -v-) to find and stop them faster. However, this took them quite a while with quite some difficulty, as Virored was fully aware they were likely being tracked and was actively avoiding them.

In the meantime, though, Virored went back to running around rampant and destroying things - even killing people - just this time, with a new body and new intelligence, able to gather more virobots together into a collective swarm.

However, after a few weeks of this - Virored and their swarm invading a town, leaving after whatever destruction they've caused, then the rest of the CG, Dark, and Chosen tracking them there - the group finally cornered Virored.

And, after a battle, Chosen was able to separate Red and the virobot controlling them.

However, this didn't quite lead to everything being solved. For one, during those weeks, the virobot had still been eating away at Red's code. While they kept their mind mostly intact, their physical body was a different story.

Chosen wanted Orange to help with the separation, since Orange has healing powers, but they still had no clue how they were supposed to invoke those since they still had no memory of how it happened last time, so instead Chosen just had to do it themselves (cause that's not Dark's expertise either) and try to make sure Red would still have enough code left to survive.

This left Red, even after some time (and potions from Blue) to recover, with scars wherever the virobot claws and mandible used to be. Scars that, after a few days, began to grow back into the same claws and fang they used to have.

These odd physical traits were the clearest pieces of what the virobot code and time of possession left behind, though Red still had all the memories of what happened during those few weeks. And, as Virored had bitten and killed people before, those weren't exactly the happiest of memories.

But Red still was free from the possession, none of their friends had been bitten during the fight, so there was at least an okay ending there.

I'm pretty sure all the towns and cities banned Red from going back tho

Well idk, hope you enjoyed my weird dream-au ramble, if you wanna know more about it feel free to either ask me or ask the character involved XD If you do ask the character please specify that this is from the AU (and preferably whether it's in the middle of it or in the aftermath) so I know who to respond with tho ^-^

I'll be trying to write the other three soon!

[caiusthecat]

I’m not even going to explain. Read tags🥱

[percexe]

in my head bg3 is so intertwined with my alternate version of forgotten realms for a campaign i’m planning that i forget the dead three are wildly different in game

[ladyoftheweald]

Can beasts from other worlds choose a chosen? Like does it exist in other worlds?

•°☆Hm. I do understand this was sent anonymously, but if you are able to respond or send another ask explaining what you mean by "beast from other worlds", then I'd be able to provide the best awnser☆°•