"GEEAAAH!"

Malum looked up, startled at the scream and just managed to duck. More flattening himself on the ground in the push up position at the warning yelp of:

"INCOMING!"

Something bright white, flailing and...cold? Yes, whatever or whoever was cold and something clipped Malum's back making the distinct sound of metal on metal. There was a flurry of movement and then a crash.

Only after a few minutes of stillness did the Glatorian lift his head and looked around. He knew attacks and knew that had not been one in any way shape or form, not even a botched attack. "What...?"

"Ow." A female voice said from within a pile of rocks, a shield and white armor, but she didn't move other than one leg thumping down and stretching out.

Malum hefted up his person, his armor making his steps a little heavy like with most Glatorian. "What on the Bara?" he muttered to himself, seeing not at an Agori but what he guessed could only be a young or (relatively) newly made Glatorian. It was a female indeed as she uncurled herself at last and sat up, hand to her masked, but not crested head. "...are you alright?" he asked, glancing up to see the path the young Glatorian took down the near sheer cliff face from the Plato above. There was what looked like claw marks dug into the stone.

"Ow." The white female said again easing to a stand only to freeze as she started to stretch her back as a crack was heard. "...Oh frag."

Malum's claws snapped forward and he half grabbed, half snared the female (unholy nights she was light!), lifting her up over one shoulder, got a thump to the side of his head as one of her shields clipped him doing so before the Glatorian leapt away just as the rockslide started.

It had to be pure luck that his long legs got them free. Though once clear of debris and looking back at the tail end of the rock slide Malum frowned. Why on Bara did he just save the young Glatorian? It would have suited her too... too...

Her.

Malum gave a half sigh, half growl as the reason behind his actions popped up in front of his face and waved. There weren't very many female Glatorian around and it had been a long time he'd seen one, in or out of battle. Longer for the latter.

"Eeeehhh, you can put me down or I'll freeze your back side." Said female tapped the taller once Prime on his back. Rumbling softly, but not wishing to get any damage Malum did so.

The girl grunted softly as she landed on her side, she proceeded to twist and did…something Malum wasn't fully sure if it was a combat move or what, but the end result was that the younger Glatorian was abruptly on her feet. Brushing her white armor off of most of dirt, and sand must have been in a few odd places because she made a face that pretty much everyone on Bara Magna had made at one point or another.

Sand was everywhere, and in places you didn't want it, Malum knew this all too well.

Tala looked around, up at the rouge that was looking down at the Kora was half his size. Said young elemental blinked around again before, "Yep, I'm lost. Greeaat..."

"What in Bara?" Malum asked this time, reaching out to poke Tala with one of his killing claws, and was understandably startled as it was batted away and Tala was out of reach.

"No pokes." The Kora said.

__________________________________________

"I'm Tala by the way." The white armored girl said as she dropped one folded shield and gracefully sank down to sit on in, though she wasn't close to the fire pit and it's soft blaze.

"My name is Malum." The Glatorian said as he sat across from the younger one, night was coming on now and the sky was already darkening.

Tala quirked up her eye ridge, "That's a nice name." she said after mouthing it to herself.

The once Prime Glatorian tilted his head, "Have you not heard of me?" he asked as he built up the fire some.

"Should I?" Tala asked as she sipped the water from before, wisely not gulping it down. Seeing his unbelieving look she paused to really think about the name, shifting through her memories and those few she had from her Toa brother of light's shared memories. "Eeehh... I know a Matau and a Muli but not a Malum." Tala admitted at last.

Malum regarded the young Glatorian thoughtfully over the flames. Well, this was disappointing. His name and threat of his claws no longer being used to stare the armor off the younger generations.

"Sorry." Tala shrugged her shoulders lightly, the other shield on her back shifting a little with the movement, settling more into place.

"Its...okay." Malum said, turning his attention to cooking the food, pushing the desert melon into one side of the fire and spearing the meat on a short spear over the flames. It wasn't going to be much in taste but it was good for the body. "What are you doing out here?"

"Was wit' a group, got separated leading some o' those Scrall off." Tala said as she eyed something. She stared at the insect until it thought better of its current path and scuttled off. "I'll track em' down an' join up again after a bit."

Malum frowned at her, "You won't get far in the dark." The rouge paused as he watched the female grin at him and lift a hand to tap her mask, to the left side with the red eye.

"Actually I will." Tala said, "I may not have Kopaka's Kanohii but mine works pretty good for such things even though it's made for translation."

The Glatorian tilted his head, "Kanohii?"

"That's what the masks are called by us Bionicle." The white being said as she pressed the bottom of her feet flat against each other, sipping the cup of water again. She set it down, half of it was left but Tala had noted that there was only one cup.

"This sounds like a story." Malum said after a moment of silence as he realized Tala was willingly sharing what little water there was.

"More than one." She was grinning in a way Malum would find was just the somewhat odd way of the Bionicle.

"I have nothing but time." He shrugged as if uninterested, but he was.

"Mmm, well, I'm not as good as the Turaga but I'd be happy ta tell ya some of the stories," Tala said pulling out a small bag from her deep-space pocket, mixings for some tea. She picked up the smaller and empty pod, a little bit of elemental energy was used to fill the can like pot and set it in the hottest part of the fire to start melting. "Ya know what a Toa is Malum?"

"Never heard of it." Malum did a double take as he spotted the ice, and then his head jerked up to look at the Kora who smiled again. Almost playful he thought.

"Okay dat helps. Well, in the time before time..."

It was just now dark, but not so far into the night where all of the heat of the day was gone. Malum, despite himself was drawn into the story... stories that Tala was telling of her people. Her voice had taken a lyrical lilt, though not truly singing it was just close enough. Admittedly Malum was listening at first just for the selfish pleasure of hearing a female voice again after so long alone or with the company of Vorox (who had crept in close but still giving their leader and his guest space), but then he started to hear the words as well.

Tala had to change the story a little, not for the first time as she had used Ackar as a test subject one night. Working with him on some points so the Bionicle tale would be understood for those without the same background knowledge of the Bionicle.

The Kora of ice told of the island of Mata Nui, the Toa Nuva, her and her Kora siblings' stories as well as Takanuva's. She left out the Metru Nui dream-world, but covered the scramble to bring the Great spirit back to life... Staying with Takanuva as his guard as much to help protect Metru Nui while the others were gone.

It was not missed by Malum when Tala hesitated before telling of Toa Matoro's sacrifice. There was more than a flicker of pain on the masked face yet her voice remained the same as only one with training could keep steady even in the painful subject of how The Makuta took over their world. And then the Kora had left their world with Takanuva to find Mata Nui, they did find him and now they were trying to find a way back home.

Currently their group were on their way to a place called Tajuin, with two Glatorian as guides. Tala didn't offered their names yet, instead she had offered some of the tea she made to Malum and ate some of the not so good tasting desert melon that finally cooked.

Malum deftly sliced the chunk of roasting cargu meat with one of his smaller blades, stabbing the larger part Malum hesitated before biting down. The Glatorian looked at the knife holding the dark, and well done flesh before he held it out to the stark white female, "You are far too light even for a new Glatorian." Malum said in explanation after she tilted her head at him in interest. Yeah he was starting to understand the difference but...eh.

"Can't eat dat." Tala shook her head with a soft smile that looked slightly odd, perhaps sad, "Not dat I don't appreciate the offer my friend."

Malum quirked up an eye ridge, he didn't show this generosity very often. Probably the only reason he was offering some of his earlier kill was that he got an interesting story, and extra water from the melted ice. Okay the Glad- the Kora was a little pretty looking.

"I never ate a lot of meat, didn't go down right." Tala shrugged a shoulder, "I wasn't built to eat it like Tahu or Telem. An' I can go a while without food anyways, not as long as Kopaka, but we come from a desert too."

"I thought you said you come from a snowy regain." The Glatorian said around a mouth full as he shifted position from sitting to partly reclining on his side. For some reason he felt inclined to push the rest of the cooked melon at the Kora.

Blah, he was just unconsciously falling back on old habits of courting...wait, wait, was he?

"I am." Tala nodded, "But think about what a desert is." The Kora added as she used her claw finger tips to pry loose a strip from the melon that wasn't really a true fruit. "A snowy regain is just a cold desert sometimes."

Malum considered this, chewing another bite and listening to the slightly muffled sounds of his Vorox pack beyond the firelight. They weren't fighting each other, probably just chasing some unlucky critter around for the fun of it. "I suppose." He said after a while.

"The tea helps, you should drink some more."

"I will."

Tala didn't push it, only nodded. She closed her blue eye, the optic stayed un-shuttered though. The Kora seemed to be shifting her attention somehow and the larger Glatorian watched steadily. "Taka's near...ish, I should go."

Malum somehow straightened a little despite being half way to laying on his side, "Night's here, you'll freeze." He paused, suddenly on the reserving end of a brilliant smile that was felt as much as seen. Malum couldn't remember seeing something like that, and if he did it was so long ago, before the shattering

"Thank ya' for the hospitality Malum, an' the warnin'." Tala slipped the pouch from before back into deep-space as she stood. She hocked her foot under the shield she'd been sitting on and stomped on one end to flip it up. "But I'm probably the only person on Bara Magna that will never freeze in any way." The only time she had 'froze' in a literal sense was in training with Kopaka, and he was a Toa Nuva. Tala turned her head, looking into the darkness. For a moment her masked face seemed to glow, "Me ca riso!"

Three very startled Vorox heads came into view, staring.

"You can speak the Vorox language?" Malum sat up full now.

Tala flashed another grin, "Ya'd be surprised how many languages an' dialects I can speak Malum. Don't forget to drink the tea, it's good for ya." Tala tossed off a friendly and mock, two fingered salute with her free left hand before turning away. She pulled her other shield off her back to stay balanced as she took off into an easy run. "Maybe we'll meet again Malum!"

When Malum stood and scanned around, he frowned. Tala's pale form should stand out like one of those rare sand roses, even in this plato region. White against dark red, almost black normally did that... Malum slowly started to smile as he saw nothing, no movement, no ghostly figure out there in the dark. He looked down and say now visible tracks, only over by the fire and the marks of where she sat on her shield.

"I think I like this female." Malum said as he rested a hand, claws pulled back as much as they could so not to hurt his favorite Vorox as he absently starched it on the head. The pack was coming closer now that their leader was alone, but many were looking after the female that spoke their language.

"Go home." The rouge ordered his pack of Vorox and, turning slightly, he pointed at the smallest of the Vorox. A young tan and brown female, "Protect her." He said before downing all the tea (not bad) and grabbing up the last of his meat and the dessert melon. Food was food.

With that said and done Malum took off. The pack exchanged looks, shrugging before going back to their game, they would clean up the camp later.

__________________________________________________

"Why are you fallowing me?" Tala asked from above the rouge Glatorian, crouching on a sandstone hunk, not quite a big as a true bolder.

Startled, Malum lashed out in battle reflexes, claws digging into the spot the Kora had been. Malum turned, fallowing the movement of stark white armor as Tala twisted in the air to land on her feet, both her combat shields extended completely and the claws of one snapping out.

"Mata Nui!" Tala yelped, hopping backwards to put more space between them and to be out of reach.

"Unholy nights of Bara!" Malum exclaimed at the same time, "What's wrong with you?"

"Ya're da one 'dat clawed at me!" Tala shot back, her accent thickening but the Kora didn't lower her shields.

"You shouldn't started Primes!"

"Ya said ya were an ex-Prime, an' ya were fallowin' me!" Tala point her clawed shield at the Glatorian and for a long minute that seemed to drag out at the two glared at each other, "...Why the frag are ya' fallowin' me?"

"I was going to do my good deed of the century and make sure you didn't get yourself killed." Malum said dryly, his killing claws twitching almost spasmodically in his gathering annoyance.

"Oh, I feel so greatly honored, King O' The Desert." Tala drawled now in as thick of Po-Koro carver's accent as she could, edging back away bur her shields were up.

Malum Quirked an eye-ridge up at the title, but was more amused than anything. The Glatorian relaxed his killing claws at last and motioned with a half hidden hand, "And were exactly do you think you're going?"  He asked, "The desert, this desert is not kind. You're going to freeze to death in that light armor of yours."

Despite herself the Kora, a living elemental ice couldn't help but smirk at Malum's words, "As I said before Malum: I'm probably the only person on Bara 'dat doesn't have to worry about 'dat."

Malum snorted, still not fully believing the young 'Glatorian' about that. Yet there was that thing that Tala had done, somehow made the ice, and thus some of the cleanest water once melted. He moved forward, pleased when Tala didn't filched away like so many did. She did still had her shields though, relaxed in a way that said she was as used to holding them continually as having them on her back. It wasn't paranoia (of him), "So?"

"So what?"

"Where is it your madness demands that we go?"

Tala smirked, having been called 'mad' enough times by Ackar (who also called Taka and Lee the same) already. She tilted her head in the brilliant Toa energy that was Takanuva. "Thadda way, should meet up with the others before dawn."

Malum carefully hocked his claws around the Kora so he could rest his hand proper on her back. "Then let us descend to this madness together, instead of you alone"

"The thing you learn about the world I come from Malum', is that you'll never be alone." Tala said, focusing on not freezing part of the Glatorian's armor and under-laying flesh, "Unity, Duty and Destiny. If you hang around us Bionicle long enough, you're going to hear that a lot."

___________________________________________________________

"You're friends barely hid their camp. Too big of a fire..." Malum trailed off, at first startled that there was two sources of light and then realizing that the second source was a person. A person that was giving off light, not holding it. He was the same compete balance of biomechanical that Tala was, had a (glowing) mask as well. Only this person was as tall as a proper Glatorian, yet his armor seemed to be changing colors before settling on a brilliant gold and silver undertones. Malum would later find out that it was his 'normal' colors.

"Taka!" Tala called, rushing ahead to meet the loping Toa, and slipped her shields into her subspace pocket.

Takanuva stooped though knowing he didn't need to, he'd seen that the Kora were very capable of climbing up on a Toa. The elder spirit's claw tipped fingers wrapped around Tala's middle before hosting the Kora up to his level and into a powerful hug, "Sister!" For a moment or two Tala didn't mind being somewhat squished, it was strangely reassuring. "Are you alright?" Takanuva asked loosening his hold enough to let Tala brace her knees on his lower chest and press her Kanohi to his.

"I'm good brother, lots of running, little rock slide and a new friend later: I return!" Tala Shifted and motioned to the baffled Malum, "Brother, this is Malum."

"The mentioned new friend?" Takanuva asked.

"Yes." Though not truly afraid, Mauled was still taken aback by Tala's glow-in-the-dark brother. You didn't see that every day on Bara Magna.

Takanuva tilted his head, copper and white eyes dimmed for a moment as he focused. Malum noticed the similar oddness between this person and Tala in their eyes, being rings of one color with different shades of another color in the center and back drop. It was almost alien, so different from the eyes of Agori and Glatorian who had only two shades of blue normally, yet somehow pretty (Malum would call Tala 'pretty' but not another male, he still had a good healthy dose of pride thank you). Then the vibrantly colored Toa was mostly black with dark gray undertones and even with the still glowing eyes and the start white armored sister clinging to him, Takanuva blended in with the night too well.

"Better?" The living elemental had a grin he was all too well known for among the Bionicle here on this Magna and others.

If this really was Tala's older brother, Malum could see where she got that snarky side he'd glimpsed a few times. "How did you do that?" The Glatorian asked in interest, at least the color changing explained why this 'Glatorian' wasn't dead yet (could all of this odd family do this color changing trick?). Malum-The-Near-Unshakable, "You must be the Takanuva Tala mentioned."

"Yes," Takanuva nodded.

Malum was a bit surprised at being offered a spot by their fire and some water (tea really but that was basically flavored water), but once he thought about it, it wasn't that surprising. He had just escorted Tala for most of the night, so being offered a place to rest for the near dawning morning wasn't a bad reward.

Once he walked into the camp, Malum realized these people weren't as careless as he first thought. For one thing they had a fair sized convoy. Two main transports, a heavy duty sand-eater that was converted to charge into combat if needed (like those vehicle matches), complete with what looked like a broken or half complete driver's cage. There was also a single craft that was hocked to a sled of sorts, it was this single craft that Malum couldn't identify. The group in total numbered ten, six Kora including Tala, and four Glatorian.

(in reality it was two Glatorian and two Toa but we'll let Malum think this for now)

Around the fire itself were Mata Nui, Ackar, Kiina, Lee and Deni. Mata Nui had the half awake (if that) Lee in his lat with and arm wrapped around his Kora. Deni was sound asleep against his right side, on Mata Nui left Kiina was edging closer as she drilled him with questions. Over to his right beyond Deni was Ackar, looked both amused and annoyed at the female Glatorian as he reached to pull the water Kora to him. Thus giving Mata Nui a little more room to shift away.

The lookouts were turning to see their returned siblings, calling out to Tala, apparently none but the other three Glatorian were that surprised to see the Kora of ice come out of nowhere with a stranger. Tele, was standing like Kara, both having swung nearer to camp on the patrol. Storm was perched on the sand-eater's elevated seat where Ackar normally travelled in.

Malum only had a few seconds to take all this in. Perhaps if it had just been Kiina, Malum wouldn't have minded staying and making the Second of Tarix squirm for a awhile, it wasn't often he ran into a known, twined mate of a Prime. Malum, a former Prime himself, met the eyes of the current Prime of the Fire Tribe and once the rouge's own teacher.

Malum snapped up his killing claws, but Ackar had already leapt to his feet (he's always been disturbingly fast for his age) and reaching for the sword on his back. Kiina gave a started yelp upon recognizing the rouge, scrabbling to for her staff and to stand as well, taken completely off guard.

There was a moment that was so taught that it could be used as a drum. Breaths held, hearts thundered with in armored chests, heart-lights pulsed in the tri-beat rhythm and everyone seemed to know- Lee and Deni where wide awake and clinging to Mata Nui- somehow there was about to be a metaphorical explosion between these two.

In that moment of complete stillness as Ackar and Malum glowered promised death at each other that it happened. Not some divine sign or signal from the Great Beings, but a sound that was felt in vibrations through the ground before being heard.

Telem, Storm and Kara, the Kora of stone, fire and earth elemental jumped, sensing what was coming in different ways. At the same time the three Bara Magna natives turned, deer-in-the-headlights look to the south, "Rakers!" The Glatorian yelled as one in warning. Ackar holstered up the slender and lightweight Deni up over his shoulder as Mata Nui, even aware of his friend's manners, feeling, alertness and what have you, Mata Nui was on his feet.

"Go, go, go!" Ackar ordered in the way one did when they had once commanded armies and never lost that talent to bellow when in need.

What happened next was total chaos, involving a stampede of bull like Rahi things, massive amount of running, some screaming/cursing in Hordika (Takanuva, Tala and Telem) and in old Glatorian (Ackar and Malum).

Somewhere in that chaos a small, Rahi-like insect, a scaribbax beetle named Click was tossed involuntary from his Toa wielder. In all fairness Click would admit that it wasn't on purpose, Mata Nui had dived to sweep up Kara into his arm- Lee had shot to the safety of the open night air. Click was alright with that, he was more aware then most of his kind, and now a bit bigger too, both thanks to Mata Nui's Kanohi Ingika. The scaribax bounced once and as soon as he was on the ground, Click started to burrow to safety away from stomping hooves that would otherwise trample and squish.

As an added bonus and pleasant surprise, Click dropped into an old scaribax tunnel system. This was good, vibrations aside, Click could navigate to a safer place up high to peer at the surface world. First thing Click noticed after realizing it was a relatively 'small' Raker, but still big enough that one or two of the cattle like things were chacing each of the scattered group members. From his vantage point, Click could watch what was happening and wait for a chance to get back to Mata Nui.

Yet after a few seconds the scaribax gave a confused trill at the scene below.


[add in random chase scenes here]


"Ackar brother!"

At the yell Ackar risked a glance up as the Kora of air passed overhead. Lee had her glider fully extended and attached to her back and pouring her elemental energy into it and around to truly fly instead of, well, gliding by hanging onto it.

"Quickrun this way!" Less called down, swooping a bit lower and turned to the right, leading the (much) older Glatorian to where Mata Nui had found safety. The 'safety' ended up being a two or three body lengths jump from this plato to the next.

As Lee pulled up, after making sure Ackar saw the golden Mata Nui (Kara standing on his shoulders waving glowing bars from Onu-Metru archives). Takanuva and Kiina  burst out of a rock formation ahead. The former had Storm clinging to his back much like a fire-crab from their first home island. Kiina saw Ackar first than her eyes widened not only at the sight of the Prime Glatorian charging and yelling at her to, "Run you idiots! The Pits are open!" (Ackar barrowed that from Telem) the Bionicle phrase had Takanuva taking off like a shot, dragging Kinna with him.

"That's that Malum behind Ackar!" Kiina cried, the... uh, 'rivalry' between the two was legendary to those of Bara. Fights between Ackar and Malum (before the latter's banishment) was like nothing that was seen since. But now Ackar was past his prime, Kinna knew this, as well that she knew he could still beat her, but Malum was in the same class as Ackar, Tartix and Vataus.

"So are Tala and Telem and all those crazed Rahi things!" Takanuva yelled back, but most of his attention was on Deni ahead as the young water elemental was mid-leap. At the last second almost Mata Nui was there (minus Kara who was now dancing around with the glow sticks), grasping his Kora by the back plate/armor and hefted Deni up into the safety of his arms.

"Oh—Takanuva, we're not going to make that!" Kiina yelp, unaware of the strength of Toa in general and Takanuva eerie athlitezem in particular.

"Oh yes we are." Takanuva dropped back enough to sweep the female Glatorian up and then truly charged, using his element to help his speed.

On the other side, Kara dropped her light sticks and dived into a fissure in the ground that was easy enough to widen and deepen for her to hid in. Thus the earth spirit was out of the way of Takanuva and his passengers. Mata Nui wasn't so fast, his self preservation skills in his smaller Toa body weren't as developed as they should be. The result was a crash, much tangling of limbs, a (Kinna's) hand in the wrong place, some interlocking of armor bits and two squished Kora.

Lee landed then, staring at the pile. It wasn't often you saw the Toa of light being involuntary 'molested.' Beside her Kara stood and did a double take, "Kiina." Kara said in a scandalized tone.

But before the Second of the Water Tribe could react or say anything in her defiance, Ackar slammed into the edge of this plato. He made a wheezing sound as the air was driven out of him. For a moment he stayed perfectly balanced, one arm over and our stretched, the other hand gripping the edge. Kara started to him, her mask of strength activating with a soft green glow, to help Ackar up. Only the ground, loosened by the impacted landings already, started to slide out from under the Glatorian at the same time Malum 'landed.' The rouge attempted to dig in with his killing claws but it was no good, he was too heavy.

Ackar got out a, "Oh no..." before he and Malum slid out of sight.

"Ackar-Brother!" Lee and Kara yelped in unison, the former unfolding her glider/'wings,' though Lee wasn't sure what she could do have used most of all her elemental energy already and hadn't recharged enough yet. Kara dropped down to sink her digging claws into the earth, attempting to stabilize it as Whenua showed her. But as the black and grey Kora could do much or the green one take off there was a double crash of metal meeting metal.

Lee warily peeked over the new edge blinking, Click still clinging to her back for dear life (not used to windflying) and then winced. Only able to understand the agenized expressions on the two Glatorian because of her time on the human world/magna.

One of the major differences between Bionicle Toa and the Glatorian was that the Glatorian could reproduce. Toa (and Kora) were sterile and had a mental block, besides it was Matoran that made little new Matoran. So the bottom line was that male Toa lacked curtain 'bits' (no need) that male Glatoran did have those 'bits.'

Below, the two red colored warriors had only fallen a few body lengths before landing on one of the many old cable/tubes that were apart of this region's in and around the platos.

Ackar and Malum both landed straddling one the larger cable/tubes.

Malum make a low, guttural sound of deep rooted pain, similar to what Ackar was doing. Though the older Glatorian was also making a slightly higher keen, unknowing yet that  it was because of the starting progress of becoming a hybrid Toa. The two, for the moment of shared pain they weren't enemies.

Then as if the Great Beings themselves were added insult to the injuries sustained: Telem and Tala landed between the facing Glatorian.

The Kora had just come up short of the plato edge completely and dropped down. Both Kora of stone and Ice had quite a bit of experience with freefall and long drops (anyone who did net-jumping in Le-Koro/Metru did. Hey! It was a fun sport!) so they landed quite neatly. Telem in a perfect crouch her elder stone-brother Pohatu would be proud of, and Tala in a hand0stand showing off the Bionicle/Kora flexibility in a way Lee normally did.

There was a long, drawn out silence before Malum gave an un-impressed grunt and proceeded to face-plant in front of Tala, arms going slack so his killing claws were dangling limp over the sides. He didn't have the energy or will to spare and be mad and/or envious of the female body.

This was probably the first time in thousands of years that Ackar and Malum had been so in unison even the thought of: The Great Being hate me.

Utopia

It was the slight lack of the intense afternoon sun light that had the locals looking up and around, taking note of the building clouds. Not that some storms were too unusual this time of year or in the regain. Nor overly large, as in those earth soaking tempests that reminded one and all that the world was still ultimately in charge. No, this was more in the normal down poor that was for the heath of the land, yet just big enough to encourage people to start migrating to sheltered areas if not inside.

The land itself was almost like picture to those not of this world. There was a harmony that saturated all, of the land and sea, the people and the plant itself since terraforming. It was the ideal result of such a process, a hybrid agricultural and technological cultural that had evolved over thousands of the years into the optimal balance.

The end result could very easily be called a paradise, even the people had settled with inner peace, human and mecha alike had lost aggression and negative feelings with each generation until they could truly call themselves Utopians. The down side was that the vast majority of the populace lost the fighting instant to rise up in defense of themselves; the blood thirst their founders had to use up to secured and shelters their world. Those same founders knew their own faults and darkness so the human founders had freely given over the planetary and civilian defense to the Gundams.

The plan had worked far better than any had a hope to believe, but it did, and it led into the times now.

Back to the present on the outskirts of one of the capital cities, citizens were scurrying under trees or in waiting shelters, made for just this reason, early to be ready for the rain. There were a few that didn't mind getting wet, or were resigned to getting wet.

Sahara, 'Shute' to family, gave a long sigh as she skated down the long road back home. It was another forty minutes at a steady pace before she was back on the other side of the city and a bit more to her home. The girl could go through the capitol but she never did, Sahara like rollerblading around the outskirts so much more.

It was peaceful in the semi country, on this track, the hour in the morning and in the afternoon to and from school or her apprentice work, gave her time to think. To work on school and personal projects and problems, she could also do 'last minute' reports using her speech to text converter on her compact computer that was mounted on Sahara's left forearm.

It was good exercise too.

Coffee colored eyes glanced upwards at the clouding sky, and the brunette youth worried for a few moments of the chances of being rained on, as she was actively working on a class project designing of an energy shield for avalanche survival.

Sahara sighed again and saved her work before closing up her computer to focus on the path ahead. The entertained the hope that she /could/ out skate the rain, and grinned in response as she picked up speed. The path stayed smooth with no rocks invading, just some grass over lapping the edges, making them seem softer.

Spotting the one other person and his drone companion on the road ahead, Sahara's grin turned to a beam of pleasure. "Officer O'Conical!" She called once close enough.

The blue and white mech turned smiling himself as he opened his arms to receive the shorter human, turning with the Sahara's gathered momentum and lifting her up. He was nearly a foot taller than Sahara, broad shouldered, with a belt of sorts wrapped around his hips, mostly for easy aces. No weapons were visible other than a uniform baton that had only ever been used to tap a wall to startle youth at night to go back home, and in one case to help a pet down out of a tree.

Chuckling softly as he set her back down, the named Officer O'Conical twitched the sensors on his helm, "Back again are you young lady?" He asks, holding the girl's shoulder until sure Sahara had her balance on her skate.

"Yep!" Sahara nodded happily, pulling her backpack partly off and around to her front, keeping one strap on to support it. "And I have something for you, first batch of the spring harvest." Sahara pulled out a hand sized bag with pinkish red powder inside, holding it up to the mech.

"And you're giving me the first one to test out again are you?" The Officer mech chuckled again, but gladly took the bag, knowing that it made a great fruit juice when mixed with water.

"Well you've been the tester for first seasonal batches since my mom was walking this path," Sahara pointed out, crouching down on her skates to stroke the chirping drone on the side of his domed top, "Hi Patchy, is big old O'Conical still making you trundle over the grass?" She giggled as the drone whistled in complaint as its linked mech shook his head in exasperation at the line that was like their daily meetings.

"He's fine just like yesterday lass." The mech shook his head, whistling at his drone to fallow. Holding a hand out for Sahara to grasp and right herself before the girl started to skate circles around him as the Officer started off again.

"But that was yesterday!" Sahara chirped, grinning as she coasted on the road, "Are you coming to the next festival of light Officer O'Conical?"

The blue and white mech considered, pulling up his schedule on his heads up display on the inside of his visor, "Sadly it looks like I'm not Sahara, I'm on patrol duty."

"Aww..." the girl pouted, shoulders dropping a bit in disappointed, "You have the best throwing arm and get the best prizes though." Sahara made a face as the mech placed a hand on her head and messed up the girl's short hair.

O'Conical laughed as Sahara ducked away from him, "Maybe the next festival lass. I'll see to it you get something fuzzy and cute." The mech promised, "Are you going to skate around me the whole time to your turn off?"

Sahara considered and nodded slowly, "Yeah, I think I will."

"Homework you don't want to do at home?" The mech asked, getting a giggled in return that assured him he guessed it right. "Alright, let's hear about your new project."

The girl beamed again and launched into explaining her homework. Happily chattering the next for the next half an hour, alternating between skating slowly and going in circles around the mech as they approached the side path to Sahara's home. When reaching that point, Sahara pulled off her roller blades and socks, pausing long enough to hug the blue and white mech goodbye before running out on to the grass with her hands stuffed into her skates.

Of course, not ten steps away, the clouds that had been continuing to group together and plot, finally let loose with a fine sheet of rain.

Sahara wilted a bit, taking that second for the universal feeling of, 'Aw man...' before sprinting to the nearest tree in the flat grassy plan. Ducking into the marginal shelter that remained dry up against the trunk and barley a foot beyond, Sahara shook herself and ran her hands through her hair. Glancing back she saw with a bit of a put out feeling that Officer O'Conical's drone was extending an umbrella like rain shield over them both.

When the mech motioned over to her, Sahara shook her head, calling out, "I'm good!" even knowing that the Officer O'Conical was more than willing to walk her home so the girl wouldn't get overly wet. In fact he used to do just that when Sahara was younger. She was older now after all, nearly thirteen and in her opinion had the body mass to survive the rain perfectly fine until Sahara got home.

There would be a warm lavender latté waiting for her there, as their always had been since Sahara turned ten and whenever it rained. Now it was a leap frog like 'game,' running from tree to tree, Sahara taking the extra few moments for a minute of shelter as she worked her way as close to passable to her home.

A completely unexpected flash of light and boom of thunder so loud it sounded like it was right above her. The girl reflexively screamed, flailed and dived for the ground, flattening herself in the grass away from the tree. Taught in instinctive fear at the audio assault, Sahara didn't move until the ringing faded from her ears. She jumped as there was another flash, but it took a full three seconds for the thunder to come this time thankfully.

Still...

Sahara edged away from the tree behind her, lifting up a little to judge the best place to go to. She knew single and lone trees were bad to be by in a lightning storm, but couldn't remember if the same applied to more than one. Sahara wondered if she should wait it out in the orchard, or brave a full pelting run back home to the assured safety of shielded walls and roofs that existed even in her little work shed/room. That latter option did involve the seemingly riskier prospect of open land and sever lone trees.

Against any unrealized better judgment, mostly due to the fact that Sahara was still young, she retreated into the fruit orchid. Flipping her arm mounted computer open; Sahara sent a message to her mother that said she would be late as she was waiting out the rain until it got better. If it didn't, it was easy enough to send a request to the local Mobile Aid and Assistance units, the M-2A, to have someone help her get home.

The girl nodded, closing her computer as she decided to wait an hour before doing just that. That would give Sahara just that much more time to work on her project, and by done so she could have the rest of the evening to play. Dipper duty or not with her baby sister... but maybe Sahara could get to her workshop and now half room after dinner.

Pleased by her options, Sahara ducked into the hallow of an old, old chestnut tree's truck, carved out long years ago but kids of another past generation for games of hide and seek that still ran strong today. The tree was a perfect insulation against mechs that could see heat, as some mechs that specialize in care giving. Thus the need for open hideaways in trees for the games, but the opening was large enough that those mech guardians could easily reach in and pull out the giggling child. It was those games that gave Sahara to idea of where to wait out the storm.

Settled down in the chestnut tree, Sahara crossed her legs and once more opened her arm mounted computer. She was focused on it to the point of nearly being engrossed, so it took a little while before Sahara realized that there were sounds differing from the now established normal noise of the storm. Voices penetrated next, many of them really, strangely.

One stood out as it was deeper; it had such a commanding tone and integrated edge of power to it that the girl sat up but not knowing why. Sahara peeked out, looking around, hesitating to walk out into the wet but curiosity was growing despite herself. All the Pickers, mecha civilians of the non bipedal type, would all either be in shelters made for them or using their stabilizers to ground themselves. So the speakers couldn't be them... and didn't the Pickers only speak in base mechian (whistles, chirps buzzing and other mechanical sounds)?

Sahara frowned in confusion, wondering if the M-2A's had been called in to pick up someone else that was hiding from the storm. That was a reasonable explanation in the girl's mind as far as she knew there wouldn't be anyone else out until the rain lightened. If the M-2A's mechs were out getting someone else then getting a little wet while walking over there, but she'd get home and her lavender latté that much sooner. The girl extracted herself from the chestnut tree, cocking her head and listening for the voices, they were clearer now so the direction they came from was as well.

The ground was wet, making the grass slick under her bare feet, and the few earthy patches squished between her toes. It made Sahara make a face but she still headed deeper into the orchard.

"Hello?" Sahara called as she walked, looking around several trees. A snapping sound, this time like that of a stick instead of air, had her turning and then blinking at the three mechs that blinked right back at her.

They were her size, which was odd enough, as most adult mechs were at least six feet tall. These mechs were only about four feet or so, and these mechs weren't children for they had fully formed armor and... Some sort of hand held hardware that Sahara couldn't identify; one even had a strange axe that was visible over a green shoulder.

Green and black seemed to be their colors, mostly the dark green. Though short for mechs, as least in comparison to the nation Utopian mechs, they were strongly built. Probably able to lift their own weight if not more, judging by what could be seen of their support stricter. The other thing that stood out was that these mechs only had one optic like eye, two were a different shade of golden yellow and the third mech had a blue optic.

"...Zaku?" One asked, blinking his golden optic again.

"Hi?" Sahara half asked, tilting her head.

"Hi, Zaku." The blue optical mech replied, stepping closer, and seemed surprised when Sahara didn't react to him in any way. "You're not afraid of us? Zaku?"

"Why would I be?" Sahara asked back in confusion, "Aren't you apart of the M-2A?"

"Of course!" The axe carrying mech blurted, slapping his hand held hardware onto his hip before grasping his complains by their collar ridges and pulled them back.

Sahara blinked again before shrugging, having always seen mechs as nothing but safety there was no negative response in her to these strange mechs, "Can I get a lift home? Since you're already out here helping someone?"

The axe carrying mech, who seemed to be the speaker of the three nodded, "Yes, we can do that, Zaku, but you should come back to see the commander first." He reached out to take Sahara's hand, his grip firm but none harmful as he tugged the girl with him. Behind the other two were exchanging looks, smirking under their masks.