Interviews with Bionicle Beings

by GaliGee of BZPower with gratitude and apologies to the creators of LEGO Bionicle, et al.

©2014

Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Toa Gali, Toa of Water ...... 3 Onua and Lewa ...... 6 Tahu, Toa of Fire ...... 9 Lewa, Toa of Air...... 12 Onua, Toa of Earth...... 14 Kopaka, Toa of Ice...... 17 Pohatu, Toa of Stone...... 20 All the Toa ...... 23 Wairuha Nuva, Toa Kaita of Wisdom ...... 28 Akamai Nuva, Toa Kaita of Valor...... 34 Takanuva, Toa of Light, and Jaller ...... 40

MOCs Yotanua, Toa of Time...... 46 Fatoro the Hoi-Trainer ...... 49 Kimi the Photographer...... 52

Matoran Takua the Chronicler...... 55 Hafu the Stone-Carver ...... 59 Huki and Maku ...... 62 Nuparu and Taipu ...... 66 Kongu and Tamaru ...... 70 Jala and Takua...... 74 Hahli...... 78

Villains The Bahrag, by FallenTurtles ...... 83 The Bohrok-Kal ...... 87

Others Gali Interviews GaliGee ...... 91 All the Turaga ...... 96 The Powerless Toa Nuva ...... 104

2 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gali, Toa of Water A lot of questions have come up lately about Gali, whether or not she is Takua's mother (see topic by Toa Nuva vs Makuta in Bionicle Storyline & Theories), and speculation about her love life. To clear up all the rumors, I used my Ga-Koronan connections to get her mobile phone number. I reached her during a rare moment of relaxation, and Gali was gracious enough to spend a few minutes talking with me.

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions. You have a lot of fans at BZ.

Gali: Thanks. Things have been pretty grim on Mata Nui lately. We can use all the encouragement we can get around here.

GaliGee: So, some have suggested that Takua the son of you and Tahu. Is this true?

Gali [laughing heartily]: What a cute idea. Takua is definitely like a son to me. But he isn't REALLY my son!

GaliGee: You can check out some funny stories theblindman2 and I wrote about how that could have happened on BZcommunity.com.

Gali: That would be fun. I think the Onu-Koronans are trying to get us wired for broadband, but they have gotten sidetracked fighting Bohrok and building boxors.

GaliGee: But are you and Tahu really an item?

Gali: Do you seriously think we have time for that sort of thing? Ever since we landed in the ocean, we've been fighting Rahi, finding masks, fighting Makuta. After the battle with Makuta, we barely had time to pop the top on a cold one before a Ta-Koronan came up panting something about the Bohrok. Besides, the other Toa are like brothers to me.

GaliGee: ARE you really brothers and sister?

3 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gali: Actually, we don't know. We don't know who our parents are!

GaliGee: But if they aren't your brothers, and after you wipe out the Bohrok, which Toa would you be consider being romantically involved with?

Gali: Well, I've never really thought about it. Hey -- you aren't going to print an article with a bunch of gossip in it, are you? Because if it's one thing I can't stand, it's muckraking journalism!

GaliGee [glancing nervously out the window at the gathering storm clouds]: Of course not! But would you please tell us a little about how you get along with the other Toa? You know, the nature of your friendship and all? We fans would love to hear more.

Gali: Well, let's start with Lewa. He's like a little brother to me. You know, full of energy and ideas, playing in the treetops, getting into trouble. Thank the Great Beings Onua is around to bail him out! If it weren't for dear Onua --

GaliGee: So you're sweet on Onua?

Gali: Hey! No! That's not what I meant! If Onua weren't there, serving as Lewa's guardian angel, no telling where he would be now. Onua's not a very flashy hero, but he will go into any kind of nasty situation to save a friend. Anyway, Lewa has really come around. At first he didn't want to hang around any of the rest of us (though, bless his heart, he did save me from a nasty swamp Rahi anyway). But he was the first to get his Golden Kanohi, and then he helped the other Toa find the rest of their masks, when he wasn't busy protecting Le-Koro.

GaliGee: Could Lewa be the one?

Gali: Very funny.

GaliGee [jumping at the loud thunderclap] Uh, sorry. OK, what about Tahu?

Gali: Tahu is a real source of unity and leadership for the rest of us. And he's there for his friends in the nick of time, too. Once I was surrounded by Rahi, and I prayed to the Great Beings for strength. And they sent it -- in the form of Tahu and his firesword!

GaliGee: What a heroic rescue. I bet that really made your heart pound -- [climbing onto dresser as floodwater fills the room] -- er, I mean, the danger and all. And Kopaka?

Gali: Some think Kopaka is cold and distant. But I know that inside, he loves those villagers so much he would risk his life for them. He's just reserved and thoughtful. What a gentleman.

GaliGee: Wow, I bet Kopaka would look great in a tuxedo. [Flinching at sound of house being ripped off its foundation by wall of flood water] -- Uh, Pohatu?

Gali: Pohatu makes me laugh. He is so funny, strong, and encouraging. And he is really a sweetheart.

GaliGee: Aha! Now we know who -- [climbing onto roof] Oh, Gali, I'm sorry. I'll just say in my article that you politely declined to talk about your personal life.

Gali: That's better. Telling the truth is always a good idea.

GaliGee [climbing up ladder into Coast Guard helicopter]: On another note, some of us Gali fans are wondering whether you got hit by lightning in the movie in your bio on bionicle.com. Is that -- [jumping as helicopter is struck by lightning] -- oh, I never mind. Uh, thanks for talking with us.

Gali: You're welcome. Give my best to the BZ members.

GaliGee [noting with relief that sun has broken through the clouds]: I will.

4 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gali: Well, I've got to go. I'm supposed to meet with Pohatu in a few minutes. We're going fishing, for Tahnok.

GaliGee: Thanks again.

Gali: No problem. Behave yourself! [click]

So there you have it, folks, no wedding bells in the works for Gali (yet). This has been GaliGee reporting.

5 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Onua and Lewa Second in the Toa Telephone Interview series -- here is a discussion with Onua and Lewa. (Based on a brilliantly funny concept by Gir.) Whenua has kindly offered to let us use the speaker phone in his hut, so without further ado...

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to speak with us, Onua and Lewa. We BZCommunity members want to know all we can about the Toa!

Lewa: You're welcome.

Onua: We appreciate our fans!

GaliGee: Onua, you have saved Lewa several times. Some have even suggested that you could be Lewa's babysitter.

[Pause, then Onua and Lewa laugh loudly]

Lewa: That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!

Onua: Yeah, that is funny. But in a way...

Lewa: What?

Onua: ...sometimes you do need someone more mature to talk -- or knock -- some sense into you.

Lewa: Hey!

Onua: Now put that axe down before I send you to your room.

Lewa: You wouldn't dare! I'll tell, and you'll never get to babysit me again!

GaliGee: Uh, gentlemen... So what do you think of the other Toa? Gali, for example?

6 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Lewa: Whew, Gali. She'd be my dream date! She can do back flips, tackle Rahi with her bare hooks... wow.

Onua: Like you would even know what to do with her on a date.

Lewa: Hey! Would YOU?

Onua: That's not the point. Besides, Gali is too interested in saving Mata Nui to be thinking about that stuff. And so am I.

Lewa: You're just saying that because you're too short for her.

Onua: I can't help it! That's just how I was made.

Lewa: And a hunchback, too -- Ow!

Onua: You owe me a few, bud.

GaliGee: And what do you think of Tahu?

Onua: Great guy. He stepped forward to be our leader, and he's never let us down.

Lewa: Yes, he's not afraid of anything. He just walked right up to Makuta. I was shaking like a leaf!

GaliGee: How about Pohatu?

Lewa: He's upside down!

Onua: Hey, you got a problem with weird-looking Toa?

Lewa: Cool it, shorty.

Onua: You want a piece of me?

Lewa: Yeah, I'll take that #3 plus rod right there.

Onua: Come and get it!

Whenua [in background]: Don't worry, GaliGee, they do this all day long.

[Onua and Lewa laugh]

Onua: Pohatu is really cool. We work together well, since our elements are so closely related. And he's always willing to help, never proud or arrogant.

Lewa: Yeah, what a nice guy. And he looks a little clumsy, but he sure can do amazing things with rocks. One precise kick from Pohatu, and he can send a whole hillside sliding down! He's saved just about all of us at one time or another by burying some evil foe.

GaliGee: And what about Kopaka?

Lewa: He's kind of like me. At first he didn't want to work with anyone. But both of us soon learned how important it is to have friends, in this dangerous place.

Onua: Kopaka is really creative with the masks, too. I learned a lot from him. He showed me how to use the Matatu, and without it Lewa would still be wallowing in Rama slime. And maybe me with him.

Lewa: Yep. It was disgusting in there!

7 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Lewa, what did it feel like to wear a krana?

Lewa: It was really horrible. I heard murmuring voices, all clamoring for destruction. Some of them were saying, "Remove this red and yellow obstacle" or "Remove this black and tan obstacle" and I knew they were talking about some poor little Tohunga who had strayed into their path. They were organizing patrols, figuring out how to slash down giant sections of my beautiful forest... Aaagh.

Onua: I could tell he was really still in there, but his movements were jerky, like a puppet.

GaliGee: Onua, how did you know that you could talk him into tearing it off?

Onua: I didn't! It was really scary. But I had faith that Lewa was still the Lewa I know and love.

Lewa: Awww...

Onua: Shut up, punk.

Lewa: Make me.

Onua: Hey, GaliGee, we gotta cut this short. It's time for Lewa's nap.

Lewa: No way!

Onua: Come on, Lewa. You know you're tired. You wore that awful krana all day, and you need some rest before we go have our big battle with the Bohrok.

Lewa: You see what I have to put up with?

GaliGee: Well, I'll leave you to it. Thanks so much for talking with us. And we'll be praying for you in the big battle.

Onua: Thanks. We'll need it.

Lewa: Yeah! Thanks. Say hi to the BZ members from me and Quasimodo here.

Onua: Hey! [sounds of scuffle]

Whenua: Bye, GaliGee. [click]

Now there's an interesting friendship! Thanks for tuning in to Toa Telephone Interviews. This is GaliGee reporting.

8 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Tahu, Toa of Fire Once again, we get an inside look at the lives of the Toa -- this time Tahu -- in the third Toa Telephone Interview. (Thanks to Toa Nuva vs Makuta for the Takua paternity topic, and to Gir for the Lewa/Onua babysitting topic.) I paged him, and he called me back from his mobile phone in Po-Koro.

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to talk to us. The BZCommunity members are looking forward to hearing from the unofficial leader of the Toa.

Tahu: You're quite welcome. Our fans mean a lot to us.

GaliGee: LEGO always puts you in front of the Toa group shots. How do you feel about that?

Tahu: It's OK, I guess. It's always a little flattering to get extra attention. But I hear they have a picture of me wearing a krana, and that really gets me steamed. I hope it's just a promotional image, and not a prophesy!

GaliGee: How did you get to be the leader of the Toa?

Tahu: Well, I just sensed a need for a leader, so I stepped forward, and no one challenged me. At first, anyway.

GaliGee: At first? Have you been challenged since then?

Tahu: Well, it's no secret that Kopaka and I have had our differences, but he's been very respectful, and usually he's been right! So I welcome that kind of dissention.

GaliGee: Can you give us an example of how you're different?

Tahu: His approach is always more measured and careful, while I tend to rush into things. For example, when we first landed on Mata Nui, he saw Matoro and spoke with him, gathering as much

9 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee information as he could. My first encounter with Tohunga was, well, almost tragic. If it hadn't been for Vakama -- to whom I will be forever grateful -- I would have incinerated my own villagers!

GaliGee: Vakama was wise to step in.

Tahu: And brave. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Vakama, and Jala, and all of his brave guard.

GaliGee: How about Takua? A BZ topic speculated that you and Gali could be his parents.

Tahu [laughs]: I can see why it looks that way. There is definitely a resemblance! But no, of course not. [whispering] Wait -- here come Gali and Pohatu. Maybe I can get her going! [loudly] Why, I'm very proud of Takua. After we defeat the Bohrok, Gali and I plan to have some more children -- [in a strained voice] -- please get your hooks off my neck -- they know I'm just kidding --

GaliGee: Tahu, are you OK?

Tahu: Whew.

GaliGee: Sorry, Tahu, I should have warned you that Gali got a little defensive when I asked her about that.

Tahu: Wow. She was really close to me. She smells so nice. I must remember to tease Gali more often...

GaliGee: Tahu?

Tahu: What? Oh, uh, Gali. Gali has encouraged us to work together from the very beginning. And that has made all the difference.

GaliGee: What do you think of Lewa?

Tahu: He's had a lot of great ideas. Not to mention what a good fighter he is! He and Onua make a great team, and have come up with a lot of ingenious traps for our enemies. They made a huge pit, covered with tree branches, with a clever mechanism that wouldn't trip for a Tohunga. Only the Bohrok fell in!

GaliGee: Is Onua Lewa's babysitter?

Tahu: [laughs] That's funny! But, kind of...

GaliGee: And Pohatu? If he's standing there, and you don't want to answer --

Tahu: No problem. I have nothing but good things to say about Pohatu. He's such a dependable friend, and of course he has awesome mastery over the landscape! How he can move such huge masses of stone with such perfect control is really beyond me.

GaliGee: What's next in the battle against the Bohrok?

Tahu: Actually, now that you mention it -- I need to go meet with Kopaka now. He says he has something really important to show me about that. We've got all of the krana -- I think -- of course, we finally had to order that pesky Lehvak Xa on eBay because the Walmart in Po-Koro was all sold out of krana packs.

GaliGee: What? You can buy krana on Mata Nui? What's the point of fighting the Bohrok?

Tahu: Ha, ha, I had you going there for a minute --

GaliGee: Now we see a funny side of you that we didn't know about!

10 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Tahu: Yes, if we couldn't laugh once in a while, we would go crazy.

GaliGee: True.

Tahu: Well, I gotta go. Kopaka says it's important.

GaliGee: Thanks so much for your time, Tahu. And go blast those Bohrok!

Tahu: No problem. Tell the BZ members thanks for all their support.

GaliGee: I will. Bye. [click]

So, BZ members, there's Tahu's perspective on things. Thanks for tuning in. This is GaliGee reporting.

11 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Lewa, Toa of Air I got home yesterday and sat down by the phone with my list of questions for Kopaka, when I noticed the light was blinking on my answering machine. Imagine my surprise when I replayed a message from Lewa! It seems he had a few more things to say... so, I reached him in Le-Wahi, on his mobile phone. (Thanks for the idea, Lewa Nuva, I couldn't have done it without ya! )

GaliGee: Lewa, it's good to hear from you again. What's up?

Lewa: Well, GaliGee, I just wanted to tell the BZ members that I didn't mean to show disrespect to Gali the other day. I mean, what I said sounded kind of, well, disrespectful.

GaliGee: What would you like to add?

Lewa: Gali is really amazing. She is such a good fighter, and she works with water in such a cool way. Not that I like water, but it's fun to watch. She made water come up out of the GROUND to blast a Rahi once.

GaliGee: Yes, we saw that in Comic #3. It WAS amazing.

Lewa: And of course she is a dear friend. I don't just walk around daydreaming of dating her.

12 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: We didn't really think you did.

Lewa: Of course, none of that changes the fact that Gali is really fine.

GaliGee: I don't want to get into that, Lewa, or I'll never be able to buy flood insurance again.

Lewa [laughs]: OK.

GaliGee: Now that Onua isn't around, do you have any more to say about him?

Lewa: Yeah! We don't really fight all the time.

GaliGee: I got the impression it was just playful.

Lewa: It is! But he's my best friend and brother and bodyguard, all rolled into one. He's really risked his neck to get me out of some bad situations. And I was ready to kill him! I can't tell you how horrible I felt afterward. Only a true friend can confront you when you have gone astray, and bring you back to what you love. I mean, the trust he showed when he just stood there, me with the krana on, and TALKED to me. I could have split his head open with my axe, and he just stood there, trusting. That's some pretty strong faith!

GaliGee: Well, he was right to have faith in you. He knew what you were capable of.

Lewa: Thanks! Hopefully he won't have to do it ever again.

GaliGee: I hope so, too. But it sounds like you have worked together on a lot of things, too.

Lewa: Yes, he's smart, and he's come up with some cool plans. Like the big Bohrok pit with the Tohunga-proof trip switch. That was all his idea.

GaliGee: Wow, wish we coulda seen that in the comics. Or on bionicle.com (LEGO and Templar: hint, hint).

Lewa: But I can't get him to swing in the trees. Even though he's strong enough to, obviously. I did teach him to do a back flip, though!

GaliGee: I bet that was cool!

Lewa: Well, I gotta get going. We got some Bohrok to defeat!

GaliGee: You have all our best wishes. Thanks for calling.

Lewa: You're welcome! Thanks to all the BZ members. They're the greatest.

GaliGee: Bye, now. [click]

Lewa's more thoughtful side... Now I'll have to call Onua back, too! Thanks for tuning in, this is GaliGee reporting.

13 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Onua, Toa of Earth Dear readers, since Lewa got a chance to speak alone after the joint Onua/Lewa interview, I figured I should extend the same privilege (?) to Onua. I caught him on his mobile phone, hard at work in a tunnel.

GaliGee: Since Lewa had a few things to add since we three last spoke, I wanted to see if you wanted to say anything else.

Onua [over loud background noises]: Hey! Ruko! Shut down that crab for a minute! I can't hear a thing! [noises stop] Sorry, GaliGee, now I can hear better. Uh, yeah, I guess I want to let the BZ members know that Lewa and I don't really fight all the time.

GaliGee: Yes, Lewa said that, too.

Onua: Of course we have a lot of fun teasing each other. And we were feeling pretty punchy, since he had just pulled off the krana. You know, we had a really frightening experience together, and we needed to let off some steam. But usually we are too busy to do much of that.

GaliGee: I would think so. So many Bohrok, so little time. Sounds like the trap you and Lewa built worked great. He says you're quite a good inventor.

Onua: Me? That was Lewa's idea!

GaliGee: Are you REALLY his babysitter?

Onua: Yes, I AM really his babysitter. But he is my babysitter, too!

GaliGee: Has he ever saved you?

14 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Onua: Countless times! The infantry always can use air cover. Or should I say, the Corps of Engineers?

GaliGee: You and your villagers ARE very impressive engineers. We at BZ have been wondering how you dug all those tunnels and mines.

Onua: That was almost all their doing. I'm really proud of them! They have come up with some simple but really effective ways to move a lot of earth. And they really keep the economy of Mata Nui going, with the protodermis and all. They do it by digging, and digging, and digging... there aren't many slackers in Onu-Koro.

GaliGee: What do you think of the Onua Nuva review that Dimensioneer just posted?

Onua: Onua Nuva review?

GaliGee: Yeah, I e-mailed you a link to it.

Onua: Haven't checked my mail yet today. But I'd love to see it! What's it like?

GaliGee: Well, you're gonna have a lot of the same parts -- head, body, gears, and so on. Lots of new armor, and some tools that look like saws, or bulldozer tracks, to wear on your hands or feet.

Onua: Cool! I can't wait! When do I get the new look?

GaliGee: Sometime in September, I think.

Onua: Awesome! The Turaga have been telling us about the prophecy, where we transform after the Bohrok battle. But you know how it is with prophecies. They are kind of vague, and sometimes they seem different by the time you get all the details. Like we knew that Makuta could change shape, but who knew he would show up as a Tohunga? Good thing Kopaka saw through that one. Even though we all had the Akaku by then, he's still the best at it.

GaliGee: What have the Turaga told you?

Onua: We know that we will unlock the secret of the Bohrok with the krana, and that there will be a big battle with the creatures behind the swarm. We know they are big and ugly! And we suspect we will prevail, because afterward we will be transformed. But you never know... we could be transformed into a pile of loose parts... It's good to know we may have a pretty cool future.

GaliGee: I hope I haven't spoiled the ending for you.

Onua: On the contrary! Even when we read stuff on BZ or K-P or MoD, we still don't know how the story will finally play out. Only the Great Beings know that. But you have given us new hope. We are bracing ourselves for an awful fight, and having faith will make us even stronger.

GaliGee: My BZ signature says something about that.

Onua: Good for you! Well, I'm gonna take a break and check out D's review of the new me. Am I handsome?

GaliGee: Definitely.

Onua: Maybe Gali will finally go out with me... Oh, well, I can dream, can't I?

GaliGee: No comment. I've gotten myself into too much trouble talking about that stuff already.

Onua: Yeah, I heard about what happened to your house. Sorry about that.

15 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Well, it's my own fault. I had it coming.

Onua: Thanks for calling! Keep in touch! And say hi to BZ for me!

GaliGee: I sure will. Thanks so much for talking with us. [click]

Onua is looking forward to the Nuva, too, folks. But I hope that he and the other Toa will still be the same strong, selfless heroes in their hearts! This is GaliGee reporting. (Special thanks to pohatu jr for reminding me of the jokes I left out.)

16 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kopaka, Toa of Ice When I reached Kopaka, he was atop the satellite dish in Ko-Koro, repairing damage from the last blizzard. Fortunately, it was already working well enough for my call to get through.

Kopaka: What questions can I answer for you, GaliGee?

GaliGee: Lots! Thanks for agreeing to speak with us, Kopaka. The polls on BZ show that you are the most popular Toa.

Kopaka: I am? Why?

GaliGee: Maybe it's your cool weapons. Or your high-tech-looking mask. Or your dry wit.

Kopaka: I'm just trying to do my job.

GaliGee: And doing it excellently, if I might be so bold as to comment.

Kopaka: Thanks.

GaliGee: What were you working on when I called?

Kopaka: Fixing the dish again. I'm afraid I got too busy collecting krana to pay attention to the weather. If I'd have been here, none of this would have happened. Fortunately, it's not hard to fix.

17 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Well, sounds like you'll have it up again soon. No wonder Onua hasn't gotten my e-mail yet.

Kopaka: Gotta update the krana inventory with the latest from the other Toa.

GaliGee: They call you when they get them?

Kopaka: They call Matoro over here. He logs 'em into the database. He's doing a great job.

Matoro [in distance]: I'm just honored to be working here, sir.

GaliGee: I see. How many do you have left to go?

Kopaka: A couple of Gahloks. Gali had to go fishing for Tahnoks, and she didn't have a chance to finish her own kind. As much as we'd all like to help Gali, most of us hate water... so I'll go out there this afternoon and finish them off.

GaliGee: How do you plan to do it?

Kopaka: Well, I usually freeze a hollow sphere of water around them. Then I tap out a hole with my blade, and swim in to harvest them.

GaliGee: I bet your Kaukau is really cool.

Kopaka: Yes, I'm lucky the Great Beings gave me the coolest mask! It looks like ice.

GaliGee: Speaking of strategy and ice, I have a question about how you fought the Rahi in the MNOLG. Why did you spend all that time with the masks when you could have just frozen it like you did the one in Comic #3?

Kopaka: I needed the practice. The masks are a different sort of power. I had already pretty much figured out how to use my elemental power. But I had a feeling that fighting Makuta and his minions would also require skillful use of the masks. You see, they have the same powers for each Toa, and we helped each other learn in some cases. But since each Toa also has unique elemental powers, the blend, along with our intelligence and faith, are what gives us a chance against all this evil.

GaliGee: Wow. So, what was Matoro doing out there all alone, anyway?

Kopaka: Serving as Rahi bait, near as I can tell. But not knowing it. Exposing himself to needless danger. By the way, he's been grounded.

Matoro: I'm very sorry, sir.

Kopaka: If something happened to you, who would tell us what in tarnation Nuju is squeaking about?

Matoro: I'll be good, sir.

Kopaka: Actually, I'm amazed at the bravery of Matoro and the other Tohunga. They don't just sit around and wait to be rescued. They are as vital to our defense as the Toa. Matoro deserves a place of honor in the history of Mata Nui.

Matoro: Thanks!

GaliGee: So, what do you think of Gali?

Kopaka: She is a jewel of rare beauty, shining in the crown of Mata Nui. She is vital to everything we do.

GaliGee [taking a deep breath]: Do you have a crush on her, like all the other Toa I've talked to?

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Kopaka: What are you talking about? We're LEGOs!

GaliGee: Yes, but you're obviously alive...

Kopaka: The Great Beings put us here to save Mata Nui, not to start a soap opera for you people!

GaliGee: Is it just me, or are you being a little too defensive about this?

Kopaka: It's just you.

GaliGee [sensing a chill in the air]: Well, let's move on. You and Tahu represent opposite elements, and yet you are required to work together. How do you do that?

Kopaka: Tahu is really the opposite from me in personality, too. But if you think about it, we are really the same element: heat. He is the abundance of it, and I am the absence of it. Sometimes heat is called for in a situation, and sometimes cold. But each of us has only one to work with, so we do what we can. We are forced to talk about strategy when we work together, or else we cancel each other out.

GaliGee: I can see you've given this a lot of thought. How about Pohatu?

Kopaka: No one can not be friends with Pohatu. We had a rather -- well, pardon the pun, rocky start. A couple of tons of rock, actually. But he quickly won me over with his warmth and humor. Who'd have thunk it?

GaliGee: Onua?

Kopaka: He's a great guy. I just love the way he gets a project in his head, then won't stop until it is completely finished. And he's really protective, too. All you could want in a bodyguard.

GaliGee: Or a babysitter?

Kopaka: Oh, like Lewa's. I get it. Yes, everyone could use a friend like Onua. Of course, Lewa is not just getting a free ride in that partnership. With his air abilities, he gets the bird's-eye view of the whole island. Between them, they know everything that happens on Mata Nui, and they're really good at getting the word to the rest of us.

GaliGee: Sounds like you have each found an important role in the campaign to protect Mata Nui. Well, I'll let you get back to the repairs. We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.

Kopaka: No problem, GaliGee. Tell everybody at BZ hello for us. [click]

Justice on this island can indeed be very cold. There is a relentless mind behind that icy mask. But Kopaka is also dedicated and kind. This is GaliGee reporting.

19 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Pohatu, Toa of Stone Last but not least, the Toa of Stone gets a call from your fearless reporter. (Thanks for research assistance from Kopaka's Ice Engineering. ) He returned my page from Po-Koro.

GaliGee: We're really glad you could stop and talk to us, Pohatu.

Pohatu: My pleasure, GaliGee.

GaliGee: We've been following developments on Mata Nui very carefully around here, since things seem to be heating up with the Bohrok and the Bahrag. It looks like the Exo-Toa armor is going to play an important role. Are you worried about fitting in it, being upside down and all?

Pohatu: Hey, I can't help it! It's just the way I was made.

GaliGee: Oh, I didn't mean to offend.

Pohatu: Besides, it's the other Toa that are really upside down.

GaliGee: Well, that's one way of looking at it!

Pohatu: Seeing as how I'm made of LEGOs, I'll figure out some way to reconfigure myself.

GaliGee: Lots of people at BZ, K-P, and MoD are trying to do that, too. Actually, Purple Dave figured out how to modify the Exo to fit you.

Pohatu: Great! That's even better. E-mail me the instructions! That will really come in handy. But that isn't what really worries me most.

GaliGee: What is it, then?

Pohatu: It's the Bahrag themselves. It looks like they are going to be really nasty.

20 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: I bet they are. But if anyone can handle them, you Toa can. And it looks like you are supposed to win.

Pohatu: Praise the Great Beings!

GaliGee: Are you looking forward to working with the other Toa again in the big battle?

Pohatu: Definitely. We work well together in a crunch.

GaliGee: You seem to get along well with everyone. Even Kopaka, who doesn't seem overly sociable.

Pohatu: Kopaka can forgive. That's very admirable. The first time we met, I covered him with a bunch of boulders. He could have held a grudge, but he didn't. Awesome control of his powers, too -- Kanohi and elemental. And he has a good sense of humor, too, once he opens up.

GaliGee: The Tohunga of your village seem to really look up to you, and to appreciate the fact that you take time to talk with them. Your words really encouraged Takua after you destroyed the Nui-Jaga nest together.

Pohatu: That little guy is a bundle of bravery. To think that he did so much for all the other Tohunga, after they had scorned him.

GaliGee: How about Hafu? Are you going to look for him soon? We're very worried.

Pohatu: Hafu? What happened to Hafu?

GaliGee: He was trapped outside of Po-Koro, defending it from an onslaught of Tahnok.

Pohatu: Oh, no! I'll run find him before we round up this next batch of Tahnok, then.

GaliGee: I may be getting into dangerous territory here, but is there something special between you and Gali? You seem to spend a lot of time together in the comics.

Pohatu: If you mean romance, of course not. We've got too much work to do. Gali is as serious about saving Mata Nui as the rest of us, maybe more so. She's a very brave woman doing a man's job, and very well, I might add.

GaliGee: She sure is.

Pohatu: Not that any of us would turn Gali down, if she asked!

GaliGee: Even Kopaka?

Pohatu: ESPECIALLY Kopaka.

GaliGee: But he said --

Pohatu: I know what he said. Trust me, I know Kopaka. He's just better at hiding it than the rest of us.

GaliGee: So we won't be seeing any soap operas on Mata Nui.

Pohatu: Nope. But still, I shaved extra close this morning, because I knew I was going to be doing a project with Gali.

GaliGee: Shaved? But you're made of -- I mean, you don't have any --

Pohatu [laughs]: Got you, GaliGee.

21 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: You Toa have no mercy!

Pohatu: Yeah, I heard about what happened to your house. Sorry about that.

GaliGee: That's OK. Dimensioneer likes my interviews so much, he let my whole family stay at his house while they rebuilt mine.

Pohatu: You stayed at D's house? Cool! What's D like?

GaliGee: This time I got YOU, Pohatu!

Pohatu [laughs]: Touché.

GaliGee [having second thoughts]: Uh, Pohatu, you aren't going to level my house with an earthquake or anything, are you?

Pohatu: Now why would you worry about that? After all, D would probably let you stay at his house again.

GaliGee [noticing shaking floor, china rattling in cabinet]: Uh, oh.

Pohatu: But if I did, I would ruin my reputation as the good-natured Toa, now, wouldn't I?

GaliGee [quickly]: Yes, you would.

Pohatu [laughs]: I was just kidding, GaliGee. We Toa really appreciate our fans at BZ, including you.

GaliGee [wiping cold sweat off forehead]: Thank you.

Pohatu: Well, I really do have to go. Gotta rescue Hafu, and we've got krana to collect, you know.

GaliGee: Thanks for talking to us! And say hi to Gali for me.

Pohatu: No problem. Give my best to the BZ members. Bye. [click]

Pohatu lives up to his reputation of rock-solid dependability and friendliness, indeed. This is a very relieved GaliGee reporting.

22 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

All the Toa OK, Readers, this is the last Toa Telephone Interview. (I am grateful to pohatu jr and Kopaka's Ice Engineering for help and ideas.) Nokama told me their schedule, and I was able to listen in on their meeting in the Kini-Nui conference room by speaker phone.

GaliGee: I can't tell you how thrilled we at BZ are to be able to hear from you all at once. This is quite an honor. And thank you, Nokama, for setting this up.

Nokama: No problem, GaliGee. [Toa murmur in agreement]

GaliGee: So, it sounds like you have collected all the krana, and you are ready to go into the nest and use them to unlock the secret of the Bohrok. Do you feel ready?

Tahu: As ready as we can be, GaliGee.

Lewa: I can't wait to get my axe on those ugly Bahrag.

Onua: And my claws.

Gali: And my hooks.

Pohatu: Yeah. You guys are really helpful, passing on so much info on your site. I mean, after reading D's review of the Bahrag, we know a little more about how to attack them.

Lewa: What review?

Gali: You should really go online more often, Lewa.

Lewa: I've been busy fighting Bohrok! Besides, we get plenty of that from the Turaga. I mean, isn't it

23 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee their job to tell us about the prophesies?

Nokama: Lewa, where do you think we get that stuff?

Lewa: No way! You're not going to tell me you get it online!

Nokama: Well, there are the stars, and the ancient writings, and then there's the Internet. LEGO.com, BZ, MoD, K-P... We'd be foolish to overlook such a great source of intelligence.

Lewa: Oh, for crying out loud.

Onua: Well, you know most of it from what I've told you, anyway.

Lewa: OK. So what else is online that I haven't seen yet?

Kopaka: The script for comic #8. We have a really tough battle ahead of us.

Gali: And we're going to have to work together again to win it.

Lewa: At least we win, huh?

Tahu: If the Great Beings stick with the script, yes. But we'll be transformed into the Toa Nuva, and we don't really know what we'll be like at that point.

Lewa: Oh, yeah, Onua, you told me about that. And here I thought you had read it on a rock somewhere.

Onua: Nope. On BZ.

Lewa: Well, I'll be.

Pohatu: I'm looking forward to those Exo suits. I can't wait to rip that big rock out of the wall.

Kopaka: How are you going to fit in that thing?

Pohatu: I don't know yet, but I'll check my e-mail before we go in. Maybe someone has posted some instructions. [beep of laptop starting up]

Tahu: Onua, you are really lucky. You're the only Nuva we've actually gotten to look at!

Lewa: Really? Your Nuva is out already?

Kopaka: Lewa, you really should go online more often.

Onua: I'm lucky? What about you, Tahu? Did you happen to notice the little note scrawled into the margin of page 3? "Play up Gali-Tahu relationship"? Man, talk about lucky.

Tahu: Well, actually, yes, I did.

Gali: Now don't go getting any ideas, Tahu.

Tahu: Of course I'm not going to do anything unless it's the will of the Great Beings.

Gali: And just how are you going to know what THAT is?

Tahu: I'll know what to do.

Lewa: Yeah, I bet you will.

24 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Tahu [sound of crashing thunder]: Shut up, you airhead.

Onua: Careful with that axe, Lewa. Don't start a fight. I'm sick of bailing you out.

Kopaka: Please, can we get on with our meeting?

Pohatu: Yeah. We have serious business to discuss.

Kopaka: Like you're always serious, Pohatu. I read what you said to GaliGee about me.

Lewa: What did he say about you, Kopaka?

Onua: Lewa, you should go online more often.

Pohatu: Well, it's true, isn't it?

Kopaka: That's not the point. This nonsense is distracting everyone, and ruining our reputations as selfless heroes! Some friend you turned out to be!

Pohatu: Someone's gotta bring you back to reality from your ice castle. I didn't say you had to DO anything about your feelings...

Kopaka: You're just lucky I'm not doing anything about my feelings right now!

Onua: Chill out, Kopaka. Put down your ice blade.

Lewa: If Tahu makes the slightest move on you, Gali, just tell me. I'll --

Gali: Back off, Lewa. I'm gonna find that kid, TheBlindMan2, and drown the little punk! He's the one that started all this!

GaliGee [listening anxiously to louder and louder thunder over the phone line] Uh, Gali, TheBlindMan2 was just kidding. It was just a funny story! The whole reason it was so funny is because it could never happen!

Onua: Yeah, it could never happen.

Tahu: How do you know, shorty?

Lewa: Hey, no one calls Onua shorty but me!

Onua: Cool your jets, Tahu. Put down your fire sword.

Pohatu: We all know Gali is just going to pick whomever she wants. Let's stop fighting!

Gali: Pohatu, go bust some rocks and leave me alone!

Pohatu: I can't, Gali. You said it yourself, we have to work together.

Gali [to herself, above sound of loud thunder and pouring rain]: I want them all DEAD.

Makuta: That's the spirit, Gali. Muahahahahaha!

All Toa: MAKUTA?

Lewa: I thought you were dead!

Tahu: Lewa, you should really go online more often.

25 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Pohatu: Get off this phone line! This is a private conversation!

Makuta: Heh, heh. Hacked my way into your phone system. It was so easy, even Taipu could have done it!

Onua: You'll eat your words, monster. Leave my Tohunga alone!

Kopaka [to himself]: I gotta talk to Nuju about this. I TOLD him upgrading to XP was a bad idea!

Tahu: Well, Makuta, you can laugh all you want now --

Makuta: Thanks, I will. Muahahahahaha! I always wanted to try that laugh, but Templar Studios wouldn't put it in the game!

Tahu: -- but we'll get the last laugh. Have you read the Mask of Light teaser?

Makuta: Yeah. Bummer.

Lewa: What Mask of Light teaser?

All Toa: Lewa, you really ought to go online more often!

Makuta: But in the meantime, I'm gonna make your lives an endlessly cruel torment. And you can't stop me. Once the seed of distrust has been planted, there's no crushing the vine and its bitter fruit...

Lewa: Yeah, well, no vine can stand up to MY axe.

Gali: Lewa, it's a figure of speech.

Lewa: Oh.

Makuta: I'M the one who wrote that note in the margin of comic #8!

Tahu: [expletive deleted]

Gali: Whew.

Makuta: And the jealous rage of Tahu vs Lewa vs Onua vs Pohatu vs even Kopaka is going to tear you all apart! [click]

Kopaka: Hey, you guys, we've got to stop fighting ourselves and get back to the important things. [sound of rain stops]

Pohatu: Thanks for the ice dome, Kopaka. Now at least we're not getting wet. I hate water! No offense, Gali.

Gali: Grrrr.

Onua: Stay your hooks, Gali.

Pohatu: Gali?

Gali: OK, no offense taken. I'm just mad at all of you for being such -- well, jerks.

Onua: It's just because we all like you, Gali.

Gali: I guess so. No more innuendo, OK?

Tahu: That goes for all of us. We can't be wasting our energy blasting each other.

26 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kopaka: Yeah, let's show some self-control.

Pohatu: Sorry, Kopaka. You're a good example of that.

Onua: GaliGee, you're not going to try to turn this into some kind of Sunday school lesson, are you?

GaliGee: No, Onua, I just report the news.

Lewa: Gali is a beautiful gift to all of us. We need her for our work, and she brings joy to our hearts. Let's not make her mad anymore.

Gali: Lewa, if you ever wink at me like that again, I will personally rip off your kanohi and cram it down your throat.

Lewa: Uh, sorry, Gali. It was meant to be brotherly.

Tahu: Yeah, sure it was, Lewa.

Kopaka: Gentlemen?

Tahu: Sorry. OK, are there any other smoldering issues we need to clear up before we get on with defeating the Bohrok?

Other Toa: No.

Lewa: Let's go! I can't wait to get my axe on those ugly Bahrag. I could hear them talking, too, when I had the krana on. Death to those overgrown toothy chickens!

Gali: That's the spirit, Lewa!

Tahu: Then it's settled. We'll go straight to the nest. Kopaka, will you lead the way?

Kopaka: With pleasure, Tahu. It's good to get back to doing what we do best -- saving Mata Nui.

Nokama: GaliGee, I think things are going to turn out OK.

GaliGee: Nokama, you tell me. You're the prophetess.

Nokama: I AM telling you. Thanks for calling!

GaliGee: Thank YOU, Nokama. And thank you to all the Toa! Our thoughts and prayers are with you! [click]

And they set off to save Mata Nui, again. Thank you for tuning in, I hope you enjoyed the Toa Telephone Interviews. This is GaliGee reporting. (Uh, TheBlindMan2, are you OK?)

27 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Wairuha Nuva, Toa Kaita of Wisdom Ever since I played the Mata Nui Online Game, I’ve wondered what it must be like for the Toa to form a Toa Kaita. LEGO says that three Toa can combine their minds, bodies, and spirits into one powerful being. Well, I was blessed with an opportunity to find out, because Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka agreed to form Wairuha while talking to me.

GaliGee: Thank you all so much for agreeing to form Wairuha for us. I know the members of BZP will be very excited to hear about what it’s like for you to combine into a Kaita.

Gali: No problem, GaliGee. It’s going to be fun to combine, now that we’re Nuva. We’ve never done that before.

Lewa: Yeah, any excuse to combine with Gali…

Kopaka: You’re about as subtle as a Muaka with a toothache, Lewa.

Lewa: And you’re about as good-natured as one, Kopaka.

Kopaka: You should apologize to Gali, Lewa.

Lewa: Oh, she knows I’m just kidding. I figure we might as well get a laugh out of this. I mean, both of us have about as much chance as a snowball in the Mangai anyway, Kopaka.

Kopaka: Interesting choice of metaphor, Lewa.

Lewa: It seemed to fit, Kopaka.

Gali: Gentlemen? Can we please get on with it?

GaliGee: Wait, before you combine, may I please ask you a few more questions?

Gali: Fire away.

GaliGee: When you form a Kaita, who is speaking? Is one of you in charge, or do you all participate equally in Wairuha’s mind?

Lewa: Oh, we are all equal.

Kopaka: There’s only one head, but we are all in it.

GaliGee: I’m amazed you can get along that well. You Toa, um, seem to have your differences sometimes.

Gali: That’s why we have to get all the tensions out first. [whack] Otherwise, Wairuha can’t focus.

GaliGee: What was that?

Gali: Me smacking Lewa in the head.

GaliGee: Yikes!

Gali: He can take it.

Kopaka: Gali, are you mad at me?

Gali: Should I be?

28 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kopaka: Probably.

Gali: OK. [slap]

GaliGee: You Toa are really bizarre.

Kopaka: Yes, but it works. Only we’re never mad at Gali, so she gets off easy.

Lewa: Speak for yourself, Kopaka.

Gali [laughing uncontrollably]: OK! OK! [laughs] That’s enough, Lewa.

GaliGee: Do I want to know what that was?

Gali: Lewa tickling me. OK, are we done with the tension release?

Kopaka: Yeah. I’m through being sarcastic, if you, Lewa, are finished being impertinent, and you, Gali, are finished being grumpy.

Lewa: Deal.

Gali: I’m ready.

GaliGee: So, what’s the first step?

Lewa: Taking ourselves apart.

Kopaka: And keeping track of the parts. Because Airhead here always loses a foot under a leaf or something.

Lewa: Can I help it if my feet are camouflaged in the leaves?

Kopaka: No, but you can help dropping stuff.

Gali: I thought we were ready! Will you two just shut up?

Lewa: I guess she told us, Kopaka.

Kopaka: Yes, but you’re still talking, Lewa.

Lewa: Me? What about you, Kopaka?

Kopaka: I’m being quiet now, Lewa.

Lewa: Yeah, right. Well, I’m ready, Gali. I don’t know about Ice Boy here.

Kopaka: Excuse me for a moment, Gali. [whap] [bang] OK.

Lewa: Hey! Now I need to – [thunk] [smack] – all right. Carry on.

Gali: I’m getting really tired of you two and your – [slap] [thud] [bonk]

GaliGee: Are you guys OK? [more sounds of scuffle]

Lewa [panting]: Yep. Just fine.

Kopaka [breathing hard]: Whew. That’s better.

Gali [breathless]: I feel great.

29 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: You know, when people fight, it usually makes things worse. They just get angrier.

Gali: It only works because we really love each other. And we have a really important common purpose.

GaliGee: I see.

Kopaka: Last time we had a real enemy to face, so it was easier to concentrate.

Lewa: It's going to be more fun this time, because the whole Kaita looks like a really buff version of me.

Kopaka: Dream on, Tree-swinger. You know we're all in this together.

Gali [sighs]: Sadly, Kopaka's right. OK, I have the instructions here. Lewa, pull off your feet.

Lewa: Certainly, dear. Ouch! Ouch!

GaliGee: Does it hurt to take yourselves apart?

Lewa: A little. But it's worth it.

Kopaka: He's just being dramatic.

GaliGee: How can a creature be disassembled and reassembled, and still function?

Kopaka: Well, each piece has a data connector and a fluid coupling, so that when any two are snapped together, the nerve impulses are transmitted and the hydraulic fluid is re-pressurized. But it takes a few moments to get everything back into calibration.

Lewa: What Mr. Vocabulary is saying is, they snap together, just like all LEGO Bricks.

Gali: All right, give me your arms.

Lewa: Here's one. You'll have to take the other yourself.

[snapping sounds]

Kopaka: Nice job, Gali.

Lewa [muttering]: Kiss-up.

Gali: You know, Lewa, in a few minutes we're going to know what you're thinking.

Lewa [clears throat]: Oh, yeah.

Kopaka: And you're not exactly in a good position to be a smart-alec at the moment.

Lewa: Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Kopaka: Give me your body. Wait, you can't. OK, I'll just take it.

Lewa: I was hoping Gali would want it.

Gali: Puh-leeez.

GaliGee: Once you've pulled off your arms, how do you put the rest of the Kaita together?

30 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Lewa: Last time, we just used our Matatu. But this time, we'll have to will our body parts to move without being connected. Like we did when we first assembled ourselves.

[snap] [click]

Gali: OK, Kopaka, it's your turn. Come here.

Lewa: You lucky dog. Hey, look, I'm upside down, like Pohatu.

Gali: Now for the hard part, my own torso. You know, we're going to be sort of short and stocky, with these torsos turned sideways.

Lewa: Terrific. Akamai is going to make annoying jokes about that. Seeing as how he's got the two short Toa, he won't be able to resist.

Kopaka: Oh, well, let him have some fun. We'll be tall again when we get back to normal.

Gali: Lewa, your head, please.

Lewa: Whee! What a view!

Kopaka: Now, don't get the big head about this, Lewa.

Lewa: I won't have time, because I have a feeling you'll be joining me in here soon.

Gali: Just a few more things… OK, here are the arms. And the weapons. [click]

Kopaka: Here's the armor.

Lewa: Cool, Makuta won't be able to set our backside on fire this time.

GaliGee: So how do you combine your minds?

Gali: We were just getting to that. You both ready?

Kopaka: Yep.

Lewa: Sure.

[silence]

Wairuha: Here I am, GaliGee.

GaliGee: Wow! Am I talking to Wairuha now?

Wairuha: That's me.

GaliGee: Amazing! How does it feel to be you?

Wairuha: Great. I have all the memories and powers and intelligence of Kopaka, Gali, and Lewa. [laughs] Now all I need is an evil foe to whip up on.

GaliGee: Your voice sounds very rich and complex… as if a blend of three voices, but I can’t really make out each individual voice. Like a choir singing.

Wairuha: Thank you.

GaliGee: So, lots of BZP members have wondered what gender you are.

31 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Wairuha: As if that were a relevant question…

GaliGee: I think I’m hearing a bit of Kopaka in you.

Wairuha: Look, who would I flirt with, Akamai? Not my type. He’s a bit of a hot-head. Even if I were a girl, which I’m not.

GaliGee: That must be Lewa talking. So if you’re not a girl… where’s Gali?

Wairuha: She’s in here, too, just waiting for another excuse to flood your house.

GaliGee [swallows hard]: Oh… so, getting back to your powers… can you do a flip? You are made of some very agile Toa.

Wairuha: Yep. You can’t see it, but – [whump] There!

GaliGee: That must have been spectacular! And your elemental powers?

Wairuha: I have them all. It’s a chance for my Toa to experience each others’ elemental powers.

GaliGee: Without getting their heads switched.

Wairuha: Yeah. No thanks to that joker, Lewa. [whack]

GaliGee: What was that?

Wairuha: Me hitting myself in the head, because Kopaka’s arm remembers Lewa’s prank, and I have Lewa’s head.

GaliGee: What happened to the unity you embody?

Wairuha: I’m losing it… there’s no real enemy, but still some tension between my Toa. I’m not sure how long I can hold together. Lewa is getting mad at Kopaka now, and Gali is just plain disgusted with both of them.

GaliGee [quickly]: So, tell me what it was like to fight the Manas.

Wairuha: Frightening. But fortunately Akamai was there to give me courage. We got beat up quite a bit, too. And then we figured out the secret of their power.

GaliGee: I thought it was strange that Akamai discovered that first, even though you are the Toa Kaita of Wisdom.

Wairuha: He just spoke first. I was already swinging my weapons.

GaliGee: I see. And when you came apart, it was –

Wairuha: Just… like… right…

Kopaka: … now.

Lewa: We’re back!

Gali: Well, our pieces are, anyway. Lewa, would you pass me that arm, please?

Lewa: I thought it was a leg.

Gali: Very funny. [click]

32 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kopaka: Here, Lewa, your head. As if you ever use it.

Lewa: Hey, why don’t we mix up our parts, just for fun? We could – OK, maybe not. [pop] [snap]

Gali: It’ll be good to be – [snap] [click] – back to normal.

Lewa: Whee! [thunk]

Gali: Nice flip. Now, give me my foot back.

Lewa: Hop over here and take it! [sounds of struggle]

Kopaka: Here you go, Gali.

Lewa: Killjoy.

Kopaka: Troublemaker.

Gali: Stupid boys.

GaliGee: Sounds like you ARE back to normal again.

Gali: Pretty much.

Kopaka: Lewa, give me my skates.

Lewa: I want to try them! Just for a minute…

Gali: Great. Now Lewa is skating away, and Kopaka is flying after Lewa with his katana.

GaliGee: Sorry. Hope you can get them straightened out again soon.

Gali: Oh, they’ll get tired of it eventually. At least they’re leaving me in peace. AAAAH! Lewa, put me doooooooown!

GaliGee: Are you OK?

Gali [voice receding in the distance]: I think sooooo…

GaliGee: Well, I guess that’s the end of the interview, since I can’t hear you anymore. Bye, everyone! [click]

So, readers, merging bodies and minds into a Kaita requires much concentration and a certain amount of harmony, apparently. But don’t worry, when there’s a new threat to Mata Nui, I’m sure the Toa will rise to the occasion. This is GaliGee reporting.

33 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Akamai Nuva, Toa Kaita of Valor Recently I spoke with Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka, and I was privileged to listen as they formed Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom. Now I bring you Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua, who have promised to build Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor.

GaliGee: Thank you all very much for agreeing to form Akamai for us. We at BZP are really looking forward to hearing about how you do it.

Tahu: You're quite welcome, GaliGee. It's really an amazing thing that we can combine like this.

Pohatu: Our pleasure, GaliGee. Being in a Kaita is really cool. It sure saves time not having to explain things to the other Toa that are in it.

Onua: Hi, Little Sister! To me, it's not so weird that our bodies can connect together, since we're made of LEGO s and all, but it's really bizarre when we combine our minds.

GaliGee: Well, I hope you guys get along better than Lewa, Kopaka, and Gali. Wairuha fell apart after a few minutes because they got mad at each other, and the unity was destroyed.

Tahu: Oh, we're much more, well, let's say, mature than those three. Lewa and Kopaka's little rivalry… oh, brother. I mean, just because their shoulders are as wide as Gali's now, they think--

GaliGee: You read their interview?

Onua [laughs]: Yep. What a bunch of silly kids.

Tahu: Now, Onua and Pohatu, you'd better not start making any rude jokes about how lucky they are to get to combine with Gali.

34 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Pohatu: Say, now that you mention it… they are pretty lucky.

Onua: Tahu, we weren't even thinking about that.

Tahu: Oh.

Onua: The only problem we ever have getting along is that Tahu jumps to conclusions sometimes.

Pohatu: Yeah, and he really has a temper… oh, man.

Tahu: Now when did that ever get in the way of forming our Kaita?

Pohatu: Oh, it didn't, when we made the Kaita before. It's just a potential problem, I suppose.

Onua: You know… it COULD become a problem.

Tahu: Guys… you don't have much faith in me. I can keep my temper when I need to.

Onua: Yeah, sure. Like you did when Lewa rigged those coconuts to fall on your head at the Kini-Nui that time.

Pohatu: Or when you raced Kopaka to the beach, and he beat you.

Tahu: That's different! Those were other situations. And Kopaka used a dirty trick. But this is a SERIOUS endeavor, merging our bodies and minds.

Pohatu: My bad, GaliGee. He's always a perfect gentleman.

Onua: Yep. A saint.

Tahu: Now I never said I was perfect! I'm just like anyone else. I have my moments.

Pohatu: Except that one of his "moments" means something's gonna explode into flames.

Onua: Or get covered in molten magma.

Tahu: You guys are just trying to pick a fight with me!

Onua: Oh, we would NEVER do that.

Pohatu: Nope, not us.

Tahu: Just cut it out. Grrr…

Pohatu: Uh, oh, there he goes. I'm telling you, he has a temper. OUCH!

Onua: Well, Pohatu, I wish Gali were here to extinguish your--um--

Pohatu: Stop, drop, and roll. I know the drill. Whew. I feel much better now.

Onua: Now part of you matches me! But not the prettiest part.

Pohatu: Very funny.

Tahu: If you guys are finished trying to provoke me, can we start this Kaita building now?

GaliGee: That's what I was going to ask!

Onua: Oh, yeah. Sorry, Sis.

35 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Pohatu: Let's get started. Who's first?

Tahu: Onua, we need your feet. And Pohatu, your shoes. [click] [pop] [snap]

Kimi: Hi, GaliGee! It's me, Kimi!

GaliGee: Kimi? You're back from vacation! Did you have a good time?

Kimi: Oh, yes! Taipu and I traveled all over the island. We had a great time. I took lots of pictures.

GaliGee: I bet you did. So, are you going to be able to take one of Akamai for me?

Kimi: Of course. And one of Wairuha, too. Since I missed that interview, I took the liberty of asking Gali, Kopaka, and Lewa to come back and build him again. They're here with me now.

GaliGee: Wow, that's terrific! Thanks, Kimi. And hi, Gali, Kopaka, and Lewa!

Gali: Hi, GaliGee.

Kopaka: Hello, GaliGee.

Lewa: Hi, Sweetheart. Hey, stop throwing dirt at me!

Onua: You're just lucky I have only one arm at the moment, Lewa.

GaliGee: So, Kimi, are you getting set up for a picture while they form themselves?

Kimi: As we speak, GaliGee.

GaliGee: How's the building going, everyone?

Tahu: Great. Let's see… please pass me that arm. Thanks. [snap] [click]

Lewa: Hurry up, let's beat those guys! [click]

Pohatu: Oh, so Featherweight over there thinks they're faster than we are? We'll show them some speed… [click] [pop]

Gali: Quick, Lewa… your other leg…

Tahu: Wait, that's backwards!

Kopaka [laughs]: Newbies.

Onua: Shut up, Skater Boy. Sorry, Tahu. How's this?

Wairuha: Spirit of Wisdom, hear me!

Pohatu: Oh, for crying out loud.

Onua: They only won because they've done this before. This is our first time as Nuva.

Tahu: Shut up and keep building!

Pohatu: Sorry, Boss.

Onua: There's the last piece, Tahu’s mask. And now, for our minds…

36 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Akamai: Spirit of Valor, hear me!

Wairuha: So there you are, Slowpoke.

Akamai: Yeah, yeah, Shorty. How long did it take YOU the first time? And how long did you stay together?

Wairuha: Long enough. But now… I am in harmony with myself.

Akamai: Well, me, too. Hmph.

GaliGee: Congratulations to both of you.

Akamai and Wairuha: Thanks.

GaliGee: So, Akamai, how does it feel to be combined as Nuva?

Akamai: Great. I feel like a million bucks.

Wairuha: Actually, he's worth about $20.97, by my calculation.

Akamai: Yeah, well, so are you, Wise Guy.

GaliGee: Kimi, why don't you take Wairuha's picture while I talk to Akamai? I haven't gotten his point of view yet.

Kimi: Sure, GaliGee. Wairuha? Would you please come over here by the tripod?

GaliGee: Thanks, Kimi. Akamai, would you please tell me what it was like to battle the Manas?

Akamai: It was really exciting. Those things were like nothing we'd ever seen before. Big, powerful, ugly, and really aggressive. And there were a lot of them!

GaliGee: What did you think when you saw one of them slam Wairuha across the room?

Akamai: I was outraged. That thing just lunged at my brother and slung him like a rag! I was really steamed.

GaliGee: Sounds a bit like Tahu.

Akamai: Yes, his boldness is a big part of my personality.

GaliGee: What personality traits do you get from the others?

Akamai: From Pohatu, his determination. He never gives up. And Onua, well, he is loyal to a fault.

GaliGee: I'd sure want you on my side in a battle. Mata Nui is lucky to have you.

Akamai: Thanks. But I get a lot of help from Wairuha. He's brilliant. We really complement each other.

GaliGee: The Great Beings plan well. So back to the Manas battle…

Akamai: As soon as we figured out the secret of the towers, I was all over those things. And a little bit of my bravery persisted in my Toa, even after we came apart in Makuta's lair.

GaliGee: That's amazing! Where DID all that courage come from? Was it all from Tahu, Pohatu, and Onua, or was there some extra somehow?

Akamai: The way it works is this. Each of my Toa has a lot of courage and a little fear. But the

37 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee courage of the others compensates for that. And by combining their bravery, it's multiplied even more. For example, Pohatu is afraid of water, but Onua is not, so I am not afraid of it.

GaliGee: I see. And Onua is afraid of…

Akamai: Heights. But Tahu isn't.

GaliGee: And Tahu?

Akamai: He's afraid of being wrong. But Pohatu isn't. Hey, that's not right! Yes, it is!

GaliGee: Akamai? You aren't… arguing with yourself, are you?

Akamai: Hey… stop that! I'm losing my unity! It's all your…

Onua: … fault, Tahu, for being so darned arrogant.

Tahu: Me? What about you?

Pohatu: Guys, it's about time we came apart, anyway. I've got a really big Koli match to go watch this afternoon, and--

Tahu: So, your distraction over a KOLI MATCH is to blame? [sighs] GaliGee, just look at what I have to put up with. And they think I'm a hothead when I get mad at them.

Onua: Listen, let's just put ourselves back together. Tahu, I don't know why you're so defensive about your fear of being wrong. You have to know yourself, and we're here to help.

GaliGee: Onua, did you just learn that about Tahu from merging your minds?

Onua: Yes, we always learn a lot that way.

Pohatu: Like I never knew Tahu once made a pass at Gali.

Onua: Dude, you're lucky you didn't get a big hook-shaped dent in your Kanohi.

Tahu: Knock it off, you two. Besides, that was a long time ago, when I was young and impulsive.

Pohatu: Good thing you're not in a Kaita with Kopaka.

Tahu: Well, THAT goes without saying. Now, where did you guys put my arms?

Onua: I don't have ‘em. Where are my quake breakers?

Pohatu: How should I know? But my Kanohi is missing, too.

Tahu: Really, this isn't funny. Hand ‘em over, or I'll--

Onua: Or you'll what? You're just a head and torso! Besides, we don't have ‘em. Say… anyone seen Wairuha lately?

Pohatu: He's over there! With an armful of extra parts! Some of them red… and brown…

Tahu: That lousy son of a--well, we've got to form Akamai again, and go get him.

Onua: And fast… before he steals anything else!

GaliGee: Wairuha stole your extra parts?

38 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Akamai: Yes, he did! And he's gonna PAY!

GaliGee: Wow, you guys can build fast, when you're motivated! Kimi, are you there?

Kimi: Yes, GaliGee. I'm sorry, but I don't know if I'm going to get any good pictures out of this. They're chasing each other now. It's quite a sight.

GaliGee: That's all right, Kimi. Just send me whatever you have.

Akamai: Hey! He's got my Kakama! That no-good double-crossing--

Wairuha: And I have a Miru, too! Ha! You missed!

Akamai: Grrr… but you left the Pakari… and I have my Pohatu shoes! Taste the power of stone!

Wairuha: OUCH! All right… this means war!

GaliGee: Kimi, maybe you'd better get to safety. Well, Akamai, and Wairuha, thanks for forming yourselves for us. And save some of that for the enemies of Mata Nui!

Akamai: Oh, I'll have plenty left, after I take down this smart aleck. Hey, now I'm all wet! Take THAT!

Wairuha: In your dreams, Tough Guy! Ow, that burns!

Kimi: I'm outta here. Bye, GaliGee.

GaliGee: Bye, everyone! [click]

Six heroes, one destiny, and no privacy. Let's hope the Toa can get themselves sorted out before any real enemies appear! This is GaliGee reporting.

39 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Takanuva, Toa of Light, and Jaller Like many of you, I’ve been wondering how Takanuva felt about his dramatic transformations, his defeat of the powerfully evil Makuta, and his new life as a Toa. So I gave him a call. And his loyal friend Jaller popped in to make a few comments, too. Thanks to Pewe Toa of the Void and pohatu jr for ideas.

GaliGee: Takanuva, it’s really nice of you to take the time for an interview. All of us at BZPower are really looking forward to hearing what it was like for you to transform from Takua the Chronicler into Takanuva, Toa of Light, and courageously save Mata Nui from eternal darkness.

Takanuva: Aww, shucks. It was nothing. But it’s nice of you to say so.

GaliGee: Nothing? It was the showdown Bionicle fans had been anticipating for months! You risked unimaginable danger to protect your people.

Takanuva: I was just doing my job, for a change. But yeah, it was a mind-bending experience merging with the bad guy.

GaliGee: I’m sure it was. But before we get to that part, would you mind answering a few questions about your quest for the Toa of Light?

Takanuva: [laughs] Boy, did I feel sheepish when I figured out who he was! It was quite a journey. Me and Jaller, you know, we go way back, to the days when we were fighting Bohrok.

GaliGee: You two did seem pretty comfortable with each other.

Takanuva: We’ve traveled all over together, and we know each other’s quirks. Like Jaller is really scared of Fikou. At one point, one dropped out of the trees when we were in Le-Wahi, and Jaller flipped backwards off Pewku’s back.

GaliGee: [laughs] Well, I’d be pretty scared of them, too.

Jaller: Yeah, GaliGee, and Takua—I mean Takanuva—is scared of the dark.

Takanuva: I am not!

GaliGee: Hello, Jaller.

Jaller: Hi, GaliGee. Are too!

Takanuva: Don’t you have some guard duty rounds to make or something, pipsqueak? And that’s Toa Takanuva to you.

Jaller: Yeah. But I’ll be back, kolhii-head. Later.

GaliGee: It sounds like you two are still really at ease with each other, even though you have changed.

Takanuva: He still gets on my case for being irresponsible, and I still tell him he’s too much of a conformist.

GaliGee: So I take it that wasn’t just a plot device to add, er, human interest to the movie.

Takanuva: Plot device? We were fighting for our lives, girl!

GaliGee: Oh, I’m sorry, of course you were. BZPower is really grateful to you for standing up for good against evil. And I’d like to add my personal thanks for defeating Makuta.

40 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Takanuva: Personal thanks? What, has Makuta been bugging you, too?

GaliGee: It’s a long story. But anyhow, are you sure you don’t mind that I’m posting your journal on BZPower?

Takanuva: No problem, GaliGee. I’ll e-mail you the rest of the entries as soon as I can get them typed up. Or I’ll just use the OCR program, if Turaga Nuju ever gets that scanner fixed. Stupid Rahkshi.

GaliGee: Thank you so much, Takanuva. A lot of members have said they’ve been enjoying it so far.

Takanuva: Wait, are you going to put in the part about Nixie?

GaliGee: Well, yes, unless you don’t want me to.

Takanuva: Oh, go ahead. After all, it’s my new policy to bring everything into the light.

GaliGee: I see. Well, that’s logical.

Takanuva: Besides, it’s not embarrassing to her… only me.

Jaller: Is there anything embarrassing about me in there?

Takanuva: You bet! You said a bunch of stuff in your sleep about Hahli.

GaliGee: Hello again, Jaller.

Jaller: Hi again, GaliGee. I did not!

Takanuva: Did too!

Jaller: Don’t you have some lightstones to switch out or something?

GaliGee: Say, Jaller, since you’re here, can I ask you what it was like to die and be revived?

Jaller: Sure, GaliGee. It was incredibly strange. I felt my whole body shake like my heart was about to stop, and then I saw my life flash before my eyes. The guard training… the Rahi battles… finding Toa Tahu… the Bohrok wars… covering for Takua so he could shirk his duties…

Takanuva: Hey! That only happened once or twice.

Jaller: Three times. But who’s counting? And then there was Hahli… I felt so sad. I really regretted not ever telling her I loved her.

GaliGee: So, after you were revived, I bet that was the first thing you said to her.

Jaller: Are you crazy? I could never tell her that! That’s too scary! I’m not planning on dying again anytime soon, anyway.

GaliGee: I don’t think people usually plan on it.

Jaller: Anyway, I saw my whole life flash by. And I was in a tunnel, with a bright light at the end. As I drew closer, the light started to take shape, and I could read some letters.

GaliGee: Letters?

Jaller: Yeah. It was like a message from the Great Spirit Mata Nui.

GaliGee: Really? What did it say?

41 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Jaller: It said, “Game Over.”

Takanuva: No way!

Jaller: Way!

GaliGee: You’re kidding, aren’t you, Jaller?

Jaller: Yeah. But I did see a bright light. Then I was lying on the ground, and this big, scary dude was leaning over me. He was half really ugly and half, um, less ugly.

Takanuva: Hey!

Jaller: Anyway, I realized that he had saved my life, just in time to see him get smashed by this huge door he was trying to hold up.

GaliGee: Oh, my.

Jaller: Yeah, it made a sickening sound, kind of a wet crunching noise, with chunks of metal flying and hydraulic fluid spraying everywhere.

GaliGee: Aaah! That was more information than I needed, Jaller.

Jaller: I was really sad, because I could tell that Takua was in there. And his mask came spinning out. Or rather, Takanuva’s mask. But I knew it was Takua, obviously.

Takanuva: You did?

Jaller: Duh! There was a spoiler on that Purple Dave guy’s website, like, a year ago!

Takanuva: You knew? Why didn’t you say something?

Jaller: Because you would have gotten a head the size of Toa Tahu’s Suva.

Takanuva: Oh.

Jaller: Anyway, I was really happy to see that kolhii-head revive when Turaga Vakama put the Avokhii onto the big dot.

GaliGee: I bet it was wonderful to see him again. And speaking of kolhii, did anyone describe to you Takanuva’s big match with Makuta?

Jaller: Well, I saw it in the movie. Turaga Vakama took us all up to Mount Ihu, and we got to watch the DVD on Turaga Nuju’s home theater system. He’s even got surround sound. But Toa Lewa kept grabbing the remote and doing the frame-by-frame thing whenever Toa Gali showed up onscreen. Turaga Nuju was hopping up and down and squeaking, until finally Toa Kopaka wrestled Toa Lewa to the floor and sat on him.

GaliGee: That’s Lewa for you. Were you surprised at how well your friend played?

Jaller: Yeah. I was really proud of him. He did really well, for being such a lousy player. Hey! Put me down!

Takanuva: Heh, heh. Sometimes I just gotta pull rank on him.

Jaller: Just you wait. Someday LEGO will do a flashback, and they’ll turn you back into a Matoran for it!

42 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Takanuva: Oh, I hope not. You’d never let me hear the end of it.

Jaller: Well, I gotta go. Unlike the Lightheaded One here, I have a real job. See you!

GaliGee: Thanks, Jaller!

Takanuva: He’s a real pal, that guy.

GaliGee: He is. So, how have you been getting along with the other Toa? Have they fully accepted you as one of their number yet?

Takanuva: Oh, yes, they’ve been very kind and welcoming. They really made me feel like a Toa right away. Since I don’t really have my own village to defend, they let me help out with their villages. Take Toa Tahu, for example. I mean, Tahu! I’m not used to that yet.

GaliGee: I imagine there have been a lot of adjustments to make.

Takanuva: Yes, there have. Well, Tahu gave me a really important task that no Matoran could accomplish.

GaliGee: What was it?

Takanuva: He showed me how to haul a week’s worth of trash from the village out into the middle of the lava river so it would burn up.

GaliGee: But I thought Ta-Koro was flooded with magma by the Rahkshi.

Takanuva: True. But all the trash was in a big bin, and the lava didn’t reach it. And then Lewa got me to weed the vegetable garden in Le-Wahi. The weeds were so tall, they were over the Matoran’s heads. So they needed a Toa to do it. And my staff is just the right shape for that kind of work.

GaliGee: I see.

Takanuva: And Kopaka had me scrape the frost off the windows of the Sanctum. Good thing I’m not afraid of heights. But man, it’s cold up there! I couldn’t even feel my fingers by the time I was done.

GaliGee: It sounds like you’ve been working really hard for everyone.

Takanuva: Yeah. Onua got me to bail water out of the bottom of the Great Mine. The fight with the Rahkshi caused a big cave-in, and the groundwater flooded the shaft about five bios deep.

GaliGee: And you bailed all that water out?

Takanuva: It took quite a while. Then Pohatu got me to clean the stables in Po-Koro.

GaliGee: I thought that was the comet ball traitor’s job.

Takanuva: It was, but the muck was so deep, he couldn’t get the door open any more. So I had to help out.

GaliGee: Wait a minute. Aren’t you all going to leave Mata Nui anyway? Why are you even bothering with these jobs?

Takanuva: Hey! You’re right! Who cares if the garden needs weeding? We’re going to be gone in a few weeks!

GaliGee: It sounds to me like the other Toa are taking advantage of the new guy.

Takanuva: You think so? Yeah… it does, doesn’t it?

43 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Did Gali put you to work, too?

Takanuva: No, she didn’t. Just the guys.

GaliGee: Do you still have a special bond with her?

Takanuva: Well, no, since I’m not the Chronicler any more. I guess she’ll be sending visions to Hahli now. But it’s just as well, because Tahu and Kopaka would probably start fighting over which one would get to kill me. Gali would try to break it up, Lewa would start selling tickets to the Matoran, and Pohatu and Onua would have a bet going on the outcome.

GaliGee: It sounds like you’ve figured out the group dynamics of the Toa pretty well.

Takanuva: Yeah, I got to know them as we traveled with them, while they were hunting the Kal. I used to think they were all noble and pure at heart. But when I got to see them bicker over the last piece of roast Maha, I realized they’re just like the rest of us.

GaliGee: I think so, too. So, I’ve saved the biggest question for last. What was it like to merge with Makuta?

Takanuva: Oh, man. That was unforgettable. I got a glimpse into the darkest, most twisted mind I’ve ever encountered.

GaliGee: There’s one thing all of us on BZPower are dying to know, Takanuva. Why is Makuta claiming to protect his brother from pain?

Takanuva: Uh, actually, I didn’t understand that part, either.

GaliGee: Aww, man!

Takanuva: I did find out why he really put him to sleep, though.

GaliGee: Really? Why?

Takanuva: If I told you, I’d have to kill you.

GaliGee: No way!

Takanuva: Way! LEGO won’t let any of us talk about it yet.

GaliGee: Oh, well, I suppose we’ll find out eventually.

Takanuva: Yeah, someday. Like the Turaga’s story. Those guys are so mysterious. It turns out they were once Toa.

GaliGee: I’ve heard that, too.

Takanuva: So, I’m definitely not going to leak any secrets to you. LEGO might turn me into a Turaga, too. I have no desire to look like an old guy, and sit around and discuss prophecies all day.

GaliGee: OK, I can understand that. So, how did it feel to transform from a small Matoran to a larger Matoran to a Toa to a combined being of darkness and light that’s the most powerful creature ever to walk the surface of Mata Nui?

Takanuva: Great! I got kind of used to not being used to myself. The first time was cool, because we got to rebuild ourselves, just like you guys play with LEGO s. The second time, it was in the middle of a really intense moment, with the Toa and Rahkshi fighting behind me and my best friend dead, so I was completely overwhelmed by everything. And the last time, well, it was just too weird for words.

44 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: When did you realize you were going to merge with Makuta?

Takanuva: I was just trying to pull off his mask, and it occurred to me that maybe he wouldn’t be so grumpy if he was wearing mine, so I put the Avokhii on him. But I needed a mask, too, so I put his Krakhaan on myself. Man, it was creepy looking out of his eyeholes. His mask smelled like charcoal and motor oil.

GaliGee: And once you were in the protodermis, you merged?

Takanuva: Yeah, I wanted to light up the inside of his mind, and see what was really driving him to be so cruel. And somehow we got all tangled up, and then I heard his voice inside my head, and then suddenly we were one being. And he agreed with me that we should raise the door, and I agreed with him that we should revive Jaller. Then I felt his strength being sapped, and I couldn’t hold the door anymore.

GaliGee: I don’t want to hear about that part again!

Takanuva: Uh, yeah, it was kind of gross.

Gali: Oh, Takanuuuuuuuva!

Takanuva: In here, Toa Gali. I mean, Gali.

Gali: Oh, there you are. I was wondering if you would mind helping out in Ga-Koro. Nokama has trained three of the villagers to give therapeutic massages, and they need someone to practice on.

Takanuva: No way, Gali! I’m not going to let you push me around just because I’m the new guy! I have my dignity, too, you know.

Gali: Suit yourself. I’ll find someone else. Oh, Taaaaaahu! [voice recedes]

Takanuva: I sure told her off, eh?

GaliGee: Actually, what she was suggesting sounded rather pleasant. A massage by three Ga- Koronans… all you’d have to do is lie there and relax…

Takanuva: You think so? Yeah… it did, didn’t it? Hey, Gali! I’ve changed my mind! Wait for me! Gaaaaaali! [voice recedes]

GaliGee: Takanuva? Takanuva? Well, I guess this interview is over. [click]

So, now Mata Nui’s reluctant hero actually looks like one. But at heart, he’s still just Takua. And Jaller won’t let him forget it. This is GaliGee reporting.

45 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

MOCs and photo by BZ member Yotanua, Toa of Time: his namesake, with semi-Toa Tuhapo Yotanua, Toa of Time

Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the one and only interview I am going to do for a non-standard Bionicle character. So please, don't ask. I encourage you, if you have a cool MOC, to write your own interview! Here is a glimpse into the life of the Toa who was too powerful to include in the official storyline.

GaliGee: Yotanua, thanks for taking the time to speak to me on behalf of the BZ members.

Yotanua: No problem. I have all the time in the world.

GaliGee: Oh, yeah. I guess so. You are the Toa of Time, after all. What powers does the Vahi give you, exactly?

Yotanua: I can slow down or speed up time for myself, and I can also move backward and forward through time.

GaliGee: Amazing! Why was such a powerful Toa as yourself excluded from the LEGO Bionicle storyline?

Yotanua: Well, the truth is, I was late for the audition.

GaliGee: LATE? How could you be late? You're --

Yotanua: Just kidding, GaliGee.

GaliGee: See, you would fit right in with the other Toa. They are always trying to play tricks on me like that!

Yotanua: So I heard. Just wait until you see the next one they are going to pull.

GaliGee: What? Are you in on this, too?

Yotanua: No, but I know what's going to happen.

GaliGee: Oh, yeah. Uh, oh. But back to my question. Why aren't you in the story?

46 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Yotanua: I was supposed to be in the PC game. You know, the one that was canceled.

GaliGee: I heard about that. But didn't you know it was going to be canceled?

Yotanua: Of course. But I still posed for all the 3D rendering and all, you know, just to beef up my portfolio.

GaliGee: I bet it's impressive. Do you have a village?

Yotanua: I do, Yo-Koro. It has one Tohunga named Hufu, and a sidekick named Tuhapo. He's a semi- Toa. No Turaga, though.

GaliGee: What's a semi-Toa?

Yotanua: He's more powerful than a Turaga, but not quite a Toa. He's a big help to me, though. Quite a fighter, and an all-around good friend.

GaliGee: How do you manage with no Turaga?

Yotanua: Gimme a break. Why would I need a Turaga, with only one villager?

GaliGee: I see.

Yotanua: And the answer to your next question is, Yo-Koro is located on a small island, not far from Mata Nui.

GaliGee: How did you know... oh, never mind.

Yotanua: Go ahead, ask your question. Otherwise, I have to go back in time and change my answer.

GaliGee [getting confused]: OK, where is your village?

Yotanua: I just told you.

GaliGee: For crying out loud.

Yotanua: Sorry, I guess that wasn't playing fair. But I'll go ahead and tell you how I get to Mata Nui.

GaliGee: Please do.

Yotanua: It's a really long boat ride. But I don't care, since I can speed up time. No one can come to my village, though, because they would die of old age first.

GaliGee: Wow. So do you visit Mata Nui often?

Yotanua: Yes, I'm pretty good friends with Tahu. We lava-surf together.

GaliGee: That's great. So you aren't lonely, even though they left you out of the story.

Yotanua: I find lots to do. You know, the real reason I'm not in the story is that I would really throw things out of balance.

GaliGee: What do you mean?

Yotanua: Well, the other Toa would be able to know the future, and that would mess up the story in a big way.

GaliGee: I see. That makes sense. Tell us about your weapons.

47 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Yotanua: I have four blades, like Tahu Nuva is going to have, to cut through rock. And I like to tunnel around in Yo-Koro, or on Mata Nui.

GaliGee: Those weapons might throw the story out of balance, too! The Nuva aren't even out yet!

Yotanua: Yep. Whenever I practice with them, I have to go back in time to fix everything back up. You know, to cover my tracks.

GaliGee: Amazing. That's why we never hear about you!

Yotanua: And I know if anyone is going to come looking for me, so I can make myself scarce if need be.

GaliGee: Does only Tahu know about you?

Yotanua: No, the others know me, too, but Tahu's my best buddy among the real Toa.

GaliGee: Does he really have a crush on Gali?

Yotanua: Yeah, like a ton of lava! But I'll go back in time and change the answer, because I heard about your house.

GaliGee: Thanks, I was just going to ask that. But -- you knew I would say I was just going to ask -- oh, never mind.

Yotanua: Now, try it again.

GaliGee: Does he really have a crush on Gali?'

Yotanua: Of course not! He's too busy fighting evil to worry about that stuff.

GaliGee: I SEE. Now, are you going to reveal any new stuff from the storyline for our readers?

Yotanua: Are you crazy? Then I would NEVER get to be in it. But wait, I never will be, anyway. But wait --

GaliGee: Have I confused you now?

Yotanua [laughing]: No, I'm just kidding. But if I want to be friends with the Toa, I have to keep all that to myself. It wouldn't be fair to anyone.

GaliGee: Well, we're out of time for now, or at least I am. Thanks so much for talking with me!

Yotanua: It was fun. Say hi to BZ for me. [click]

A few words from a little-known but powerful Toa, whose time will never come, because it always has been! This is GaliGee reporting.

48 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Fatoro the Hoi-Trainer Welcome, readers, to an interview with Fatoro, the Matoran who has turned an ecological disaster into a military advantage. And based on the recent topic by TheBlindMan2, there is considerable interest on BZ in how those turtles fly! (Inspired by FallenTurtles, who graciously included my Tohunga in his epic, Paradise Lost.)

GaliGee: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Fatoro. The members of BZ are very interested in learning more about you.

Fatoro: Sure. They are?

GaliGee: Yes. We’d love to hear about how you came to be a Hoi trainer.

Fatoro: A bit of luckchance. Poor groundbound Hoi were feardriven from the swamp by the foulslime Lehvak. The hardluck Hoi moved into Ga-Wahi.

GaliGee: We had heard that Gali was trying to protect the Hoi.

Fatoro: Yes, Gali was looking for vinesmen to protect them. She didn’t mind them in her waterlovely Ga-Wahi, but she knew they would be happier if they could be deepwood.

GaliGee: Uh, you mean if they could return to their native jungle?

Fatoro [laughs]: Yes. Sorry, you grounddwellers are not used to our songspeech, are you?

GaliGee: No, but we’ll figure it out. Please go on.

Fatoro: So, since it was Gali’s idea, and we knew we would be worksharing with the bluebeauty Ga- Koronans, fivescore of us Le-Koronans volunteered.

49 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: That’s a lot! How many of these turtles ARE there?

Fatoro: Only a few dozen. So Kongu said only one could do it, because he needed the others to be windriders for the Kahu-Force and to be uptree defenders. He drew straws. I got the shortlength one!

GaliGee: Do you like your new job?

Fatoro: It’s even more joyrich than I imagined. The Ga-Koronans bring the wanderlost Hoi to me, and I flighttrain them to protect Le-Koro.

GaliGee: The turtles already know how to fly, right? We at BZ are wondering how that works, a flying turtle. Our turtles are heavy, earthbound, armored creatures.

Fatoro: The Hoi are naturally buzzflying creatures. I just train them to be useful. They are very gentlemeek, but they are lovebound to those who feed and caretend them. So I have trained them to be quicksoaring attackstones that can smackpop a krana from a lateknowing Bohrok.

GaliGee: Do you mean they will dive-bomb a Bohrok and knock its krana out?

Fatoro: Yes! And they are shellstrong and quickdodge, so the Bohrok seldom hurt them.

GaliGee: That’s impressive.

Fatoro: They fly with the windriders, ahead of the disc-throwing leaf-runners, and prepare the way.

GaliGee: So how do the turtles actually fly?

Fatoro: Beautifully! They are everquick flyers, and can fly highbranch or sunsoaring.

GaliGee: I’m sure they can. But what I meant was, how do they get in the air and stay there?

Fatoro: They climb a little ways uptree, and then they launch. Or they birdlaunch with the Kahu-Force.

GaliGee: I must not be making myself clear. How do they fly? Do they have wings, or what?

Fatoro [laughs]: Winged turtles? That’s laughcrazy! I have no idea how they fly. But don’t stand downwind from one when it is highlifting, or you will have to lowduck to keep from getting overblown.

GaliGee: I see. Now, do you ride alongside them?

Fatoro: Yes, I have a Kewa so I can staypace with them. After a battleflight I gather any injured Hoi and liftcarry them back to Le-Koro. We have a Ga-Koronan who stays in Le-Koro to nursetend them. You know, the girl Tohunga are much better at caretaking the battlestruck.

GaliGee: A Ga-Koronan lives in Le-Koro?

Fatoro: Yes, she is lodgestaying with us until we are ridfree of the Bohrok.

GaliGee: What’s her name? Do you work well together?

Fatoro: Kaluki. She’s a sweetdream! A lightray in this darktime. If Nokama lets me, I want to everkeep her with me. But first, we must overcome the Bohrok. [expletive deleted] Bohrok!

GaliGee: Hmm. Have you ever flown with Kongu?

Fatoro: Yes, before I was Hoi-Trainer, I was in the Kahu-Force. I have ridden Kahu, Kewa, and Nui- Rama. And for a shortwhile I was Kongu’s second.

GaliGee: You’ve had a long and varied career! What’s your favorite ride?

50 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Fatoro: The Kahu are the best. Steadysmooth ride, everquick, agile. The Rama are quickdodge but hardbalance. If you don’t everwatch you will find yourself quickly earthbound. But the Kewa is best for flying with Hoi, since they are wingsmall they can dodgeweave between the trees like the Hoi. And they are easy to watchtrack, when the Kewa are groundbound, all they want to do is huntsearch for mudbugs. They are always hungry!

GaliGee: How is Matau as a leader? We at BZ hear he has quite a fun personality.

Fatoro: He’s great! He is battlebrave and wise, and he always has a heartsong to cheerlift the discouraged. He throws a wildjoy party, too. There are fullheavy tables of fruit and bread, dancing and music until sundawn…

GaliGee: No wonder you Le-Koronans are so homeloyal to your treebright village.

Fatoro: Now YOU'RE songspeaking, too!

GaliGee: I am? How funny! Well, there is something fevercatching about your joysong way of storytalking.

Fatoro [laughs]: You should come staylodge in Le-Koro sometime. In leafdawn, it is very prettygreen.

GaliGee: I wish I could. Well, thank you for talksharing with us. The BZ members will be very joylifted to hear of your work with the Hoi.

Fatoro: My pleasure, GaliGee. May your heart stay sunsoaring! [click]

So that is the songstory from Fatoro, the Hoi-Trainer, the Tohunga who found a highlifting calling in saving the Hoi from fearflight and putting them to battlework for his treegreen village. This is GaliGee reportfiling.

51 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kimi the Photographer Readers of my interviews may be wondering how I get pictures of my subjects, since I’ve never been to Mata Nui. But I am lucky enough to I have a local photographer working for me. Her name is Kimi, and she is from Ga-Koro. So read on, if you want to hear about the exciting life of a photo journalist on Mata Nui.

GaliGee: Hello, Kimi. Thanks for agreeing to an interview, and for all your loyal service as my Mata Nui photographer!

Kimi: You’re welcome, GaliGee. It’s been really fun. And I get to hang out with the Toa more than your average Matoran does.

GaliGee: Would you please tell us how you got your start in photography?

Kimi: Well, Nuju showed up in Ga-Koro one day with this little contraption, he called it a “camera.” He had been reading blueprints online, and he managed to make one, with the help of some Onu- Koronan materials engineers and a Ta-Koronan welder. He asked Nokama if anyone in Ga-Koro would be interested in learning how to use it. The Ko-Koronans don’t like to travel much, and he figured since we like boating, we could get some good pictures. He gave one to the Le-Koronans, too, so they could get aerial pictures of the island. It was a big help during the time of the Bohrok attacks.

GaliGee: Did you ever do any photography for the military?

Kimi: Oh, yes. I traveled all over, with Jala and his guard, mostly. Nokama always says, “Safety first,” so I never went alone We got pictures of the Bohrok so we could study their strategy, their tactics, and their movements.

GaliGee: Were you ever in danger?

Kimi: A couple of times we were in danger, but Jala always protected me. Once we were ambushed by some Pahrak in Ta-Koro, their scouts had seen us, and Jala yanked us into a cavern full of molten lava. The Pahrak wouldn’t follow us in there, because it was so hot. We were standing on this itty bitty ledge above the lava. I thought I was going to melt. Jala kept saying, “Hang in there! This is better than a landslide!” When they went away, we crawled back out. Nuju had to fix my camera after that,

52 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee the lens was all warped.

GaliGee: And when I asked Nokama if someone could get some digital pictures of my interview subjects, she volunteered you.

Kimi: Yep. And the rest is history. It’s a lot more fun than shooting pictures of Bohrok, believe me.

GaliGee: I believe you! Who has been your favorite subject to photograph?

Kimi: That’s a tough one! Um… well, of course Gali is my hero, so I loved doing that one. All of the Toa are really funny and nice, and I got to listen to you talk to them. Kopaka, he’s so dreamy… Probably the funniest one was Lewa and Onua, they wouldn’t stop kidding around. You should see the out-takes. And the one with Lewa by himself, hanging upside down in the tree, that was great. [laughs] Huki and Maku were a riot… Oh, I can’t pick a favorite.

GaliGee: Well, you do a good job of bringing out your subjects’ personalities.

Kimi: I don’t have to try very hard, they all have lots of personality. The weirdest photo shoot was the interview with all the Toa, I thought they were going to have a big ugly fight right there in front of me. I was a little scared by that one.

GaliGee: Me, too. I was starting to think I would be responsible for the demise of Mata Nui.

Kimi: Actually, I do have a favorite. It was that group picture of all the Toa with Takua for your “GaliGee’s Stories” topic. Getting them all to line up and behave themselves was a real challenge! Onua wouldn’t look at the camera, I had to keep yelling, “Over here!” I think he can’t see very well. Lewa kept tickling Gali and making Takua fall off her shoulders. Until Tahu whacked the back of Lewa’s legs with his fire sword. Then Onua changed to his Matatu and made a bunch of nuts fall on Tahu’s head. Meanwhile, Pohatu and Kopaka were getting bored, so they started doing the Can-Can. Tahu yelled at them, and then Kopaka threw his arm around Pohatu so that his ice blade was right on Tahu’s neck -- it looked like he was tempted to use it. Finally, Gali threatened to start a rainstorm, and they quieted down. Then Lewa told a joke, and I snapped a picture of them all laughing.

GaliGee: I had no idea I was making you work so hard!

Kimi: Work hard? It was hilarious! I’ve had to travel a lot, but I love to travel, and you never asked me to do anything hard. You didn’t ask me to take pictures of the Bahrag or Makuta!

GaliGee: I didn’t even talk to the Bahrag, you know. My friend FallenTurtles volunteered for that one, bless his heart. And Makuta, well, that wasn’t even my idea. I was just trying to order a pizza!

Kimi: Yeah, and besides, how would I have taken a picture of a spirit?

GaliGee: He gets more publicity than he deserves, anyway. So, Kimi, do you have a boyfriend?

Kimi [sighs]: No. All the Tohunga you have sent me to photograph are already seeing someone. And Nokama keeps a pretty close eye on us, you know.

GaliGee: What about Jala? It sounds like you’ve spent a lot of time with him.

Kimi: He’s not interested. I can tell.

GaliGee: Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with that boy!

Kimi [laughs]: He’s awfully handsome, but he’s too wrapped up in his work anyway. I’d rather be with someone who likes to have fun.

GaliGee: You’ll find him soon, I’m sure. You Ga-Koronans sure have the odds in your favor.

53 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kimi: Everyone says that! But we’ve had lots of trouble on Mata Nui. As long as I can remember it’s been too dangerous to travel much. Maybe that will change, now that the Bohrok aren’t on a rampage anymore.

GaliGee: I certainly hope so. Get out and have a good time while you can, I hear there may be new enemies soon.

Kimi: May the Toa protect us. But please, don’t ask me to photograph the new bad guys!

GaliGee: I won’t. Safety first, remember?

Kimi: I remember!

GaliGee: Well, thanks again for everything! Say hi to everyone in Ga-Koro for us. And tell your friend Lili there is a category 4 hurricane named after her that just hit our Gulf Coast. No fatalities, fortunately.

Kimi: I will. Hafu will get a big laugh out of that. Later, GaliGee! [click]

That Kimi is a brave girl. Of course, she used the auto-timer and sent me a picture of herself.

54 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Takua the Chronicler Dear Readers, we will now hear from one of the most famous Tohunga on Mata Nui—one whose destiny is much larger than his stature would suggest.

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to the interview. It's an honor to speak with the Tohunga who, in Turaga Vakama's words, stands among the Toa as one of Mata Nui's greatest heroes.

Takua: Aw, shucks.

GaliGee: How did it all begin? Please tell the BZ members how you came to be wandering the island, and ended up helping to save it.

Takua: Sure. I woke up on the beach with a REALLY big headache. Couldn't remember who I was, or what I was doing there. I found my mask in the sand next to me, and an empty backpack. Then I saw Maku waving to me. She looked familiar, but I didn't recognize her. Of course, everyone on Mata Nui knows Maku -- she's the best canoe racer on the island. But I didn't remember any of that.

GaliGee: What did you do?

Takua: I walked up to her, and she began to babble excitedly about her village being attacked. I didn't recall what a Rahi even was!

GaliGee: But you agreed to help her.

Takua: Yep. Figured I had nothing to lose, so I might as well try.

GaliGee: So you found the gear, and restarted the pump to save Nokama and the trapped villagers.

Takua: Well, sure. Man, I hate to swim, but what was I going to do, walk away?

GaliGee: You seem reluctant to claim any glory for yourself.

Takua: I don't really deserve any. I was just in the right place at the right time. When the Tarakava showed up, I just about passed out. I think that I had probably been waylaid by a sand Tarakava on

55 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee the beach, you see, and I began to remember it when I saw the blue one rear up out of the water.

GaliGee: That might explain how you lost your memory!

Takua: Yeah. So Gali jumped in, and it seemed like a dream. She tackled that big creature with her bare hooks! I learned a lot that day -- what a Toa is, how the infected masks work. And the Ga- Koronans were so grateful. As if I had been the one to wrestle that thing.

GaliGee: How did you come to save Po-Koro?

Takua: I didn't! Pohatu did. Even after Gali's victory, Maku was so sad. She was worried about this Huki fellow in Po-Koro. Of course, everyone knows Huki, too, but I had forgotten him, too. So I went to see what was going on.

GaliGee: It was pretty clever of you to figure out that the Koli ball salesman's key would unlock one of the statues in the Quarry.

Takua: Clever? I only figured it out after wandering back and forth about five times. The Po-Koronans would no doubt have thought me insane, if they hadn't been so preoccupied with their illness. The very air in that village was heavy with despair. And talking with Huki, here he was sick almost to death, and he was more concerned about Maku than himself. I just had to try something!

GaliGee: What was it like to meet Pohatu?

Takua: I was shaking like a leaf after I saw the Nui-Jaga, and here comes this enormous guy that made the ground tremble. I thought, Great Beings willing, this guy better be a Toa, too. From what Onewa said, I was pretty sure he was. It was awesome to watch him blast those rocks at the nest. I would almost like to thank that Nui-Jaga for giving me a chance to help Pohatu a little!

GaliGee: He seemed very grateful.

Takua: Pohatu is very gracious. And very reassuring. It's so sad that Hafu is missing. Pohatu is very attached to his villagers. He must be heartbroken that he has to fight the Bohrok instead of looking for his Tohunga.

GaliGee: Actually, I think Pohatu is on his way to save him. Yes, Hafu is a real hero, too.

Takua: Far more that I am! He put himself right in harm's way. Hafu was a great companion on the Kini Nui trip, too. He's a little cocky sometimes, but with all that talent, strength, and bravery, he's got a right to be.

GaliGee: What about Onu-Koro?

Takua: I didn't go there right away. After the Po-Koronans were safe, I went back to the beach of Ta- Koro to look at that telescope. I had noticed it before, but I wanted a closer look. Then I wandered into Ta-Koro. That looked REALLY familiar, since I used to live there.

GaliGee: Why did you leave Ta-Koro, anyway?

Takua: I don't remember all of it, but my old friends have filled me in. It seems I used to be pretty arrogant. With my weird color scheme, I grew up kind of defensive about everything. To avoid being teased, I thought I had to be the best at everything. That's why I learned to lava surf so well. I was obsessed. But anyway, I alienated a lot of the villagers -- they didn't like my attitude. Can't say I blame them. One day, I picked a fight with someone, and it just blew up into a huge mess, and finally I just grabbed my backpack and disc and left. I wandered around for a while, fighting Rahi and brooding a lot. And then a Tarakava got me pretty bad, after which I woke up on the beach, like I said before.

GaliGee: Wow. But it all turned out for the best, because you never would have helped to save Mata

56 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Nui if you had stayed in Ta-Koro. So tell us about your adventures in Onu-Koro.

Takua: I wandered around some more before straying into Whenua's hut and hearing about all the problems they were having with the lightstone mine and the mysterious rock layer in the great mine. So I got out my board and surfed across the lava flow. Easy! For me, anyway. But again, they were really grateful. I was finding this kind of work to be really rewarding!

GaliGee: You helped them with some really big problems that only you were in a position to handle.

Takua: Yes, it was that "right place at the right time" thing again. Then, when I saw the sundial, I remembered vaguely that Nokama had spoken of her astrologer. So I took that miner's picture to her. I still remember that like it was yesterday!

GaliGee: Why was that so memorable?

Takua: When I showed the picture to Nixie, she figured out what to do right away, and gave me the gnomon to do it. I was really looking for an excuse to stick around, but she practically kicked me out of her hut. Turns out she was working on the Bohrok prophesy, and she really WAS busy.

GaliGee: You wanted to spend more time with her?

Takua: Of course! She's so pretty, and smart, too.

GaliGee: Pretty? She looks like you!

Takua: Oh, you mean our blue Pakari! [laughs] Well, that's not the only thing that makes her pretty. The way she moves, and talks, and smells, the sparkle in her eyes... [sighs]

GaliGee: Are you going to see her again?

Takua: I hope so. At the victory party she asked me to come over and look at the stars with her sometime. Oh, man! But then the Bohrok showed up. [expletive deleted] Bohrok!

GaliGee: I see that you have an extra reason to hope the Toa defeat the Bohrok soon.

Takua: You bet.

GaliGee: How about your Le-Koro adventure?

Takua: That was such a blast! Kongu is a great guy. And what a wild ride. I just about had a heart attack when we crashed, but Kongu grabbed me just in time and somehow wrapped a vine around me. And then he was ready to go again! I'll never forget seeing Lewa in the infected mask, looming above us with that evil look in his eye. That was absolutely terrifying.

GaliGee: How did you feel when you saw Onua?

Takua: Very relieved, once I figured out what was going on. What a spectacular battle that was! One that will live in Mata Nui history. We Tohunga, and Matau, just tried to stay the heck out of the way.

GaliGee: How about the Kini Nui trip?

Takua: It was amazing. Everyone helped out in some way to get us there. Of course, I was really hoping Nokama would let me bring Nixie, but when Maku came instead, that was cool. I would have been too worried about Nixie getting hurt to concentrate anyway. And Maku is a real tomboy -- she can sling a disc like nobody's business with that arm of hers, really strong from all that paddling.

GaliGee: Were you afraid when the Rahi attacked?

Takua: What do you think? Definitely. But we all tried to encourage each other. And when Kongu with

57 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee his Kahu-force, and Onepu's Ussalry, and Jala's guard showed up, we were so impressed! Finally, the whole island had learned to fight together. And we had those Rahi on the run!

GaliGee: And then you got to see all the Toa together.

Takua: Gali made me feel so welcome. Wow. And we got to watch them drop down into Makuta's lair. Our hearts were in our throats! After we said a prayer for them, I started seeing those visions Gali sent me. And I knew I had to follow them down there. The evil and the horror -- you could almost taste it in the air.

GaliGee: What did you think when you first saw Makuta?

Takua: I was puzzled, just like Tahu. But Kopaka was right, of course. That's Makuta's stock-in-trade, lies and deceit. I can't possibly describe the roller coaster of feelings I went through as the Toa were first chased and struck, and then struck back with their powers. The roar was deafening.

GaliGee: You were the first on Mata Nui to see the Bohrok.

Takua: Yeah, lucky me. Those are the biggest, ugliest bugs I've ever seen. And they are even meaner than they look.

GaliGee: Vakama certainly had some words of praise for you when you came out.

Takua: Yes, Vakama had been really mad at me for stirring up so much trouble in Ta-Koro. But he forgave me for everything, and let me know I would be very welcome to return. I almost cried with joy, after going through so much anger and fear and excitement -- the thought of spending time with friends again was really great.

GaliGee: What's your next adventure going to be?

Takua: I'm gonna take it easy for a while. I hope.

GaliGee: Have you played the Mata Nui Online Game?

Takua: Of course! Templar was calling me about once a week, asking me questions and getting me to try out the different parts. Luckily Nuju let me use the Ko-Koro computer, which is connected directly to the satellite dish. Everyone else on Mata Nui still has dial-up, and that would have been really slow.

GaliGee: Did Templar do a good job?

Takua: Definitely. Playing the game gave me goosebumps! I felt like I was there again, going through the same adventure.

GaliGee: Do you have anything else to add for the BZ members?

Takua: Yeah. You guys spend way too much time trying to figure out whether we are robots or not! We're alive!

GaliGee: I never doubted it for a minute. Thanks so much for your time, Takua. You are as noble as your reputation, and resourceful.

Takua: I'm sooooo sick of hearing that! Just kidding. Thanks for calling. Give my best to BZ. [click]

Takua, the Chronicler, the traveler, the hero. All of Mata Nui owes their lives to this brave but humble Matoran. Thanks for tuning in -- this is GaliGee reporting.

58 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Hafu the Stone-Carver Welcome back. After Pohatu's daring rescue of Hafu, I just had to talk to the brave Tohunga who sacrificed his masterful statues, and almost his life, to protect his village of Po-Koro. So here is our conversation.

GaliGee: Thanks for this interview, Hafu. It's an honor to speak with such a brave hero.

Hafu: If you say so.

GaliGee: Please describe for the BZ members what the Po-Koro Tahnok attack was like.

Hafu: It was awful. We heard rumbling, and saw smoke on the horizon. Everything was glowing red. We couldn't figure out what would be on fire, out in the desert. Then we realized it was the SAND that was on fire. That's when we got really scared.

GaliGee: Yikes!

Hafu: My reaction exactly. Then, when the Tahnok blasted through the barricades, we were sure we were goners.

GaliGee: Then you realized how you could stop them.

Hafu: Yes. Onewa can be very persuasive, having the Komau and all. I really didn't want to knock down my own statues, but it had to be done.

GaliGee: It was very courageous of you to go out there alone.

Hafu: Courageous, or stupid. I'm not sure which. But fortunately, with the Toa around, we're never really alone.

GaliGee: What did you think when Pohatu showed up?

Hafu: Well, I saw one of the Tahnok launch this gummy blue thing at me. Later I found out how narrowly I had missed being enslaved by the swarm. It's funny, because I felt Pohatu before I saw him. I thought one of the Tahnok had grabbed me from behind. There was this blur, and then I was

59 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee lifted up. I was expecting to feel searing heat, then I looked and saw it was Pohatu's hand holding me. I just about fainted with relief. But we were still there, in the middle of the swarm. Still, when he winked at me I suddenly felt that, somehow, everything would be OK.

GaliGee: How about the catapult ride?

Hafu: Whee! I was really impressed with Pohatu's quick thinking, using the Komau, and with Huki's skill. What a kick! Then up we went. It happened so fast, I didn't have time to panic. And when we landed, I was so relieved. I hugged Huki so hard it made his back crack.

GaliGee: That's funny! You and Huki are pretty good friends, I take it?

Hafu: Very good friends. We didn't used to be. We were rivals. I thought he was a show-off sports star, and he thought I was a show-off artist. And we both wanted to be Onewa's second-in-command. But then, we got to be friends, in kind of a weird way. You know, sometimes when you get to know someone, you can really change your mind about him.

GaliGee: How's that?

Hafu: Well, Maku has this friend, Lili, that she brought over in the canoe one time to watch a Koli match with her. All of a sudden I found myself wanting to watch Koli, too. After the game, we all hung out together for a while, and I found out that Huki was actually a cool guy. So we became best friends.

GaliGee: What about Lili?

Hafu: I haven't seen her in a long time, because of the Bohrok. [expletive deleted] Bohrok!

GaliGee: Yes, everyone I've talked to feels that way. So how did you get to be such a good carver?

Hafu: Practice, practice, practice. I just messed around with a chisel constantly, and eventually I got good. But you know, I look at it really differently now. I used to think it was all me, look at me, I'm really hot. But now I see that the Great Beings gave me this gift, of skill in carving, so that I could help defend Po-Koro. Really humbling, actually, to realize I'm just a cog in history. But really flattering, that they selected me.

GaliGee: Your carvings ARE really amazing. How long do they take?

Hafu: Well, the Path of Prophesy ones took a couple of months each, because I did them all myself. The Toa Kanohi in the Quarry went faster, since I had a whole team working for me. But I was putting in 16-hour days. It was grueling.

GaliGee: Those statues are beautiful. What are they for? Are they all hollow inside, like the one where the Nui-Jaga made its nest with the infected Koli balls?

Hafu: Thanks. Yes, they are all hollow. They are emergency shelters. The Turaga hold the keys. Except when the Koli salesman stole one key. They say he made a deal with Makuta. Sold out his own people! Maybe he didn't know at the time, but he's lucky no one has found him.

GaliGee: Say, tell us about the first time you were a hero! When Takua took you to Kini-Nui to defend the Toa's backs.

Hafu: That was great. Well, I kept seeing this rainbow dude while I was working on the road signs. Back and forth, back and forth. He was always friendly, but I had no idea what he was up to. Finally he stopped me again, and I figured he wanted to learn to carve, since he didn't seem to have a job. But he told me he had gotten Onewa's permission to take me to Kini Nui for a defense mission. I said, OK. He turned out to be terrific. Brave, cheerful, humble, all that, you know, like your Boy Scouts.

GaliGee: What did you think of your companions?

60 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Hafu: I already knew Maku, like I said, and she's good company. And I also knew Taipu. He and I are like night and day in terms of personality, but we've always liked each other. He's really funny. And strong, too. And he's got this almost ridiculous enthusiasm.

GaliGee: How about Kopeke?

Hafu: ...

GaliGee: Excuse me?

Hafu [laughs]: He doesn't say much. Nice enough guy, when he does open his mouth. Great with a disc, too. He really waylaid those Rahi. Also, I like the way he can carve ice.

GaliGee: Kapura?

Hafu: Weird dude. I don't know what the heck he is talking about half the time. But he is really loyal, and covers your back. I'd like him to teach me his relocating trick sometime. Then I could go see Lili without having to get in a boat!

GaliGee: And Tamaru?

Hafu: Tamaru is great fun. And the wacky way they talk in Le-Koro! Taipu has told me about the party they had when they got back from the Rama hive. I'd like to go there after the Toa get rid of these Bohrok.

GaliGee: So what was the Rahi battle like?

Hafu: Alternating hope and despair. Here would come a couple of them, and we'd recoil in fear, then we'd rally and let 'em have it. Eventually we beat them back, after getting our masks knocked off a few times. Then came the big wave.

GaliGee: That must have been terrifying.

Hafu: You have NO idea. But then, Kongu, and Onepu, and Jala, and all the brave Matoran in their armies, all showed up at once. Just like a Hollywood ending!

GaliGee: What are you going to do next?

Hafu: Lay low, until the Bohrok are gone. Then we see whether the Great Beings will grant us peace again. I sure hope so.

GaliGee: Me too, but I have my doubts. Anyway, it's been wonderful talking to you, and all of us at BZ are really in awe of all you have done for Mata Nui.

Hafu: Just doing my job. I'm just lucky I could help. Give my regards to BZ.

GaliGee: Thanks again. I will. [click]

Hafu, carver of stone, has etched a place for himself in the history of Mata Nui. We will never forget his brave deeds. This is GaliGee reporting.

61 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Huki and Maku Greetings, Readers, I had a pleasant surprise today. I called Po-Koro to talk to Huki, and Maku was there, too! So here is the conversation with the two Tohunga whose love is now legendary.

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to talk with us, Huki. Everyone on BZ is really looking forward to hearing about your latest adventure.

Huki: No problem, GaliGee. We -- haha -- love to -- hehehe -- stop tickling me, Maku!

GaliGee: Maku is there, too?

Huki: Unfortunately. Haha -- stop it -- haha --

GaliGee: Do you have a speaker phone?

Huki: Yep. I'll turn it on. [click]

Maku: Hi, GaliGee!

GaliGee: Hi, Maku! What are you doing there? Aren't you supposed to be in Ga-Koro, with all the Bohrok out there?

Maku: Don't tell Nokama I'm here, OK?

GaliGee: Well, I can't guarantee she won't read this on BZ. Do you want me to leave you out of the interview, and just talk to Huki?

Maku: No, that's OK. I'll be back by the time she reads it. At least she won’t worry about me.

GaliGee: OK. Well, of course, the first thing we want to know about is Huki's role in Hafu's rescue by

62 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Pohatu. Would you describe that to us, please, Huki?

Huki: Well, we figured out pretty quick that the only solution was for Hafu to knock down the statues and block the entrance to Po-Koro from the Tahnok swarm. Of course, they could have blasted through that, too, eventually, but we were hoping they would lose interest and go somewhere else when they perceived how much stone was in front of them. And that rascal jumped down there and started doing it before I could even gather a team to protect him. I was just sick at heart, watching him from the lookout post.

GaliGee: Hafu says you two are really close friends.

Huki: He’s my best friend. And I promised to protect him. But then I saw I couldn’t. Until Pohatu showed up and grabbed him. We didn’t even see him coming, he was so fast. But suddenly he was there, scooping up Hafu like a lost puppy.

GaliGee: How did you know Pohatu was trying to get you to kick that rock?

Huki: I didn’t. I just felt this overwhelming drive to do it. Later Hafu told me he had used the Komau on me.

GaliGee: That was an outstanding shot! Everyone at BZ was really impressed.

Huki: Thanks. Pohatu said so, too, and that made me feel five Bios tall. And when I hugged Hafu, I never wanted to let him go!

GaliGee: Hafu says he made your back crack.

Huki: Yep! But Maku gave me a backrub, and I felt better after that.

Maku: He just made that up so he could get a backrub outta me.

Huki: It was real! Ask Hafu!

Maku: Hafu was in on it, too.

GaliGee: So how often do you come over here, Maku? Or do you want to skip that one?

Maku: Uh, whenever I can. Nokama, if you’re reading this, don’t ground me! I do my patrolling, too!

Huki: She worries me sick, GaliGee. She keeps showing up, and I’m always scared she’ll get attacked by a Rahi. Or a Gahlok. One time she was knocked out of her boat by a Tarakava, and she hid in a coral reef until it passed by. When I heard about that, I wanted to start going with her to protect her. But then I would have had to ride in that dang boat.

GaliGee: I see why you’re worried, Huki. But it’s a good thing Maku is strong and a good fighter.

Huki: Not a strong as me!

Maku: Put me down, Huki!

GaliGee: You don’t like boat rides much, Huki? I hear Po-Koronans don’t like water.

Huki: Ugh. It’s wet! Maku keeps trying to give me swimming lessons.

Maku: On the subject, when ARE we going to do a swimming lesson?

Huki: Next week.

Maku: You said that LAST week!

63 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Huki: Just as soon as you let me give you a rock-busting lesson.

Maku: Next week.

Huki [laughs]: You said that last week. Well, at least she plays Koli with me.

Maku: It makes my feet hurt! But I do it, just for him.

Huki: Awwww.

GaliGee: You two are rather different. Everyone at BZ wants to know how you got together.

Huki: It was at one of the Mata Nui sports tournaments. After the Koli championship, a bunch of my teammates lifted me onto their shoulders, and I spotted Maku across the crowd. I remembered seeing her win the canoe races, and I wanted to meet her.

Maku: He wouldn’t stop following me around until I agreed to have dinner with him.

Huki: And from that moment on, I knew she would be MINE. All mine!

Maku: In your DREAMS, Huki.

Huki: If you only knew about my dreams, Maku. Hey! Give me my mask back!

Maku: Come and get it, slowpoke.

GaliGee: On that subject, we at BZ have been wondering. The Great Masks grant great powers, and the Noble Masks somewhat less. What do masks do for Tohunga?

Maku: They give us extra abilities, but not like the Toa, obviously. Like Huki is extra fast with his mask.

Huki: And Maku is really good at hide and seek. She blends in, like camouflage. Give that back to me! Hey, where did you go?

GaliGee: Amazing. What did you think, Huki, when you first saw that Pohatu had the same mask as you?

Huki: Great! I was feeling second-rate, since my mask didn’t match any of the Turaga. But when Pohatu showed up, I was so proud! Gotcha, Maku! Finally, my mask.

Maku: Hey! Stop it with the noogies! You promised no more noogies!

Huki: Hehe.

GaliGee: Another experience we’d like to hear about is when you were infected, Huki.

Huki: What a nightmare. I’d just gotten my new Comet, and it handled like a dream. But then, I started feeling funny. Pretty soon I was confined to my hut, babbling deliriously. Felt like I was on fire. I dimly remember someone coming and marking my hut with black paint. And then this funny-colored guy showed up and talked to me. I thought I was hallucinating! He promised to help, but I thought he was some kind of angel of death or something. Then, Onewa came in and took my Comet away, and I began to feel better.

GaliGee: At BZ, we were impressed that even though you were so sick, you were still concerned about Maku. And that Maku was so worried about you. We also noticed that autographed poster of Huki in your hut, Maku. “With lots of love, Huki.”

64 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Maku: Oh, man, I WAS worried! I had heard about it from Jala’s guard. They come around and check on things in all the villages.

Huki: Thank the Great Beings, and Pohatu, and Takua, that we were saved.

GaliGee: Maku, did you bring Lili with you this time?

Maku: Yes. She’s out at the quarry with Hafu. He’s carving a statue of her.

Huki: Again.

Huki and Maku: Another Hafu original.

Maku: This must be the fifth one.

Huki: Yes, if you count the tiny one he keeps on his night stand. It’s only about a quarter of a Bio tall, but man, the detail! Hafu’s really good.

GaliGee: He sure is.

Huki: Good thing, too, because he’s really full of himself. But he should be, with all that talent.

Maku: So what’s YOUR excuse, for being full of yourself?

Huki: Hey, I’m talented, too! Have you seen my trophies?

GaliGee: We have! So, what does Lili look like?

Huki: Blue Kakama. Really cute. OW! But not as cute as Maku.

GaliGee: Well, I’ll let you guys go. Thanks so much for talking to us!

Maku: We enjoyed it, GaliGee. Hey, Huki! Stop that! I’m not that kind of girl!

Huki: Oh, yes you are! Bye, GaliGee! [click]

So there’s the perspective from Mata Nui’s most famous couple. And their love is apparently as strong as their disc-arms. This is GaliGee reporting. Thanks to pohatu jr for many ideas, and to TheBlindMan2 for letting me use his mask idea (well, technically, I stole it, but he was out of town, and maybe he would have let me).

65 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Nuparu and Taipu After the liberation of Onu-Koro from the Gahlok, I called Nuparu, Onu-Koronan Tunnel Engineer 2nd Class, to discuss his invention of the Boxor. And his friend Taipu was there, too. So here is our conversation.

GaliGee: Thanks for agreeing to talk with me. BZP was really inspired by the liberation of Onu-Koro. Nuparu, your ingenuity, and Taipu, your strength, were critical for that rescue.

Nuparu: Thanks, GaliGee. But we were just doing what we had to do.

Taipu: Yeah, Onepu MADE me stand there holding that big rock. It wasn’t MY idea.

GaliGee: Well, still, you did it. And all of Onu-Koro owes you their lives. So, the obvious question first: Nuparu, how did you get the idea for the Boxor?

Nuparu: From something Onepu said. When I pulled out the lightstone, and we saw the Gahlok, we were terrified. But then he pointed out that without the krana, it was harmless. Lifeless, even. A pile of parts. And that got me thinking. If one of those nasty little brains could run a Bohrok body, maybe a Tohunga could, too.

GaliGee: Good thinking!

Taipu: Can you believe I have such a smart friend?

GaliGee: Of course I can. You Onu-Koronans have always been good engineers. And hard workers. When I interviewed Onua, he bragged about all of you.

Nuparu: Onua? He’s a great engineer! I think he would be inventing all kinds of cool stuff, if he didn’t have to fight nasty evil creatures all the time.

GaliGee: So, once you had the idea, how did you come up with the design?

66 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Nuparu: First, I assessed what I had to work with. I had my welding equipment and a few other tools in my pack, and some spare parts. Plus, there was some other equipment lying around in the tunnel. The work crews had to evacuate in a hurry, so they left behind some wheelbarrows and gearboxes and stuff.

GaliGee: Did you base your design on the Bohrok itself?

Nuparu: Sort of. I decided what tools it would have, then I built the linkages. I had to make sure a Matoran could reach the controls, So I would tack weld the parts, then sit in it and test it. Then I did the structural welds.

Taipu: He knows all the big words.

Nuparu: Fortunately, someone left a hydraulic jack in the tunnel, too, with lots of tubing and fluid. So I used that to power it. And I got Taipu to hold the parts together for me while I welded. He was a big help.

Taipu: Thanks.

Nuparu: No, thank YOU!

Taipu: Wow.

GaliGee: You said you decided what “tools” it would have. I thought it was a weapon.

Nuparu: I was originally going to use it to dig us out. But as I worked on it, and it got bigger and bigger, I began to fantasize about beating up on the Gahlok with it!

Taipu: Wham! Pow!

Nuparu: In case you’re wondering, Taipu is in the Boxor now.

GaliGee: Is that the original model?

Nuparu: Yeah. The one that started it all!

GaliGee: Did you make any changes to the design once it went into production?

Nuparu: Oh, yes. The welding crew came back to me with all sorts of complaints. So I simplified a few things.

GaliGee: Would you do anything different, if you had to do it all over again?

Nuparu: Yeah! I’d PM Lonely Vision and get him to send me the instructions to his Mekku-Mekku Tohunga. That thing is WICKED!

GaliGee: I don’t think LEGO would let you do that. It would put the Toa out of a job.

Nuparu: Maybe so. Hey! Taipu! That’s not supposed to – oh, no! [snap]

Taipu: Sorry, Nuparu.

Nuparu: No problem. I can fix that.

GaliGee: What happened?

Nuparu: He broke off one of the control handles.

67 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Taipu: I’m really sorry.

Nuparu: Don’t worry about it. [laughs]

GaliGee: Why are you laughing, Nuparu?

Nuparu: Because this particular Boxor made it through the rescue of Onu-Koro, the Gahlok counter- offensive, the liberation of Le-Koro from the Lehvak, and the campaign against the Tahnok in Po-Koro, all without incident. And NOW Taipu has to break it. You don’t know your own strength, buddy!

Taipu [laughs]: Good thing they just have me busting rocks.

Nuparu: Oh, you’re good at a lot of things, Taipu. Like throwing a disc. Man, you can really send ‘em flying! And GaliGee, he’s a terrific drummer, the Le-Koronans showed him how. Also, he’s great at keeping our morale up. Dancing around with that Gahlok head shield on his head…

Taipu: I was pretending to be a krana.

Nuparu: See, GaliGee? He really IS the brains of the outfit.

Taipu: That’s me, the smart one.

GaliGee: You guys are funny. So, now that things are relatively peaceful on Mata Nui, what do you do with your spare time? Do either of you have a girlfriend?

Nuparu: I don’t have time for that. Onepu put me in charge of the Boxor manufacturing line, and it’s going full bore. I still have to troubleshoot all the time.

Taipu: No. I wish I did! Someone to travel and have adventures with me, now that we can.

GaliGee: Hmmm. Have you met Kimi, my photographer?

Taipu: What photog – Ohhhh!

Nuparu: Hey, she’s cute. Taipu, stop drooling on yourself and say something to her.

Taipu: Hi, Kimi. Um, I’m Taipu.

Kimi [laughs]: I know who you are, Taipu.

Taipu: You do?

Kimi: Of course! You’re a war hero!

Taipu: I am?

Kimi: GaliGee, is he always this modest?

GaliGee: I think he’s genuine, Kimi.

Taipu: Nuparu, did GaliGee just say that I’m smart?

Nuparu: No, she said you were, um, for real.

Taipu: Of course I’m real! Wanna see me lift up a big rock?

Kimi [laughs]: Sure, Taipu. I’ll get a picture. Say, want to go get a milkshake after the interview? I saw a soda shop over near Whenua’s hut.

68 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Taipu: That would be great! Why don’t you come with me? I’ll buy you one, too.

Nuparu: He catches on fast, GaliGee.

GaliGee [laughs]: Well, I think we’re about done here, anyway. Nuparu and Taipu, we really are impressed by your brave rescue of your village. And thanks for talking with us.

Taipu: You’re welcome. It was fun!

Nuparu: Say hi to all the builders on BZP for me!

GaliGee: I will. Now you kids go get your milkshakes! [click]

Those two make a strange but effective team—the little engineer that could, and his friend. And once more, adversity has welded two individuals together with a strong bond. This is GaliGee reporting.

69 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kongu and Tamaru After seeing the daring rescue of Le-Koro from the Bohrok, I called the two vine-swinging heroes, Kongu and Tamaru, to hear all the details.

GaliGee: Gentlemen, we’re honored that you would come speak with us. We at BZP were certainly impressed by your recent liberation of Le-Koro.

Kongu: Thanks, GaliGee. But without the helpgiving Boxors, we would still be leafhiding from those evildark Nuhvok.

Tamaru: Yes, those fightmachines are breathtaking. Thank the Great Beings for the smartbrain of that geeknerd Nuparu.

GaliGee: They are ingenious! But without your bravery, they never could have defeated the Nuhvok. Like Nuparu said, the Boxors don’t maneuver well in the trees.

Kongu: Yes, colorbright Takua had a good plan.

Tamaru: Always the cleverthink adventurer, he is.

GaliGee: Come on, you guys! Aren’t you going to take ANY credit for this rescue?

Tamaru: Well, Kongu deserves some. He freeswung from a vine to shove me out of the way of a fastlaunch krana, when the Lehvak were attacking.

GaliGee: Wow, that’s impressive, Kongu.

Kongu: And Tamaru, he saved me from plungefalling when my Kahu was hit with acid from the vileswamp Bohrok.

GaliGee: Your Kahu was hit with Lehvak acid? Oh, no!

Kongu: Oh, he’s healed now.

GaliGee: Well, I’m glad he’s safe. What else can you tell us about the Lehvak attack?

70 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kongu: It was a darktime horrorsight. The Lehvak surrounded the treebase of the village, and shot acid at the neargrowing trees. They fell halfleaning against the bigtree. This way the Lehvak made a ramp up to the treebright village.

GaliGee: That must have been horrible! You were in the tree, watching them construct a ramp up to your village?

Tamaru: Yes. Those of us who birdsoar were getting airborne, but the rest of us were ready with our discs.

Kongu: But some of the Lehvak sunsoar as well, so the Kahu Force and Kewa Flyer Matoran were knocked off before they could highlift away. Soon the whole village was kranaed.

Tamaru: Kongu and I were trying to be breathstill, and not be discovered. We could see the others pulling at their faces for a few moments, trying to riptear off the krana. But then they stopped, and they crowded around the Lehvak, like they were waiting for orders.

Kongu: We were leafhiding from Turaga Matau, since we could see he was wearing a krana. He had told us the legendstory of the krana and how they can gripgrab the mind. And we saw him telling the Lehvak where to start dissolving through the bigtree to destroy the treebright village! We were so horrorstruck!

GaliGee: Tell me what happened when Lewa showed up.

Tamaru: Oh, we had such high hopes when we heard Mighty Toa Lewa coming! But he is a much faster leaf-runner than I, so he got to the village before I could warn him. And they swarmed all over him -- the Le-Koronans held him down so the Lehvak could do their evil work. It was so sad, because he didn’t dare use his airpowers or his axeblade on them, for fear of hurting them.

Kongu: When I saw Lewa stand up facewearing the krana, it was just like in the Rama hive, when the fouldark Rahi put the infected Miru on him.

GaliGee: Did you feel like your hero had let you down?

Tamaru: Never! In his heart we knew Toa Lewa would be whole again, and would save us somehow.

Kongu: But it did give us a fearfright to see him hacking down trees, and laughing like he was insane.

GaliGee: Then what did you do?

Kongu: We decided to go to Onu-Koro to ask for help. Mighty Toa Onua saved Lewa once. We thought he might be able to do it again.

Tamaru: So we took the groundpath to the tunnel entrance, and we scrambled overrock to get inside. But the tunnel was caved in, probably by the Lehvak.

Kongu [laughs]: And we can dig about as well as the Onu-Koronans can fly.

GaliGee: That sounds hopeless!

Kongu: Le-Koronans never give up hope. We sang a joysong to encourage ourselves, then we traveled deepwood toward Ta-Koro. Maybe Mighty Toa Tahu could help. But then we felt the earth trembleshake, and Toa Onua was there, with some Matoran in these strange contraptions!

Tamaru: We lowducked and followed them, to see what they would do.

Kongu: Sure enough, Toa Onua found Toa Lewa, and we heard what he said. And Toa Lewa pulled off the krana! We were so proud of our mighty Toa. We began to jump and joysing. But then the Lehvak

71 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee showed up, so we leafhid again. And the Toa disappeared.

Tamaru: Those Boxors beat back the Lehvak, and then they went back to Onu-Koro.

GaliGee: But they returned later, to free Le-Koro?

Kongu: Yep. We figured they would be back, because they knew what had happened. So we camped out and waited. It was good that there were two of us, so one could watchkeep while the other slept.

GaliGee: Luckily you knew how survive in the woods.

Tamaru: Oh, yes, we are good at that. Everquick Kongu sneaked into the village and took a lightstone and some tools, so we built a leaftent. It was fun!

Kongu: It was great! Except for Tamaru’s cooking. A clod of dirt in every bite.

Tamaru: Like YOUR cooking was any better. You kept dropping the food into the campfire.

Kongu: Well, I kept falling asleep. How could I stay awake through your long-wind storytelling?

Tamaru: Then you should have played the flute for yourself. No one could sleep through that screechhonking!

Kongu: I was just trying to cheer you up! At least the flute covered up the noise of your snoring.

GaliGee: So… you got a little cabin fever.

Kongu: Yes. But our hopesong kept us from going crazy and killing each other.

Tamaru: We’re like brothers now!

GaliGee: Then Takua and Nuparu found you?

Kongu: Yes. They brought the Boxors back, and we talked about strategy. Since Tamaru and I are good topleaf wayfinders, we lured the Bohrok and kranaed villagers into their baldland trap.

GaliGee: Tamaru, we liked your trick for getting the Nuhvok’s attention.

Tamaru [laughs]: Yes, I got in trouble with Turaga Matau for doing that to Kongu once. But I remembered the look on Kongu’s face, so I decided to try it on the evildark Bohrok!

GaliGee: Do your friends seem different, after wearing the krana?

Kongu: Some of them say they have nightmares. But they are all themselves again.

GaliGee: Well, your heroism will long be remembered on Mata Nui, and on BZPower. What are you going to do, now that the Bohrok have been defeated?

Tamaru: Help Turaga Matau repair the village. And sleep in my own bed!

Kongu: Yeah, now he can loudsnore in peace.

Tamaru: And close the windows when I hear Kongu shriekblasting on his flute.

Kongu: You’re just jealous of my songtalent.

Tamaru: Maybe you could use your music to repel the gnatflies from the village.

GaliGee: Well, I’ll let you get back to your repair work. Thanks for talking with us!

72 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Kongu: You’re welcome, GaliGee. May your heart be ever sunsoaring!

Tamaru: Just like Kongu’s flute will be, if I ever get hold of it. Bye, GaliGee!

Kongu: Hey, get away from my flute! Bye! [click]

Well, once again adversity strengthens the bonds of friendship. The little green men of Le-Koro were right to have faith in the Toa and their fellow Matorans. This is GaliGee reporting.

73 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Jala and Takua After the latest updates on bionicle.com, I was anxious to speak with Jala and Takua about the liberation of Ga-Koro and the theft of Tahu Nuva’s symbol. I called them in Ta-Koro.

GaliGee: Thanks for talking with us, Jala and Takua. We were really amazed at your heroism in Ga- Koro.

Takua: Aww, shucks.

Jala: Just doing our j-j-job, GaliGee.

GaliGee: Of course, the first thing we want to know is this: Takua, what were you thinking when you jumped in front of those Pahrak in Ga-Koro?

Takua: I wasn’t really thinking. I just went with my gut feeling. I couldn’t bear to see the people I loved being terrorized by those monsters. And then, I had this vision, from Gali, I think. It wasn’t very clear, but I saw the Toa surrounding these two hideous, snapping creatures, and blasting them with their elemental powers. It seemed like the right time to act.

GaliGee: So you didn’t know what would happen?

Takua: No, but I had faith it would work out, somehow. I figured it would at least slow them down, and buy our people some time. Boy, was I relieved when the Pahrak stopped. I looked back, and there was a beam of light shooting out of Gali’s Suva. And I knew the Toa had won.

GaliGee: Well, it was very brave of you to jump into harm’s way, without even knowing what you would do!

Jala: Yes, he was brave. I launched him, but I d-d-didn’t know what he would do, either.

GaliGee: So, Jala, how is having the Boxors going to change your military strategy?

Jala: It really gives us a lot more to work with. We were just winging it, with the Bohrok attacks. And we know they have some limitations. No Boxors in Ga-Koro! Or in the dense j-j-jungle. They’re really awesome in the other v-v-villages, though. The Turaga and I plan to go over some new strategies soon.

GaliGee: So, tell me about the theft of Tahu’s Nuva symbol.

74 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Jala: It was awful! We had a lovely j-j-journey back from the sunlit joy of Ga-Koro. And I was feeling physically tired, but inside I was rested and calm. So, I s-s-set off on my rounds. And Takua, bless his heart, he came with me, even though he must have been tired, too. But when I saw the electrified guard, I was shocked!

Takua: Bad pun, Jala.

Jala: What pun? Oh, sorry. Then I realized there was a Bohrok next to the Suva! Now, even when they are tame, you still have to keep an eye on the Bohrok. They r-r-really can’t be trusted. So, I hurled my disc. But that didn’t bother it at all.

Takua: He knocked me out of the way and took the blast himself. What a great guy.

Jala: Yeah, well, it was my t-t-turn to jump in front of a Bohrok, I guess.

Takua: We heard great Toa Tahu’s footsteps approaching, and we were relieved. What’s one lousy Bohrok against the Toa Nuva of Fire? You guys haven’t really seen him in action much yet, but let me tell you, he has got some kind of power now. He’s like a walking volcano. As hot as the heart of the Mangai.

GaliGee: Wow. You must have been very surprised when his powers failed.

Jala: Not p-p-pleasantly surprised! We f-f-figured he would vaporize the renegade Bohrok, and after the burning metal smell went away, everything would be b-b-back to normal.

Takua: The creature started blasting rocks out of the doorway. They started falling over Toa Tahu’s head, and he laughed. But when he raised his swords to shoot fire at it, nothing happened – just a wimpy little wisp of smoke coming off the tip of each magma blade. I’ve never seen Toa Tahu look like that. Puzzled, confused… well, I guess he looked kind of like that when he first saw Makuta as a Matoran. But it doesn’t happen often.

GaliGee: Why didn’t Tahu use his Hau Nuva to block the falling rocks?

Jala: Well, he did eventually, after he g-g-got over the shock of losing his powers, and after he was slammed to the ground.

GaliGee: That must have hurt.

Takua: I think he was more hurt inside than out. He was really horrified that he had no way of protecting us villagers anymore.

GaliGee: Yes, protection seems to be his strong suit. Usually. Then what did he do?

Jala: Well, he got up, slowly, and w-w-went to see if the guard and I were all right. We were fine, once the Tahnok-K-k-kal left.

Takua: He says he’s fine, but he keeps twitching, GaliGee. I’m not so sure.

Jala: I AM f-f-f-f-f-fine. Then he stared at the Suva for a while. Then he got ready to go find the other Toa. He conferred with V-v-vakama for a few m-m-minutes, and then he left

GaliGee: You DO sound a little rattled, Jala. Maybe you should get some rest.

Jala: N-n-nonsense. I have more work to do than ever. Did you r-r-read Comic #10?

GaliGee: Of course. Why?

Jala: Because if the Kal s-s-s-s-s-s-succeed in releasing the Bahrag, the island is going to be c-c- covered with Bohrok Va, bringing new krana to all those Bohrok we so carefully t-t-tamed. And it’s

75 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee going to be chaos again.

Takua: Yeah. We have to keep a close eye on things. But I know the Toa will prevail. Somehow. Even though those Kal are seemingly invincible, and the Toa have only their Kanohi powers. And apparently those aren’t very effective against the Kal.

Jala: Yes, they must. And we m-m-must do everything we can to protect the v-v-villages, in the meantime. We’ve tightened security around Ta-Koro, of c-c-course, and the Guard always helps with the others’ defenses, too.

GaliGee: I have faith in the Toa, too. And in you Matorans! Say, speaking of the other villages… I hear you made a new friend in Ga-Koro, Jala.

Jala [laughs nervously]: Oh, Hahli’s s-s-so cute! I n-n-never thought I would say that about anyone.

Takua: He looked nice with that flower in his mask, didn’t he?

Jala: Yeah, I was almost as c-c-colorful as you.

GaliGee: That was sweet. So, Takua, after the Bohrok defeat, did you ever get a chance to gaze at the stars with Nixie, the astrologer? I seem to remember she had invited you.

Takua: Yes, I did, but it wasn’t like I had imagined, because Nokama came along. We all went up to the telescope, and they spent about three hours looking through the telescope and reviewing the ancient writings. I just sat there, looking around. Mostly at Nixie.

GaliGee: What did you find out?

Takua: I don’t know. They kept talking to each other in some mysterious Ga-Koro dialect, and glancing at me. Then as we were leaving, Nokama took me aside. She asked me not to get involved with Nixie, since she didn’t want her astrologer to be distracted right now. There was too much important prophecy work to do.

GaliGee: Well, that’s disappointing.

Takua: I’ll say. She basically told me, in her polite Nokama sort of way, to get lost.

Jala: Like you n-n-need a Matoran girlfriend, anyway. You have a special b-b-bond with Gali!

Takua: Yeah, a lot of good THAT does me. I’m just a Matoran. Of course, sometimes I dream about being a Toa…

Jala [laughs]: Y-y-you and everybody else.

GaliGee: Takua, tell me about this dream.

Takua: Oh, I have it about once a week. I dream there’s a brilliant flash of light. I look down at myself, and I’ve been transformed into a Toa. I’m all metallic, with a gold mask. One I’ve never seen before. And I’m riding some kind of giant creature, very nimble and fast.

Jala: That’s g-g-great. Too bad you’ll never get to ride anything faster than Puku in real life, though.

Takua [sighs]: Yeah, it’s just a stupid dream.

GaliGee: But a very interesting one. Well, I’ll let you get back to your duties. Thanks for talking with us!

Takua: No problem, GaliGee.

76 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Jala: You’re w-w-w-w-w-w-w… oh, n-n-never m-m-m-m…

GaliGee: Hope you feel better soon, Jala. Bye! [click]

Poor Jala. Maybe he needs to de-gauss himself. Anyway, there you have it, the latest from the fearless adventurers of Ta-Koro. This is GaliGee reporting.

77 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Hahli From what I had heard, Hahli the Ga-Koronan is rather modest and shy. I had no idea how popular she was until I called to interview her, to ask about her role in the new Mata Nui Online Game.

Hahli: Hello?

GaliGee: Hello, is this Hahli? This is GaliGee from BZPower.

Hahli: [gasps] Oh, my!

GaliGee: Why are you so surprised?

Hahli: Because you interview all the famous people on Mata Nui. Why are you calling ME?

GaliGee: Because you ARE famous. You’re the main character in LEGO’s new online game!

Hahli: Oh, yeah. I guess I am famous, now.

GaliGee: If you don’t mind, I’d like to interview you.

Hahli: Of course I don’t mind! But I’m not sure what your readers would find interesting about me... I’m just a simple Matoran who likes to fish.

GaliGee: Bionicle fans are fascinated by you, Hahli. You’re rumored to have an important destiny on Mata Nui.

Hahli: That’s what Turaga Nokama keeps saying. But I think she’s just trying to make me feel important.

GaliGee: Well, I suppose you’ll find out eventually. So, how does it feel to be in a game?

Takua: Hi, Hahli.

Hahli: Hi, Takua. What’s up?

Takua: Oh, I was passing by your hut, and I thought I heard you talking to GaliGee.

Hahli: I am. She’s on the phone right now.

GaliGee: Hi, Takua.

Takua: Hey, GaliGee! How are things on BZPower?

GaliGee: Good. I was just asking Hahli how it feels to be in a LEGO game.

Takua: Oh, it’s really cool! They take you to the Templar studios, take lots of pictures of you, ask you a ton of questions...

GaliGee: That’s great, Takua, but I was hoping Hahli could give me some thoughts on it, too.

Takua: Oh, sorry, Hahli. Go ahead.

Hahli: At first I felt really shy.

Takua: You know, Hahli, you shouldn’t be embarrassed about how they make you look in the game. I mean, the players don’t know the answers to the puzzles yet, so they make you wander back and forth and look like a moron. GaliGee told me that she had me walk past Hafu about ten times before

78 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee she figured out the key-to-the-quarry-statue thing.

GaliGee: Yep. It took me a while. And I’m still trying to keep track of the bamboo and rope and widgets and whatnot in your game.

Takua: But we all know that Hahli is not ditzy like than that in real life! [laughs] I mean, you don’t go around asking Amaya what to do all the time.

Hahli: Uh, Takua, I really AM like that in real life. I’m kind of scatterbrained. If it weren’t for Amaya, I would be totally lost.

Takua: Oh.

GaliGee: Hahli, were you honored that they chose you?

Hahli: I was more confused than honored. I mean, why me?

Takua: Because you have a cool mask.

Jaller: Hey! What are you doing in here, Takua?

Takua: Hi, Jaller! I was just passing by, and--

Jaller: And you decided to stop in and hit on my girlfriend? I think not!

Takua: I wasn’t hitting on her, I was just giving her some advice on being in a game.

Jaller: Well, I’ll give YOU some advice, Takua! Get out of her hut!

Takua: Actually, I was just leav--hey! [splash]

GaliGee: What was that?

Jaller: Takua going for a swim. Hey, is that GaliGee on the phone?

GaliGee: Yes, it’s me. Hi, Jaller!

Jaller: Hi, GaliGee!

GaliGee: So it’s official, Hahli is your girlfriend?

Jaller: Um...

Hahli: Um...

Jaller: Well, she doesn’t know it yet, but yeah. Aren’t you, Hahli?

Hahli: Um... sure, Jaller.

Jaller: I just came by to bring you a gift. Here, have a torch. The finest from Ta-Koro.

Hahli: Thanks, Jaller! That’s really sweet.

Macku: Aha! I KNEW he carried a torch for you.

GaliGee: Hi, Macku!

Macku: Hi, GaliGee!

79 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: I was just interviewing Hahli.

Macku: Of course! She’s the new star of Ga-Koro, you know.

Hahli: Star?

Macku: You wouldn’t know it by talking to her. She’s really modest. But she works really hard. She catches, like, half the fish we eat, all by herself. We’re all really glad she’s going to be in the movie and all.

Hahli: I’m going to be in a movie?

Macku: You know… The Mask of Light.

Hahli: Oh, yeah.

Macku: OK, so she’s not the BRIGHTEST star in Ga-Koro, but we all love her anyway.

Jaller: Hey, that’s MY job.

Hahli: Um, Jaller, please don’t… we have company and all.

Macku: Oh, it’s all right, I was just heading for the Kolhii stadium. [clang] Oops! Sorry, Turaga Nokama.

Nokama: That’s all right, Macku.

Jaller: [clears throat] Oh, hello, Turaga Nokama.

Nokama: GoodBYE, Jaller.

Jaller: Goodbye, Turaga Nokama. Hahli, I’ll see you la--hey! [splash]

GaliGee: What was that?

Nokama: Jaller going for a swim. Hello, GaliGee.

GaliGee: Hi, Nokama. How are you?

Nokama: Busy. The village is getting ready for a big Kolhii tournament.

GaliGee: So I hear. I was just asking Hahli a few questions for an interview.

Nokama: Oh, wonderful. I’ll leave you to it. Hahli, would you please stop by my hut when you’re finished?

Hahli: Of course, Turaga Nokama.

Nokama: Ta-ta!

GaliGee: Well, Hahli, now that it’s finally quiet in your hut--

Lewa: Hi, kiddo!

Hahli: Hello, Toa Lewa!

Lewa: Have you seen Gali?

Hahli: Not lately. But she should be back from her morning swim pretty soon. Oh, look, she’s just

80 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee getting out of the water.

Gali: Hello, all.

Lewa: Hi, Dollface.

Gali: I’m not a doll, I’m an action figure. There’s a difference.

Lewa: Yeah, right. Action figures don’t have curves like--hey! [splash]

GaliGee: What was that?

Gali: Lewa going for a swim. Is that GaliGee?

GaliGee: Yes, it is. How are you, Gali?

Gali: Great! Are you interviewing Hahli or something?

GaliGee: Trying to, yes.

Gali: Oh, well, excuse me then. Nice talking to you!

GaliGee: You, too.

Hahli: OK, they’re all gone now. Where were we?

GaliGee: I don’t remember… oh, yes. How did you--

Hewkii: Hey, Hahli! Have you seen Macku?

Hahli: Hi, Hewkii. Um, she just went to the Kolhii stadium. She’s going to be in the tournament.

Hewkii: YES! I was hoping she would get to be on the Ga-Koro team. I taught her everything she knows!

GaliGee: With a coach like you, I bet she’s good.

Hewkii: Oh, hi, GaliGee. Yep, Macku’s a natural athlete. And I’ve been showing her a few of my special moves. Well, I’m going to-- [clang] oops, sorry, Turaga Nokama.

Nokama: Moves, Hewkii?

Hewkii: Um, Kolhii moves, I mean.

Nokama: That had BETTER be what you mean.

Hewkii: It is. Because whenever I try the other kind of moves on her, she pushes me into the wa-- hey! [splash]

GaliGee: Let me guess, Hewkii just went for a swim?

Nokama: Yep. Well, GaliGee, I’m sorry, but I really need Hahli’s help with something now. Do you mind wrapping up the interview?

GaliGee: No problem, Nokama. I don’t want to stand in the way of anyone’s duty.

Nokama: It’s kind of a big deal to us.

GaliGee: I know. Well, Hahli, thanks for talking with me.

81 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Hahli: My pleasure, GaliGee.

GaliGee: And good luck with all your tasks! Personally, I don’t know how you keep track of all that stuff.

Hahli: I just ask a lot of questions. Thanks for calling! Bye!

GaliGee: Bye now. [click]

Hahli’s hut seems to be a real hub of activity in Ga-Koro. Well, maybe I’ll try again sometime. Thanks to Groucho Marx for the idea for this interview, as well as the main running joke. This is GaliGee reporting.

82 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

The Bahrag, by FallenTurtles Well, at the special request of GaliGee, I am personally handling the interview with the Bahrag. I think she's just nervous... I hear the Bahrag have a crush on Gali, and they'll defend her, uh oh!

FT: Well hello gentle folk on BZ-Koro. I couldn't find the Bahrag, but we do have two Bohrok here! I'd like you to meet a Kohrak and a Tahnok. Say hello to the people of BZ-Koro guys.

K and T:

FT: Guys! NOW!

K and T: Chikt chikt chikt.

FT: Awww. Great, so what can you tell us about the so-called Tyrannosaurus Chickens? I mean, Gahdok and Cahdok sure are... round.

Kohrak: Chikt chikt chikt.

FT: (whispering to members of BZ-Koro) I'm clueless as to what they said... but Kohrok appears to be laughing.) Oh ho! That was a zinger Kohrok! Hey, what are you... AH!

The Kohrak begins to eat the Tahnok.

FT: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid we have to cut this interview short, I... ACK! Get that goo off of me! Just eat him already! AH!

Gahdok: My oh my, we can't leave you people to even do a stinking interview with our most peaceful Kohrak.

Cahdok: No wonder you're nowhere to be seen on Mata Nui.

FT: Hey, the Bahrag made it!

Gahdok: Made what? Mata Nui? Are you daft?

FT: No! I meant you made it to... to the... oh nevermind. Well sit down gentle.... um... gentle...rag. Yeah.

Cahdok: Were you about to say gentlemen?

FT: Never.

Gahdok: Shut up, we can see right through you.

FT: Well, heh heh, I have been eating less!

Cahdok: And they wonder why we stay underground... I can assure you people, we are not male.

FT: Yeah, I actually knew, after all, insect hive-like species have queens!

Gahdok: Well aren't you as smart as Gali, now, may we continue?

FT: Yes... hey wait, how are you even talking to me? I didn't know you were capable of talking!

Cahdok: We aren't.

FT: Then how can I understand you?

83 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gahdok: Beats me. Maybe you're a Bohrok.

FT: Shut up!

Cahdok: Did you tell my sister to shut up?

FT: No! I wouldn't dream of it!

Gahdok: (quietly to herself) I would...

Cahdok: Hey! (Cahdok hits Gahdok)

FT: Ladies, please. So, what can you tell us about the upcoming events in the Bionicle world?

Gahdok: Why don't you ask the Toa of Time... I mean, HE got interviewed before US.

FT: You're kind of a whiner huh?

Cahdok: Uh oh.

FT: (in a panic) Uh... uh... long live the Bohrok!

Tahu: HEY!

Gahdok: Uh oh.

Cahdok: Hey, go away Toa! You aren't supposed to see us until the next comic!

Tahu: Oh crud, sorry! (Tahu leaves)

FT: Um... anyways. What can you tell us?

Cahdok: Well, in case you CAN'T tell, we're going to battle the Toa.

FT: And from the looks of it, you're going to lose.

Gahdok: You know, where is GaliGee? I'm sick of this guy.

FT: I kid I kid! Just watch out for those Nuva!

Cahdok: The what now?

FT: Nothing, nevermind. GaliGee asked me to do this interview... she hugged me too!

Cahdok: You got a hug from GaliGee?

FT: Yup!

Gahdok: You son of a...!

Cahdok: GAHDOK! Be polite! Then we'll get hugs too!

FT: You know, you guys sure aren't as bad as Lego seems to want us to think you are.

Cahdok: Well, we aren't guys. But you're right! We're really quite fascinating creatures. But... somebody has to replace the Makuta for a bad guy. That moron. He could've had them...

FT: So I just have to ask... do you have a crush on Gali?

84 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gahdok: Well we are mighty women ourselves, so no. Besides... she's Toa... Yuck.

FT: Yuck? I dunno, I've almost got a thing for her and I'm a human!

Gahdok: Yes, well, no one said you were the smartest species that got passed through the Great Beings review board.

FT: Hey! We aren't in the Bionicle universe, no Great Beings had to approve us humans!

Gahdok: And we thank Mata Nui that you aren't here either.

FT: So how are YOU Cahdok?

Cahdok: Tired, we've been training ourselves and the Bohrok for our fight against the Toa, it should be fun.

FT: Fun?

Cahdok: Oh sure. It's all in good fun! We are just characters in a story, right?

FT: I suppose... Well, anyways. So, we all just have to know. Are you truly guarding the protodermis? Or is that just a theory concocted by us BZ-Koronans?

A horde of Bohrok suddenly appear with very angry faces.

Gahdok: Next question?

FT: Definitely! (Bohrok all back away) Uhhh...if you don't want to answer a question, just tell me, okay?

Cahdok: Fair enough.

FT: Okay. Just two more actually. Why did you pick blue and red? There are six varieties of color among the species of Mata Nui, why favor blue and red?

Cahdok: Ill handle that one. Well, you see, we want to show that we are VERY powerful and can combat ALL the elements the Toa can use. You see, blue is water, red is fire, right? You see, water can extinguish fire, BUT, with enough fire, the heat will evaporate the water! Our colors show that we have the balance necessary to combat the Toa. Since there's only two of us.

FT: Oh, I get it!

Gahdok: Something new for a change...

FT: Hey now. Okay, one last question. This is the most important question ever asked on BZ... your answer will be the answer to all our future questions EVER... and I know you have the answer. Listen carefully, as this question is SO important, Mata Nui himself doesn't want us to know the answer...

Cahdok: Go for it.

FT: What is the...

Suddenly the Toa burst into the room, yelling and screaming at the Bahrag.

Cahdok: Oh fiddlesticks. Time for us to go!

The Bahrag chase the Toa out of the room as Gahdok yells about how they aren't supposed to be seen until the comic again.

85 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

FT: Well... here I am... by myself... talking to myself. I guess the question will have to wait! Thanks for tuning in today, that was the Bahrag of course, the NEW bad guys. And what an attitude on that Gahdok...

A giant fireball flies through the room.

FT: Ahhhh, I mean... uhhh... what a beautiful, courageous, and wonderful creature that Gahdok is! Oh crud, and they're the new bad GALS! Not guys! Phew... safe at least.

Tahu: Yeah right you little punk. I'm gonna get you for saying 'Long live the Bohrok'.

FT: Maybe I better just go, bye everybody!

FT, good job. You've got guts. Yikes! I really didn't want to have to talk to those Mutant Alien Death- Chickens, as Purple Dave calls 'em. But make sure all you smoke detector batteries are fresh, if you get my drift...

86 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

The Bohrok-Kal My phone rang yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Lewa’s number on the Caller ID box. When I answered, I was surprised again, and not pleasantly.

GaliGee: Hi, Lewa! What’s going on?

Voice: I’m not Lewa. I’m Lehvak-Kal. But you can call me “Sir.”

GaliGee: Come on, Lewa, I know it’s you. I see “LEWA TOA OF AIR” on my Caller ID. And I recognize your number.

Voice: It’s Lewa’s phone, all right. But your powerless green friend is indisposed at the moment.

GaliGee: Well… your voice doesn’t sound like Lewa’s. What have you done with Lewa? Are you really Lehvak-Kal? [all the air in the room is sucked out the door] Aack… gasp…

Lehvak-Kal: NOW do you believe me?

GaliGee [as air rushes back into room, slamming me into opposite wall] Ouch! OK, I believe you! But what have you done with Lewa?

Lehvak-Kal: We spanked him. Him and his puny feeble buddies. Muah hah hah.

GaliGee: If you called me just to do your evil laugh thing, I’m going to hang up.

Lehvak-Kal: No, I called to let you know your pathetic little friends are going to suffer a humiliating and painful defeat at our hand-shields. But you already knew that.

GaliGee: I don’t believe it.

Lehvak-Kal: Then maybe you’ll believe it from my brother. Here, you talk to her.

Tahnok-Kal [arcs of electricity jump out of every appliance in the room]: Hello, GaliGee. You might want to ground yourself. [arcs join into one huge bolt of lightning, which sets fire to my couch]

GaliGee: Aargh! You don’t have to prove how powerful you are. THAT I do believe. I just don’t think the Toa are going to knuckle under. They are far too dedicated and intelligent to do that. [grabs fire extinguisher and douses couch]

Nuhvok-Kal: Oh, they’re going down, all right.

GaliGee [crumpling to the floor under what feels like a thousand pounds of gravity]: I… still… don’t… ungh…

Nuhvok-Kal: Oh, why are we wasting our time on her? She’s just an imitation of a Toa. She doesn’t even have any powers. [releases gravity field]

Kohrak-Kal: Neither do the real Toa! Ha, ha!

Gahlok-Kal: I almost wish they did. It would make the fight more fun.

Kohrak-Kal: Blasphemy! Remember our mission, Gahlok-Kal. We are not here to have fun.

Gahlok-Kal: But we can still have a little fun, if the mission is proceeding according to plan. [suddenly all the metal objects in the room, including me, fly out the window, shattering the glass]

87 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee [crawling back through the window]: You guys have proven your point. I know you are formidable creatures. But why are you bent on destroying Mata Nui?

Pahrak-Kal: We aren’t destroying it. We are restoring it.

GaliGee: To what? A bare rock in the middle of the ocean?

Pahrak-Kal: That would be nice.

GaliGee: Why?

Gahlok-Kal: Because our mommies said so.

GaliGee: Your – oh, the Bahrag. But why do they want that?

Tahnok-Kal: Because things were great before you pesky creatures came along. Besides, we don’t question our mommies.

GaliGee: Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned, and not very politically correct, but I don’t think it’s good for children to be raised by two mothers. Especially boys. Who’s your father figure? Makuta?

Lehvak-Kal: Oh, please.

Nuhvok-Kal: Don’t make me laugh.

Tahnok-Kal: What a poser. I can’t believe how easily he was defeated. After all that big talk, too.

GaliGee: But you must be aware that he’s going to return.

Gahlok-Kal: Oh, no! I’m SO scared!

Lehvak-Kal: Oh, big bad Makuta’s coming back! He’s gonna give us a cold! Ha, ha, ha!

GaliGee: You don’t seem to be afraid of anything.

Kohrak-Kal: Fear is for the weak. You forget who you’re dealing with here. [A strange high-pitched whine fills the air, builds to a scream, and ends in a loud “boom.” The drywall crumbles from the wall studs in a big cloud of gypsum dust.]

GaliGee [coughing and rubbing head]: As I said before, I know you’re powerful. That’s not the issue here. Of course you have the advantage when it comes to elemental powers, since the Toa’s are gone.

Tahnok-Kal: Did you figure that out all by yourself, GaliGee?

Lehvak-Kal: Maybe the “Gee” is short for “Genius.”

GaliGee: But I still think the Toa will find a way to get them back.

Gahlok-Kal: Ha! Are they going to come pull the symbols off our backs? I’d like to see them try!

GaliGee: Well, you must have SOME weakness. Otherwise, you would be in charge, not the Bahrag.

Pahrak-Kal: They’re only in charge because we let them be.

Lehvak-Kal: Oh, you know that’s not true. It’s because they are our mommies, and they know best.

GaliGee: So it’s superior wisdom on their part.

88 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Tahnok-Kal: No! They are no wiser than us. They just know the legends better. But now that we have hatched –

Kohrak-Kal: You’re not going to say what I think you’re going to say, are you?

Tahnok-Kal: -- we have had a chance to learn. And now WE are wise enough to rule.

Kohrak-Kal: You impulsive hot-head! Have you learned nothing? [sonic boom and explosions in the distance]

GaliGee: This sounds somehow familiar.

Gahlok-Kal: Enough! We have learned what we set out to learn. As Bohrok-Kal, we have more powers, and more control over those powers, than ever before.

GaliGee: It is a shame you cannot control your tempers as well.

Gahlok-Kal: How did you know what I was going to say?

GaliGee: Just a hunch.

Nuhvok-Kal: But the point is, we have no weaknesses.

Tahnok-Kal: Except for Kohrak-Kal. His weakness is that he has no guts.

Kohrak-Kal: And Tahnok-Kal’s weakness is that he has no brains.

Lehvak-Kal: Will you two cut it out? I’m about to suck you both back into your canisters, if this keeps up.

Nuhvok-Kal: You would endanger the mission, just because you don’t like a little arguing? You fool! [loud thud]

Lehvak-Kal: Let… me… up… you… [sound of rushing air]

Nuhvok-Kal[voice receding]: Hey, cut that ouuuuuuuut!

Pahrak-Kal: Such imbeciles. Why are we stuck working with them, Gahlok-Kal?

Gahlok-Kal: Because they’re our brothers. Duh.

Pahrak-Kal: Don’t “duh” me, magnet-head! [blasting sound]

Gahlok-Kal: Oh, yeah? Well, take that! [buzzing noise]

GaliGee [relieved they are busy fighting each other, and Pahrak-Kal hasn’t melted anything in my house]: Well, I’ve got to go now. Bye.

Pahrak-Kal: Oh, but you haven’t tasted the power of plasma yet. Shall I vaporize your computer, or your TV?

GaliGee [nervously]: Uh, neither one, if you don’t mind.

Pahrak-Kal: Suit yourself. [refrigerator starts to glow red, then explodes, hurling bits of molten steel all over the kitchen]

GaliGee [picking bits of red-hot metal out of my shoulder joint, and wishing I had worn my armor today]: Maybe I should go out for dinner. Well, it’s been real. Unfortunately.

89 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Bohrok-Kal: Goodbye, you powerless little punk! We’ll say hi to your pathetic weakling friends for you before we reduce them to twisted bits of protodermis! [click]

Unfortunately, there won’t be any more interviews for a while, because I have a bit of remodeling to do. But the Toa will have bigger problems than that, I’m afraid. Thanks to Goeyoshi for story ideas! This is GaliGee reporting.

90 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gali Interviews GaliGee Amazing, but true! I got a phone call from Gali. And I thought she was mad at me for spreading rumors about her love life! But fortunately, in her wisdom Gali is slow to anger and quick to forgive.

Gali: Hi GaliGee, mind if I interview you?

GaliGee: Wow, what an honor! Sure!

Gali: It’s not much of an honor. We’re bored out of our minds in here.

GaliGee: Where are you?

Gali: Trapped in the Bohrok nest. With a bunch of hot lava hanging over our heads.

GaliGee: At the end of Comic #6!

Gali: Yep. So, do you like cheese?

GaliGee: Hey! Is this really TuragaVakama? How did you get your voice to sound like Gali’s?

Gali [laughs]: No, it’s really Gali. We’ve been lurking on BZ for a couple of weeks now, and reading all your silly stuff.

GaliGee: But, there’s molten lava over your heads! Aren’t you trying to do something about that?

Gali: No, we’re just stuck here until LEGO gets Comic #7 out, anyway. At first we were on pins and needles, but then it became obvious we’ll just be waiting here for two months. So we’ve been reading BZ and MoD, hoping to find clues to the storyline. And talking with the Turaga. But mostly, we’re just killing time at this point. Your number was in my phone, in the Incoming Calls menu, so I just called you up.

GaliGee: Wow! So Makuta was right! You’re in limbo!

Gali: For once that [expletive deleted] wasn’t lying. We know what’s supposed to happen in Comic #8, thanks to D posting the script on BZ, but we don’t know what will happen between now and then.

GaliGee: Incredible. So how are you getting onto the Internet?

Gali: Kopaka’s PocketPC. It’s solar powered, and the glow from the lava is just enough to keep it running. If Tahu were in here, he could do it with his fire sword, but the poor guy is trapped in there with those Bohrok pods, so we just point the little solar cell at the lava.

GaliGee: Aren’t you worried about Tahu?

Gali: Definitely. But we know he’ll be OK, because he’s in Comic #8. I just hope he’s not suffering too much.

GaliGee: What have you found out on the Internet?

Gali: Well, LEGO finally put the Bahrag in the bios on bionicle.com, and now that Greg Farshtey has joined BZ, we learned some potentially useful stuff about the Va krana. Say, why don’t you guys put the pressure on him, maybe he’ll leak some secrets from the future storyline for us.

GaliGee: That’s does sound useful. OK, we will.

Gali: And we were really excited to hear that TheBlindMan2 is getting surgery for his eyes. We’re praying for him! Soon he’ll be able to see how beautiful I am.

91 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Um, well, yes, you are beautiful –

Gali: I’m just kidding! We also got to see what we’ll look like when we go Nuva. I can’t wait! I just wish I knew whose evil butt I’m going to get to kick with those rock axes.

GaliGee: They ARE impressive!

Gali: And I read about how Makuta hacked into your phone line when you were trying to order a pizza, and that you and your friends have been minions of Makuta by spreading rumors about my love life.

GaliGee [swallowing hard]: I’m really sorry about that. I hope you can forgive me.

Gali: Of course. It happens to the best of us. Look at Lewa! Twice, already! But don’t let it happen again.

GaliGee [breathing again]: I’ll do my best.

Gali: I guess I shouldn’t have flooded your house. I just got sick of all the innuendo.

GaliGee: It’s OK. It was insured. And now I don’t have six inches of clutter on my desk anymore.

Gali: But what I want to know is, how did you and FallenTurtles know about the secret love affair between me and Kopaka?

GaliGee: What? That was just a joke! I mean –

Gali: Even LEGO didn’t know until you opened your big mouth! Did you run into our child on BZ?

GaliGee [anxiously remembering flooded house]: But I – you mean “Kopaka and Gali’s Child”? But that’s just someone’s screen name! Isn’t it? How could LEGO not –

Gali [laughing]: Tahu was right, you are SO gullible, GaliGee!

GaliGee: Oh, man, that was cold.

[The other Toa can be heard laughing in the distance.]

Kopaka: OK, that’s enough. It wasn’t THAT funny.

Onua: Gali, can I be your boyfriend in our next joke on GaliGee?

Gali: Sure, honey.

GaliGee: Pardon me?

Gali: Oh, I was talking to Onua.

GaliGee: So just how bored ARE you getting in there, Gali?

Gali: Not bored enough to make out with Onua, if that’s what you’re wondering.

GaliGee: Um, I wasn't, but...

Onua: Oh, well. Hey, enough laughing, guys! It wasn’t THAT funny!

Gali: We’ve been having a pretty good time, considering. Kopaka made us some blocks of ice to play with.

92 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: How do you have a good time with blocks of ice?

Gali: Well, first I took a flat one and scratched some lines in it with my hooks. Lewa chopped up another chunk into 24 pieces, and we played a checkers tournament.

GaliGee: That’s pretty creative! Who won? Let me guess, Kopaka?

Gali: You got it! He and I were in the finals. He beat me three times, and I beat him once. But I think he was just letting me win.

Kopaka [with mock indignation]: I would NEVER do that!

Gali: And then Pohatu chipped a Koli ball out of another ice block, and we had a Koli match.

GaliGee: Pohatu won?

Gali: Duh. So then we had an arm-wrestling contest.

GaliGee: Onua?

Gali: Yep. After that, we saw who could do the most back flips in a row.

GaliGee: Lewa?

Gali: Right. One hundred thirty-four. I did one hundred twelve.

GaliGee: Wow! That’s a lot! Did YOU win anything?

Gali: Swimming. I called some water out of the air and made a lap pool. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. For the size of this chamber we’re trapped in, there was way too much water. Something is strange here, but I don’t know what it is.

GaliGee: Well, you’re the water expert. So, anything you want to say about Tahu since he’s not here?

Gali: He’s going to read this someday, GaliGee! Besides, I don’t have anything catty to say about Tahu, anyway. Some people get the impression he’s kind of stern and grumpy, but actually he’s a lot of fun to party with.

GaliGee: Yeah, I got to see his humorous side when I interviewed him.

Gali: Now wait a minute. I’m supposed to be interviewing you! And you have gotten me to talk the whole time!

GaliGee: Sorry. It’s what I do best.

Gali: I guess I just needed someone to talk to besides these guys. [yells] Hey, no more smart-aleck comments from the peanut gallery back there! [quieter] Sorry, GaliGee. We’re getting cabin fever something awful around here.

GaliGee: Sorry about that. What can I do?

Gali: Entertain me! I mean, Pohatu does a terrific Elvis impersonation, but I've already heard all his songs at least three times. Don’t you play the piano or something?

GaliGee: Yes, but not very well. Do you want to hear me play anyway?

Gali: Anything to keep me from going insane. Hey, wait! Something’s going on! I think the storyline is starting back up! [roaring noises]

93 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

GaliGee: Really? What’s going on?

Gali: The lava started to fall again! But Kopaka has frozen it in place, at least for a few minutes. And Pohatu and Onua are trying to bust this stone one more time. It’s still not giving way.

GaliGee: Oh, this is awful!

Gali: But wait – Lewa – how is that possible… ?! He’s gone through the wall! Wow, it wasn’t real! Lewa has gotten a lot wiser since he ripped off that krana.

GaliGee: So are you getting out?

Gali: Kopaka, if we can’t trust our senses here –

GaliGee: What? [The Toa’s voices are drowned out by noise]

Gali: I think we are already too late. Can you feel it? The ground is getting HOT!

GaliGee: Um, if you can, tell me what’s happening.

Gali: I think you’ll be reading about this soon, GaliGee. We were talking about Ta --

[huge explosion]

Gali: Tahu! He blasted himself out! Like a pressure cooker! Wow!

GaliGee: Thank God.

Gali: And the Great Beings. Do you ever get the feeling there’s a lot more to this island than we know about?

GaliGee: Definitely.

Gali: Tahu agrees with you, GaliGee.

GaliGee: Now what is going on?

Gali: Some kind of tunnel leading to – Oh! A big chamber. With six massive doors. It seems to have been prepared for us. But by whom? Allies? Enemies? The Great Beings themselves?

GaliGee: What sort of doors?

Gali: They have strange indentations. It looks like – this is where the krana fit! Lewa is having some kind of insight… talking about the end of the Bohrok…

GaliGee: The end of the Bohrok? I know several Tohunga who will be glad to hear that. They always seem to use bad language when I ask about the Bohrok.

Gali: And for good reason, GaliGee. OK, I think we are about to find the Exo-Toa armor. Pohatu? Did you have any last-minute questions for GaliGee? She could probably get Purple Dave’s instructions up for you if – oh, never mind, he has them memorized. Pohatu says to tell Purple Dave he’s very grateful for the instructions on how to modify the Exo so that he can fit in it.

GaliGee: I’ll tell him. I’m sure Purple Dave will be glad they helped.

Gali: Now each of us must go down a separate passageway. Here I go!

GaliGee: Good luck, Gali.

94 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Gali: Thanks. [breathing hard] I’m going as fast as I can, but it’s a looooooong tunnel.

GaliGee: Well, I won’t ask you any pesky questions while you’re running. I’m kind of surprised your battery has lasted this long.

Gali: Me, too. It’s almost dead. OK, there’s a hatch opening ahead. Wow! This is awesome! I can’t wait to blast those vicious steroid-overdosed chickens with THIS! Ooooooh!

GaliGee: Does it fit OK?

Gali: Does it ever! Wow! OK, my feet are in right, I grab on here… Hmmm, how do I launch the rocket? [zzzzzap] Oh, that’s it! And this hammer claw thing? Yeah, baby!

GaliGee: Sounds powerful!

Gali: No kidding! All right, I’m all suited up. Let’s rock and roll!

GaliGee: Sounds like you really like your job, Gali.

Gali: Times like this, yes. I’ve been looking forward to killing off these monsters. Hey, this thing is helping me walk! It’s power-assisted! Fantastic!

GaliGee: Great!

Gali: Hey, guys! Now where are those Bahrag? Uh, GaliGee, we’re all back together, looking for – oh, there they are. [sounds of blasting and explosions]

GaliGee: Are you OK, Gali?

Gali: Never felt better! Take that, you [expletive deleted]! And that! Hey, this isn’t working! What’s going on here? Oh, man, the Bahrag have elemental powers, too, like the Bohrok. And it’s getting really hot in here.

GaliGee: Keep fighting, Gali, Mata Nui needs you!

Gali: I know. But times like this, I wish I had gotten a job with Mattel instead of LEGO. Those Barbies, they have it good. The Dream House, the pink Corvette…

GaliGee: I can’t see you fitting in, though, in the Barbies’ world. You’d have to wear makeup and dresses.

Gali: True. And Ken, what a wimp.

GaliGee: Except for all the monstrous evil creatures, you have it pretty good. You get to work with five handsome heroes!

Gali: Good point. And I love ‘em dearly, every one. Thanks for cheering me up. Well, I gotta go, it’s REALLY getting hot. I think I know what part is coming next, it’s… where I collapse… on the… floor…

GaliGee: Uh, oh, hang in there, Gali! We’re rooting for you!

Gali: OK… GaliGee… bye… now… [click]

There you have it, BZ members, Gali and her noble friends in the thick of battle with the hideous Bahrag. Let’s encourage LEGO to get Comic #8 out, pronto! Thanks to TuragaVakama, FallenTurtles, TheBlindMan2, and Kopaka and Gali's Child for help on this one. This is GaliGee reporting.

95 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

All the Turaga The Turaga have long played an important role in the affairs of Mata Nui, so I decided it was about time to have an interview with them. Well, strictly speaking, this is not an interview (sorry, I called it one out of habit). Nokama kindly arranged for me to listen to a meeting of the Turaga Council by speakerphone.

GaliGee: Thank you for letting me listen in on your Turaga Council.

Nokama: No problem, GaliGee. We’re just glad the BZ members still care enough about us to pay attention to one of our meetings. LEGO discontinued us, you know.

GaliGee: Yes, I was really sorry to hear that. I ordered a whole set of you guys right away.

Nokama: You did? How flattering.

GaliGee: And then my 5-year-old built a Turaga MOC with two bodies and two heads. Yours and Matau’s.

Nokama: Ugh. You didn’t have to tell me that.

GaliGee: Sorry.

Vakama [rapping his firestaff on a rock]: The Turaga Council will now come to order. Dang! My firestaff just went out. Onewa? Will you do me the honor of lighting it again, please?

Onewa: Sure. I brought a couple of pieces of flint this time, on the hunch that this would happen again. [rubs flint together to light firestaff]

Vakama: Thanks. Now, as I was saying –

Whenua: Enough with the preamble! Let’s get on with it! I need to get back to Onu-Koro to supervise the flood cleanup.

Vakama: If you would stop interrupting, we could move on. As I was saying, the meeting will now

96 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee come to order. Nokama, will you please read the minutes of the last meeting?

Nokama [rustling some papers]: Certainly. We last met a fortnight ago. You will recall that the Toa had gathered most of the krana in preparation for the final attack on the Bohrok to end the threat to Mata Nui once and for all. [clears her throat] Item 1. Validation of Prophecy. The prophesy of the Bohrok has come to pass, with swarms of creatures wielding six elemental powers seeking to destroy all life and landscape on Mata Nui. As was deciphered from the ancient writings, the Bohrok were controlled by living creatures called krana, which can be removed, rendering the Bohrok harmless. The Toa were informed of the need to collect one of each of the eight types of krana for each of the six breeds of Bohrok, and they will use these to unlock –

Whenua: MUST we go over all this old news? My village is a giant mud slick right now. And my Ussal is double-parked.

Vakama: Again? Then send someone to re-park it! And yes, we have to go through this again. It’s in the Council Charter.

Whenua [muttering]: Charter, schmarter. OK, go on. Onepu? Will you please? [jingle of tossed keys] Thanks.

Nokama: -- to unlock the ancient weapons hidden underground, which will enable them to defeat the swarms.

Onewa: Well, THAT part didn’t happen, did it?

Matau: From what Lewa said, those Exo suits were not very helpgiving. The Toa ended up taking them off.

Nuju: [click] [whistle] [sneeze]

Matoro: So the prophesy was accurate to a point. Bless you, sir.

Nokama: In my opinion, the Exos helped for a while. But like you said, Matau, the Toa went back to using their elemental powers again. I think part of the reason for the Exos was just to encourage the Toa to take on the Bahrag without fear.

Vakama: My Toa doesn’t need that kind of help. He’s fearless.

Whenua: Oh, knock it off, Vakama. They were all terrified, if they had any brains at all.

Onewa: I’m sure some heavy-duty hardware improved their attitude, anyway. Pohatu says he was able to throw a really immense rock with that claw arm thing.

Nokama: Mind if I go on?

Whenua: Please.

Nokama: Item 2. Trash Problem. It was reported by Whenua that a large assortment of empty cans and paper trash is consistently being found at the entrance to the Onu-Le-Koro tunnel. Matau was requested to ensure that after all Le-Koronan party activity, appropriate measures be taken to clean up the area.

Vakama: Whenua, has this problem been addressed?

Whenua: I don’t care any more! My village is a mud hole! The Le-Koronans certainly aren’t any worse than the Bohrok.

Matau [sarcastically]: Thanks.

97 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Onewa: Yeah, yeah. So the Le-Koronans are party animals. What else?

Vakama: We have to address these items, so we can clear them from the agenda.

Whenua: YES! The entrance to the tunnel looks great. Except for the big caved-in part that the Lehvak messed up. The Le-Koronans are off the hook, for now.

Matau: Well, let’s sing a happysong of relief.

Nokama: Item 3. Repair of the Ko-Wahi Cable Car. Nuju requested help from Whenua to repair the machinery, which was destroyed by the Kohrak.

Vakama: Nuju?

Nuju: [buzz] [click] [whistle] [beep]

Matoro: Nuju says the cable car is in working order again, and thanks Whenua for sending his team of engineers.

Whenua: Onepu, remind me to give Nuparu a raise when we get back, OK?

Onepu: Yes, sir.

Nokama: This concludes the minutes from the last meeting. A benediction was offered in the name of Mata Nui –

Whenua: Yeah, yeah.

Onewa: Hey! Don’t be disrespectful! We need all the help we can get, you know.

Whenua: Sorry. I’m just grumpy because my village is a pit of quicksand right now. May Mata Nui accept my humble apology as well.

Nokama: That’s better. And then the meeting was adjourned. Vakama?

Vakama: Thanks, honey. Now, the agenda for this meeting -

Onewa: Excuse me, but did you just call Nokama “honey”?

Vakama: You got a problem with that?

Whenua: Call her “red-hot love bunny” for all I care. Just GET ON WITH IT!

Matau: Whenua, you need to deepbreathe and calm down.

Whenua: I can’t help it! My village is a boggy swamp at the moment! I wanna go home!

Nokama: There, there. It’ll be OK.

Vakama: Item 1. The Victory of the Toa over the Bahrag. The Toa defeated the Bahrag by forming a protodermis cage with their elemental powers, and the Bahrag were buried in the ensuing tunnel collapse. And the Toa were immersed in liquid protodermis and transformed into beings of even greater power, the Toa Nuva.

Onewa: Go, Toa!

Nuju: [beep] [buzz] [whistle]

Matoro: Nuju says the Toa rock.

98 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Matau: Hooray for the braveheart Toa!

Vakama: Nokama, will you please note in the record that the Turaga expressed feelings of pride and joy in the Toa and their victory.

Whenua: Oh, for crying out loud, isn’t that a little obvious? My village is a –

Nokama: Look, Whenua, you’re not the only one whose village was damaged. Will you please relax? Maybe you need a vacation.

Whenua: All right, sorry, I’ll shut up.

Vakama: Item 2.

Matau: My Toa can FLY now.

Vakama: That’s great, Matau. But please don’t interrupt.

Onewa: Well, mine has weapons on his hands AND his feet now.

Vakama: Gentlemen?

Onewa: Sorry.

Vakama: Item 2. Cleanup of Mata Nui.

Whenua: Finally. Something USEFUL.

Vakama: Will you SHUT UP? [bangs firestaff on rock] Dang firestaff. Onewa, will you please? Thanks. OK, the cleanup. Each Turaga is responsible for his own Wahi, but whoever finishes first will help the one most in need. How does that sound?

Nokama: Great.

Nuju: [buzz] [beep] [click] [click]

Matoro: Nuju says that sounds wise. And then we can all take a vacation.

Onewa: Maybe we should take a vacation FIRST. Some of us could really use it.

Vakama: Work first. Then vacation. Item 3. The Kanohi Nuva. It seems that the Toa’s golden masks were transformed in the protodermis. Now each only has one power, but it extends to everyone in the vicinity.

Matau: Great! Lewa can take us all sunsoaring!

Onewa: Yeah, and Pohatu can move through solid objects. I can’t wait to see what THAT will be like.

Vakama: What if he stops while you are in the middle of a big rock?

Onewa: He won’t leave us in the middle of a big rock! Pohatu is more careful than that.

Whenua: And if he does, Onua can dig you out with his new saws.

Onewa: He WON’T, all right?

Nokama: I’m looking forward to a little spear fishing with Gali. She can go really deep now, too! Finally we’ll get to see those deep-dwelling glow-in-the-dark fish we catch a glimpse of every now and

99 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee then.

Vakama [laughs]: You and your fishing. Is that all you ever think about?

Nokama: I WISH. I haven’t been fishing in months.

Vakama: Item 4. New prophesy. I think Nuju and Nokama have been working on this one.

Nokama: We have been reading the BZP thread about the interview with Greg Farshtey, may he and the other Great Beings bless us with a rich and peaceful destiny. [moment of respectful silence]

Whenua: Peaceful? That would be nice.

Nuju: [hum] [beep] [cluck]

Matoro: Nuju says that is unlikely. There are two new enemies coming up for the Toa to face next year. As of this moment, we don’t know much about them. The first are sinister and intelligent, and they will attack the Toa immediately. The second are very fearsome and somehow connected with Makuta, and they will show up in the fall.

Onewa: Did Nuju really say all that?

Matoro: Yep.

Nokama: There is some good news, too. The Bohrok, without their krana, are apparently capable of helping us to rebuild Mata Nui.

Nuju: [click] [beep] [squeak] [whistle] [buzz]

Matoro: Nuju says that they are very strong, and with their elemental powers, they will be able to accomplish much. If you wish, he will be in charge of the effort to tame and harness them, since Ko- Wahi was not as heavily damaged as many of the other villages.

Vakama: That sounds good. OK with everyone?

[The other Turaga murmur their accord.]

Nokama: Great Being Farshtey also said that the Toa would have some disagreements, and that would put them in danger. It’s my opinion that we should encourage the Toa to get along with each other as much as possible.

Matau: How are we going to do THAT?

Nokama: You could start by telling your Toa to stop making passes at my Toa.

Matau: Lewa does not make passes at Gali!

Nokama: I’ve SEEN him, Matau.

Matau: Gimme a break. He’s just being playful. Besides, she likes it. It makes her laughsing. Has she ever grumblegriped to you about him?

Nokama: No, but…

Matau: Well, there you go. We could all use a laughgrin around here once in a while.

Nokama: Humph! It just isn’t dignified.

Onewa: Nokama, you could use a vacation, too. You’ve been working so hard to keep your girls out of

100 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee trouble.

Nokama: Some help YOU are, Onewa! The Bohrok were bad enough, but now I have Huki and Hafu snooping around Ga-Koro. I can’t get any rest.

Onewa: It’s not my fault my boys are so handsome.

Nokama: Grrrrr.

Vakama: Nokama, you really DO need a vacation. Forget what I said about work first. We’ve got almost two months until the next comic comes out. How would you like to come to Ta-Koro? The sunset is so beautiful from the big volcano.

Nokama: Sounds nice, but isn’t Ta-Koro kind of… hot?

Onewa: Come to Po-Koro instead, and see why your girls like it so much there! We have sculpture, and koli, and more!

Nokama: Great, but isn’t Po-Koro rather… dry?

Whenua: Come to cool, damp Onu-Koro, then, you’ll like it. I’ll dig you a swimming pool!

Nokama: Thanks, but isn’t Onu-Koro sort of… dark?

Matau: What you need is a tourtrip of our new Hoi sanctuary. You’d joysmile. And then we’ll have a highbranch concert for you.

Nokama: How sweet. But Le-Koro is awfully… high up above the ground. I know! Let’s take a fishing trip!

Onewa: You mean in that – little boat of yours?

Nokama: Yeah! It’ll be great.

Matau: Um, I think I’d better hardwork on getting Le-Koro cleaned up from the evildark Lehvak attack.

Whenua: Yeah, Onu-Koro is really a slime pit right now. Gotta get back there and help dig it out.

Onewa: Must fix the main gate. And get those statues back up.

Vakama: So many blocked lava flows to open up.

Nuju: [click] [whistle] [buzz]

Matoro: Nuju invites you to go ice fishing in Ko-Wahi, Nokama. Kopaka found a frozen lake when he was trying out his new skates.

Nokama: That sounds great! Let’s go as soon as the meeting is over.

Onewa: Oh, man! Well, you’d better bring back some fish.

Vakama: Yeah, if you’re not back by sundown, we’re coming after you.

Nuju: [click] [beep] [whistle] [buzz] [click]

Matoro: I can’t tell them THAT, sir! They’ll – um, will you please excuse us for a moment? [whispers to Nuju]

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Nuju: [beep] [cluck] [hum] [beep]

Matoro [clears his throat]: OK, Nuju says that you are being very disrespectful of Nokama, and you should stop.

Matau: Guys, we’re fearworried over nothing. Matoro is going to be there! What could happen?

Onewa: Good point. Say, Whenua, I’d be happy to help you Onu-Koronans with the mud, and then you could send some guys to help us with our gate. I bet Taipu and Hafu could get those statues back up if they work together.

Whenua: Sounds good, Onewa. And if the Tohunga can’t do it, Onua can! Come on over after the meeting.

Vakama: Matau, we could spare a few soldiers for your cleanup, too. And they could help you de-brief all those Le-Koronans who got kranaed.

Matau: Thanks, Vakama. That would be quite a friendfavor. We’ll come over and aidserve you however we can after that. And then you and I could watch the sunset on the big volcano.

Vakama: Gaaaaah!

Matau [laughs]: Just kidding, big guy.

Vakama: I sure hope so. OK, we have one more thing to take care of here. Item 5. Medals. Onewa has suggested we award our Matoran heroes somehow. Like Takua. We’re so proud of him in Ta-Wahi.

Matau: Is that why you bootkicked him out last year?

Vakama: We didn’t kick him out! He left!

Matau: Whatever.

Nokama: How about a protodermis disc to put on the wall of their huts?

Onewa: Sounds good. I’m also thinking Hafu and Nuparu should get one.

Nuju: [click] [squeak] [buzz]

Matoro: Nuju says that would be entirely appropriate.

Vakama: Whenua, can you take care of it?

Whenua: I’d be happy to. As soon as we dig out the blacksmith shop, we’ll make the discs.

Vakama: Great. Then let’s adjourn. May the Great Beings shower you all with blessings.

Nokama, Onewa, Matau, and Whenua: And you, also.

Nuju: [click] [whistle]

Matoro: Nuju says, and you also.

Nuju: Come with me, Nokama, let’s go to Ga-Koro first to pick up your tackle box. Matoro, go on back to Ko-Koro, I’ll see you later.

Vakama, Onewa, Matau, and Whenua: NOOOOOO!

Nokama: What is the matter with you guys? We’re going FISHING! GaliGee, you trust me, at least,

102 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee don’t you?

GaliGee: Of course I do, Nokama. Have fun on your fishing trip! You all should get a little rest before the next enemies show up. I think you’ll need it. And thanks for letting me listen in.

Nokama: Thanks, we will, and you’re welcome. Bye! [click]

Knowing the Turaga, they won’t be relaxing for long. The cleanup of Mata Nui is underway, and their wise leadership will be needed again. Thanks to TheFormerlyBlindMan2, Kikua, and GregF for ideas.

103 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

The Powerless Toa Nuva [Posted by MataNuiHero]

Mafu: Hi, everybody! Today I’m going to give the Toa Nuva a call, and ask them how their search for the Nuva Symbol thieves is going. *phone dialing*

Tahu: Hello?

Mafu: Hello, Tahu? This is Mafu. I’m a BZ-Koronan, and I’d like to interview you for BZPower.

Tahu: Sure, Mapu.

Mafu: Thanks! But, um, it’s Mafu.

Tahu: Whatever.

Mafu: So, have you spotted the symbol thieves yet?

Tahu: No, we’re still following these footprints. We know they’re Bohrok of some kind.

Pohatu: But not your garden-variety Bohrok.

Lewa: Who would want to grow Bohrok in their garden?

Gali: It was a figure of speech, Lewa.

Lewa: Well, if it’s as nice as YOUR figure… Aww... You're so cute when you're mad-- *whack* Nnghh... *thud*

Mafu: What was that?

Pohatu: Lewa collapsing, Mabu.

Mafu: Oh. But it’s Mafu.

Pohatu: Whatever. Um, Gali, he doesn't seem to be breathing any more.

Gali: Are you implying that's MY problem?

Pohatu: You broke him, you fix him.

Gali: Oh, all right.

Tahu: Wait, Gali. I don't think you should be the one to do CPR on him. You might get water in his lungs.

Kopaka: Yeah, that would just hurt him more.

Pohatu: Are YOU volunteering?

Tahu: Uh, no, I might burn him.

Kopaka: And I might freeze him.

Onua: Why is everyone looking at ME? I saved him the last 523 times! It's someone else's turn!

Pohatu: Gali, just revive him, will ya?

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Gali: *sigh* All right. *takes deep breath* GAAAAAH! Let go of me, Lewa!

Lewa: You love me! You really love m-- *whack* Nnghh…

Pohatu: Oh, great, Gali. Just great. Now he's REALLY dead.

Tahu: Well, if he isn't, I can fix that.

Onua: Put your blades down, Tahu. Besides, they don't work anymore.

Tahu: Oh, thanks for reminding me.

Onua: You just have to know how to deal with Lewa.

Lewa: *laughing uncontrollably* Stop it! Ahahahaha! Stop it!

Onua: Tickle him. It works every time.

Lewa: You're gonna pay, Shorty!

Onua: Hey! Stop-- *laughing* --that!

Gali: Weren't we doing some kind of interview with that Nafu fellow?

Mafu: Um, yes, we were. But it’s Mafu.

Gali: Whatever.

Mafu: Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask--

Onua: Don’t look now, but we have visitors.

Gali: Stay your claws, Onua. It’s just some Bohrok.

Onua: I don’t have claws anymore, Gali. Besides, if I did, I would keep them moving, because it’s— what are those things?

Lewa: It’s the Bohrok-Kal!

Kopaka: What are Bohrok-Kal?

Lewa: The elite Bohrok that have stolen our symbols and are going to try to use them to free the Bahrag from their protodermis prison.

Gali: How do you know that, Lewa? That sounds kinda goofy to me.

Lewa: The Krana that was on my face keeps in touch with me, he's sick of being stuck to the floor in the Bahrag's cave, so I said I’d help him out if he gives me tips on anything he can pick up.

Tahu: My Krana hated me, it thought I was too bossy...

Kopaka: New Bohrok? Man, LEGO isn’t being very original! Why can’t we have new villains, with nasty slug-like creatures inside their spiky backs, and staffs that create rage and fear in their enemies or something?

Onua: Be careful what you wish for, Kopaka.

Tahu: I recognize that one. It stole my symbol!

105 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Tahnok-Kal: This may come as a shock to you, but…

Gahlok-Kal: …you Toa just have a fatal attraction to us.

Nuhvok-Kal: And you’ll fall for us again.

Lehvak-Kal: We just blow you away.

Kohrok-Kal: At the very sound of our voices…

Pahrak-Kal: …your hearts are melting. *all the Kal burst out laughing*

Tahu: This has gone on long enough. You’re going down!

Nuhvok-Kal: No, YOU’RE going down. *humming noise*

Tahu: Unngh. I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!

Gali: Leave him alone! *thud*

Tahu: Gali, if I weren’t stuck to the ground at the moment, and you didn’t feel like you weighed five hundred pounds, I would be liking this… *thud* *thud* *thud* *thud* Ughhhh… But… that… doesn’t… apply… to… the… rest… of… you…

Kohrok-Kal: *rustling paper* Hey, guys! Look at this! We aren’t supposed to kick the Toa’s behinds until Comic #10! We’re early!

Lehvak-Kal: Oops!

Gahlok-Kal: Well, then, you Toa just forget you ever saw us. Ta-ta! *shuffling feet*

Tahu: Can you guys get off me now?

Pohatu: But I was enjoying this moment of togetherness.

Tahu: GET OFF ME! Well, all of you except for Gali.

Gali: Very cute, Tahu.

Tahu: Well, I did polish my armor before I left home—

Gali: As in, NOT!

Tahu: Are you mad at me or something?

Kopaka: Duh, Tahu.

Tahu: You stay outta this, Four-Eyes.

Kopaka: Excuse me? I now have only two eyes. I got my vision corrected by the protodermis.

Mafu: Are you guys OK?

Onua: You’re still there, Matu?

Mafu: Yes, I was hoping to get an interview in somehow. But, um, my name is Mafu.

Onua: Whatever.

106 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

Mafu: So, how are Takua and Jala? Aren’t they with you guys?

Takua: Hi there!

Jala: Hello!

Mafu: Hi, you two! You did a great job defending the villages while the Toa were gone. How is the trip?

Takua: Oh, you know me, I love to travel.

Jala: Me, too. Especially since the Toa keep letting us ride on their shoulders.

Takua: All I have to do is threaten to write about the goats, and Pohatu gives me a ride! Works every time!

Mafu: Oh, that’s mean.

Lewa: We always knew Pohatu was a chick magnet. But he never told us about the goats.

Pohatu: GRRR! *whack* *clang*

Gali: Oh, for crying out loud. Stop acting like—boys!

Kopaka: Luckily the rest of us are too mature for that sort of thing.

Gali: I seem to remember busting up a fight between you and Tahu recently, dear.

Kopaka: He started it!

Tahu: Nuh uh, HE started it!

Kopaka: Nuh, uh, HE did!

Gali: WHY ME?

Mafu: So, er, can I ask a question now?

Pohatu: Sure, Magu. Go ahead. Wait, YOU aren’t going to write about the goats, are you?

Mafu: It’s Mafu, for the umpteenth time! And now I think I WILL!

Pohatu: NOOOO!

Voice: This is Mata Nui MobiLink. Due to lack of timely payment, your mobile phone service will be temporarily cut off. Please forward payment to our central office, and your service will be restored. Thank you, and have a nice day. *click*

Mafu: Hello? Hello? Oh, well. Hopefully Vakama will take care of that for him. So, there you have it— the powerless Toa Nuva. Let’s wish them the best of luck in their quest! This is MAFU, signing off.

107 Interviews with Bionicle Beings GaliGee

QUOTE (Kyron @ Mar 31 2003, 08:22 AM) HEH! HEH! thats funny...Almost as good as a GaliGee Interview...

Verrrrry insightful, Kyron... because it IS a GaliGee interview! I ghost-wrote this for MNH, just to see what kind of an effect the fame of the writer has on the number or replies. And the answer: a lot.

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