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Description
A massacre has occurred. A race wiped out. As the smoke clears and the sun starts to set two glowing eyes peer out from the shadows of a crate sitting in the corner of a hut lying in ruins, bodies of the fallen species scattered across the floor. The eyes take in the sight in front of them in horror, still shaken from the ordeal as they had witnessed the brutal act as it was carried out. For days these eyes have watched from the crate, waiting for when the murderers would return to finish their work. All is quiet now, all but the sound of breathing within the crate and slight shuffling as the eyes readjust from time to time.
The lid of the crate slowly opens with a loud creak and the eyes split as they emerge. Two cyclozine children, one yellow and the other green, poke their heads out and hold their breath, the smell of death is overwhelming in the room. The green child covers his mouth and holds back tears as he gazes at the now lifeless bodies of his parents. The yellow child tries to comfort his friend as best he can.
“Vitae...I'm so sorry…”
“We…..should of tried...to help..them..” Arborvitae manages to say between sobs.
“We couldn't do anything to those guys if we tried. They were too powerful…we'd be just like them…” Sorbus nods to the bodies.
“Do….do you think they're still around?”
“Only one way to find out. You wanna look or me?”
“Sorbus are you crazy?! What if one spots us?” Arborvitae covers his mouth, hoping no-one heard him.
“We'll know if they're out there if we don't come back…”
“But I don't... want to be alone..”
“Then let's hope they're gone so you won't be.”
Sorbus climbs out of the crate and stretches. He’s tired of being cramped up in a small space with his friend. “I'll go out and look around. You stay here. I'll come get you if you don't find anything.”
Arborvitae quietly nods and ducks back down into the dark crate, shutting the lid with a creak. He watches through the cracks in the of the wood as his friend walks out of the room and immediately starts to imagine all the possible scenarios that could take place from here.
There is an eerie silence in the air as Sorbus walks the streets of the once lively village. He tries to ignore the bodies littering the roads and the interior of huts he passes by. Everything he had ever known is now in shambles. Everyone he knew is gone. ‘It's just me and Arborvitae now...but….maybe some of the others managed to get away?’ he thinks to himself as he peers around the corners of the each home on every street, expecting to find someone.
Several hours have passed now and little Sorbus has lost his hopes. He had searched the entire village, but wasn't able to find one survivor. He starts heading back to Arborvitae's house to collect his friend when everything falls silent, even his footsteps. Sorbus stops and stomps the ground with his foot a couple times, but there is no sound. Already feeling uneasy he starts to panic. ‘Was this them? Have they come back? What happened to the sound?’
“Hello little one. I have been looking for you.” A deep voice booms from behind him.
Sorbus whirls around, terrified. He is met with golden armored legs. Slowly he follows them up until he is met with a being wearing a strange mask. His first instinct is to run away and he turns to do so, but the being grabs him by the arm, with a firm, but gentle grip.
“Let me go! Please don't kill me!” Sorbus pulls to get away from the stranger.
“I mean you no harm….unlike those who came before me.” The stranger kneels down and places his hands on the young cyclozine’s shoulders.
“You're one of them! Why would I believe you?” Sorbus clenches his fists and his breathing quickens.
“I have come to save your species. You are the last of your kind now….I was too late to save the others..”
Now Sorbus is confused and rather curious as to what he could mean by that. “You knew those toa would attack and kill everyone? How? What do you mean?”
The stranger lightly taps the odd mask on his face. “This is the great Kanohi Vahi. I am from 15 years in the future. I had only recently learned of this tragedy and made it my mission to save at least one of the cyclozine species. You being that one. I have stopped us in time in order to prevent interference in my mission.”
Sorbus takes a moment to let that sink in, but has trouble believing him. “How do I know you're telling the truth?”
“Allow me to show you.” With one swift movement he scoops up Sorbus and activates his mask. The world around them distorts and images fly past them. Sorbus watches them pass in awe and wonder as he clings onto the stranger’s arm holding him. A few seconds later and they appear to shoot out of a tube as reality twists back to normal. Sorbus looks around to find he is no longer in his village, but now in a cave somewhere in the mountains.
“Whoa! What just happened? Where are we?”
The stranger sets him down. “Welcome to the future. We are now in my home, a cave dwelling in the mountains of Iconix.”
Sorbus freezes and starts to panic again. “No I have to go back! My friend was back there!”
The stranger gives him a solemn look. “I'm sorry...but I cannot go back to the same time twice lest it corrupt the timeline.”
Sorbus’ shoulders drop. “B….but what's gonna happen to him?”
“If he is still alive, then there is a chance you could find him again. But for now it is safer for you to stay here with me.”
“I don't want to! You can't make me stay here, you're not my parents!”
“No, but I am your protector now. So you must listen. Now, you should get some rest. You look as if you haven't slept in days.” The stranger gestures to a bed.
Sorbus sighs in defeat and walks over to the bed. He was right, he hadn't slept since the massacre took place and now he realizes just how tired he really is when he lies down and instantly falls asleep. The stranger walks over and covers him with a blanket.
“Someday you will thank me for my interference in the timeline.”

Description
A massacre has occurred. A race wiped out. As the smoke clears and the sun starts to set two glowing eyes peer out from the shadows of a crate sitting in the corner of a hut lying in ruins, bodies of the fallen species scattered across the floor. The eyes take in the sight in front of them in horror, still shaken from the ordeal as they had witnessed the brutal act as it was carried out. For days these eyes have watched from the crate, waiting for when the murderers would return to finish their work. All is quiet now, all but the sound of breathing within the crate and slight shuffling as the eyes readjust from time to time.
The lid of the crate slowly opens with a loud creak and the eyes split as they emerge. Two cyclozine children, one yellow and the other green, poke their heads out and hold their breath, the smell of death is overwhelming in the room. The green child covers his mouth and holds back tears as he gazes at the now lifeless bodies of his parents. The yellow child tries to comfort his friend as best he can.
“Vitae...I'm so sorry…”
“We…..should of tried...to help..them..” Arborvitae manages to say between sobs.
“We couldn't do anything to those guys if we tried. They were too powerful…we'd be just like them…” Sorbus nods to the bodies.
“Do….do you think they're still around?”
“Only one way to find out. You wanna look or me?”
“Sorbus are you crazy?! What if one spots us?” Arborvitae covers his mouth, hoping no-one heard him.
“We'll know if they're out there if we don't come back…”
“But I don't... want to be alone..”
“Then let's hope they're gone so you won't be.”
Sorbus climbs out of the crate and stretches. He’s tired of being cramped up in a small space with his friend. “I'll go out and look around. You stay here. I'll come get you if you don't find anything.”
Arborvitae quietly nods and ducks back down into the dark crate, shutting the lid with a creak. He watches through the cracks in the of the wood as his friend walks out of the room and immediately starts to imagine all the possible scenarios that could take place from here.
There is an eerie silence in the air as Sorbus walks the streets of the once lively village. He tries to ignore the bodies littering the roads and the interior of huts he passes by. Everything he had ever known is now in shambles. Everyone he knew is gone. ‘It's just me and Arborvitae now...but….maybe some of the others managed to get away?’ he thinks to himself as he peers around the corners of the each home on every street, expecting to find someone.
Several hours have passed now and little Sorbus has lost his hopes. He had searched the entire village, but wasn't able to find one survivor. He starts heading back to Arborvitae's house to collect his friend when everything falls silent, even his footsteps. Sorbus stops and stomps the ground with his foot a couple times, but there is no sound. Already feeling uneasy he starts to panic. ‘Was this them? Have they come back? What happened to the sound?’
“Hello little one. I have been looking for you.” A deep voice booms from behind him.
Sorbus whirls around, terrified. He is met with golden armored legs. Slowly he follows them up until he is met with a being wearing a strange mask. His first instinct is to run away and he turns to do so, but the being grabs him by the arm, with a firm, but gentle grip.
“Let me go! Please don't kill me!” Sorbus pulls to get away from the stranger.
“I mean you no harm….unlike those who came before me.” The stranger kneels down and places his hands on the young cyclozine’s shoulders.
“You're one of them! Why would I believe you?” Sorbus clenches his fists and his breathing quickens.
“I have come to save your species. You are the last of your kind now….I was too late to save the others..”
Now Sorbus is confused and rather curious as to what he could mean by that. “You knew those toa would attack and kill everyone? How? What do you mean?”
The stranger lightly taps the odd mask on his face. “This is the great Kanohi Vahi. I am from 15 years in the future. I had only recently learned of this tragedy and made it my mission to save at least one of the cyclozine species. You being that one. I have stopped us in time in order to prevent interference in my mission.”
Sorbus takes a moment to let that sink in, but has trouble believing him. “How do I know you're telling the truth?”
“Allow me to show you.” With one swift movement he scoops up Sorbus and activates his mask. The world around them distorts and images fly past them. Sorbus watches them pass in awe and wonder as he clings onto the stranger’s arm holding him. A few seconds later and they appear to shoot out of a tube as reality twists back to normal. Sorbus looks around to find he is no longer in his village, but now in a cave somewhere in the mountains.
“Whoa! What just happened? Where are we?”
The stranger sets him down. “Welcome to the future. We are now in my home, a cave dwelling in the mountains of Iconix.”
Sorbus freezes and starts to panic again. “No I have to go back! My friend was back there!”
The stranger gives him a solemn look. “I'm sorry...but I cannot go back to the same time twice lest it corrupt the timeline.”
Sorbus’ shoulders drop. “B….but what's gonna happen to him?”
“If he is still alive, then there is a chance you could find him again. But for now it is safer for you to stay here with me.”
“I don't want to! You can't make me stay here, you're not my parents!”
“No, but I am your protector now. So you must listen. Now, you should get some rest. You look as if you haven't slept in days.” The stranger gestures to a bed.
Sorbus sighs in defeat and walks over to the bed. He was right, he hadn't slept since the massacre took place and now he realizes just how tired he really is when he lies down and instantly falls asleep. The stranger walks over and covers him with a blanket.
“Someday you will thank me for my interference in the timeline.”