The Time Slip

The Time Slip was a period of approximately six months that was deliberately erased from the memories of nearly every inhabitant of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control.. The erasure was carried out roughly 60,000 years before the awakening of the Toa MataWho are the Toa Mata?Six warriors built to order by Artakha, stored in canisters, dropped into the ocean. This is the origin story of Bionicle's heroes and why their first week of work was entirely amnesiac. on the island of Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., and its purpose was to conceal a single concealed operation: the dispersal of the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. population of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. across the universe by the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. as a long-term insurance measure against the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.. The erased months were not recoverable through normal recollection. Historical records of the period were also destroyed.

The threat that prompted the operation#

The Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe. operated as the covert intelligence and enforcement arm of the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna., founded by HelryxHelryxHelryx was the first Toa created by the Great Beings, founder of the Order of Mata Nui, and commander of its covert war against the Brotherhood of Makuta. at the request of Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. and tasked with the long-term preservation of the universe. Among the threats the Order tracked was the Brotherhood of MakutaThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit., whose species composition placed them in a category of beings the Order judged uniquely dangerous. The MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. were creatures of shadow, and beings of shadow were known to be particularly vulnerable to one specific countervailing force: light.

The Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets., the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of Light, were the only MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. population whose elemental affinity directly opposed the MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate.. The full population of Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. lived together in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., the core of the universe, where they had carried out the labours that prepared the region to supply energy to Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.. The concentration meant that the population was both the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s greatest potential threat and its most easily neutralised one. A single coordinated strike on Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. by the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. would, in principle, eliminate the species and remove the principal natural counter to MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate. power.

The Order's judgement was that the population needed to be scattered before the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. developed the will or the means to attempt that strike. The dispersal had to be completed without the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. learning of it, and without the dispersed Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. themselves remembering enough of their origins to expose the concealment under interrogation.

The dispersal of the Av-Matoran#

The Order removed a significant proportion of the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. population from Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. and resettled them across the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. over the period of about six months that would later become the Time Slip. The relocated Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. were taught a single critical technique by the Order: how to alter the way others perceived their armour, so that the natural white and gold of Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. appeared instead as the colours of whichever village they had been resettled into.

The training was specific to participants of the operation. An Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. trained in the technique walking through Ta-MetruTa-MetruThe fire district where Ta-Matoran perfected their craft and powered Metru Nui's industry for thousands of years. would be seen by every observer as a red-and-yellow Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui.. The disguise was perceptual, not physical: the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. retained their original armour beneath the apparent colour, and the elemental potential associated with the species remained intact in latent form. The technique was sufficient to defeat the casual recognition that would otherwise have placed an Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. outside Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. and triggered investigation by the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. or its agents.

The most consequential individual placed during the dispersal was TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light., the first MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. created by the Great BeingsThe Great BeingsScholar-inventors of Spherus Magna whose creations shaped the Matoran Universe and whose absence defined the conflicts that followed. and a personal friend of the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. TanmaTanma, Av-Matoran Resistance Leader of Karda NuiTanma was the Av-Matoran who took command of the Karda Nui resistance after Kirop's corruption, partnered with Lewa Nuva during the Phantoka campaign, and led the evacuation that carried the surviving Av-Matoran to Metru Nui. and SolekSolekSolek was an Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who fought alongside the Toa Nuva against the Brotherhood of Makuta during the final battle for Mata Nui's awakening.. TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. was disguised as a Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui. and resettled in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive., where he ran a small side business trading souvenirs from across the city and developed the reputation for wandering that would later define his life. The disguise held so completely that TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. himself, after the memory erasure, had no awareness that he had ever been an Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets.. He believed himself a Ta-MatoranTa-MatoranThe Fire-element Matoran of Ta-Metru and Ta-Koro, forgers of masks and Kanoka, lava farmers, and the standing core of the Ta-Koro Guard during the war for Mata Nui. for the duration of his life in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. and his later life on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years., and the truth of his origin returned to him only when he donned the AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva. and was transformed into TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history..

The relocation also reached other Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. who would be linked to TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light. later. SolekSolekSolek was an Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who fought alongside the Toa Nuva against the Brotherhood of Makuta during the final battle for Mata Nui's awakening. had been TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light.'s best friend prior to the Time Slip, but the erasure of TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light.'s memory severed the recorded friendship entirely from TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light.'s perspective. SolekSolekSolek was an Av-Matoran of Karda Nui who fought alongside the Toa Nuva against the Brotherhood of Makuta during the final battle for Mata Nui's awakening.'s recollection of the friendship was preserved within Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., where the non-participating Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. and the Order retained their memories.

The erasure#

When the dispersal was complete, the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. himself erased the memories of the past six months from every being in the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. outside the Order. The erasure was total in scope. MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body., ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed., TuragaTuragaFormer Toa who fulfilled their destiny and transformed into leaders. Turaga wield Noble Kanohi masks and weakened elemental powers, guiding their communities., RahiRahiThe Rahi were the biomechanical wildlife of the Matoran Universe, built largely by the Brotherhood of Makuta, ranging from background fauna to engineered war beasts., and the populations of the various species across the universe lost the same six months in a single coordinated working.

Two exempt categories preserved their memories. The first comprised the members of the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe., who had planned and executed the operation and whose continued knowledge was operationally required for the long-term management of the dispersed Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets.. The second comprised the non-participating Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets., the portion of the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. population who had not been resettled and who remained in the core. These Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. retained their full memory of the period, including the departure of their kin and the arrival of the Order's training instructors.

Beyond the memory erasure, the historical records of the six months were also destroyed. The destruction of the records can be presumed to have been the work of the Order, executed in parallel with the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s mental working, since the Order was the principal organisation with both the access and the motive to suppress the documentary trail. The combination of erased memory and destroyed records meant that the Time Slip was not recoverable by any normal investigative method. Beings who lived through the period had nothing to recall, and the historical record contained nothing to reconstruct.

The Brotherhood and the unsuccessful precaution#

The strategic premise of the Time Slip was that the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. would never learn of the dispersal and would therefore never adapt its plans to neutralise the scattered Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets.. The precaution succeeded for tens of thousands of years. The BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s long-running plan to overthrow the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna., the operation that culminated in TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna.'s usurpation of the Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. body, was conducted in apparent ignorance of the scattered Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. population. The MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. themselves were eventually rediscovered by the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit., but the wider dispersed population remained outside the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s active calculation.

When the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. invaded Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. following its rediscovery, the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. found there were subjected to the shadow leechShadow LeechMutated Kraata designed to drain light and corruption. Created by Mutran and allies, they transformed dozens of Matoran before the Energy Storm wiped them out. program of MutranThe Mutran Chronicles: The Brotherhood Experimentalist's Account of Visorak, Rahkshi, and the PlanThe serial record left by the Makuta Mutran of the Brotherhood's transition from Rahi-makers to conspirators, including the experiments that produced the shadow leeches and the campaigns that exposed the Visorak and Rahkshi to the universe., which converted them into Shadow MatoranShadow MatoranAv-Matoran corrupted by the Makuta in Karda Nui, drained of Light and weaponized with shadow powers. of the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s side. The damage to the resident Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. population was substantial, and the Toa NuvaToa Mata and Toa NuvaSix biomechanical heroes created by the Great Beings to awaken Mata Nui and defeat the Brotherhood, transformed once and tested across an entire age. campaign in Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. was conducted in large part to recover and restore those Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. before the Energy StormsEnergy StormsThe raw-energy maelstroms that filled Karda Nui whenever Mata Nui was awakened, incinerated the Brotherhood of Makuta contingent at the climax of the Final Battle, and supplied the Great Spirit Robot with the energy it needed to function. that accompanied Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s awakening destroyed the region. The scattered Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. of the Time Slip dispersal, however, were not affected by the Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. campaign in the same way, because the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. had no knowledge of where they were.

The most decisive demonstration that the precaution had worked came with the elevation of TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history.. The BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. had spent millennia preparing for the prophesied appearance of the seventh ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed., the ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. of Light, without realising that the MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. destined for the role had been hidden in plain sight in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. and then on Mata NuiMata Nui (Location)An island created by accident on the Great Spirit's face, home to the Matoran for a thousand years. since the days of the Time Slip itself. The MatoranMatoranThe most abundant species in the Matoran Universe, chosen by Mata Nui to inhabit and maintain his cosmic body. was TakuaTakuaAn Av-Matoran hidden on Mata Nui as a Ta-Matoran, who gathered the Toa Stones, served as Chronicler, and ultimately accepted the Avohkii to become Takanuva, the Toa of Light., whose Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. identity had been concealed by the Order's perceptual training and erased from his own memory by the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna.'s working.

The Order's broader pattern of concealment#

The Time Slip was the largest single act of historical concealment attributed to the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe., but it was not the only one. The Order undertook a comparable operation after the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit. invaded the land of ArtakhaArtakhaArtakha was the master craftsman of the Matoran Universe, ruler of a hidden island, and the forger of the Toa Mata, the Avohkii, and the Kraahkan.. At the ruler's request, the Order eliminated all knowledge of the island's location: maps were altered or destroyed, and beings who knew of the location, including Order members themselves, were taken and disappeared. The pattern of operation matched the Time Slip in method. Information that the Order judged dangerous was suppressed at scale, by a combination of memory work and the deliberate elimination of carriers and records.

The Order's willingness to apply universe-wide memory erasure and to call on the Great SpiritMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. himself for the working was characteristic of its general posture: covert, far-reaching, and willing to override the autonomy of every being in the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. when the long-term survival of the universe was judged to require it. The Time Slip was the most consequential application of that posture in the recorded history of the Order, and the operational success of the concealment vindicated the method in the assessment of the Order's leadership.

Legacy#

The Time Slip remained one of the deepest secrets of the Matoran UniverseMatoran UniverseA civilization of biomechanical beings living inside a colossal robot, destroyed when Teridax seized control. until the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. invasion and the elevation of TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. drew portions of the truth into the open. Even then, the operational details remained known only to the Order, to the non-participating Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. of Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui., and to the small number of beings, including TakanuvaTakanuvaHidden among the Ta-Matoran as Takua, the disguised Av-Matoran who became Takanuva was the sole Toa of Light produced in the Matoran Universe's full history. himself, to whom the truth was eventually disclosed.

The six months of erased history were never recovered. The lives lived during the dispersal, the conversations held between Order operatives and the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. they relocated, and the routine experiences of the wider population in that period passed permanently out of the historical record. What survived was the outcome: a universe in which the Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. had been quietly scattered, the BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood of MakutaAn organization of Makuta created by Mata Nui to police his universe and build Rahi, later seized by Teridax and turned into the instrument of the Plan that overthrew the Great Spirit.'s strategic picture was permanently incomplete, and a single concealed Av-MatoranAv-MatoranThe Light-element Matoran, prototypes of their species, who colonised Karda Nui from the Southern Continent and built the Stalactite Villages above the Swamp of Secrets. in Metru NuiMetru NuiThe city beneath Mata Nui functions as the Great Spirit's brain, housing the Matoran whose labor keeps the god alive. was destined to become the ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. of Light who would carry the AvohkiiAvohkiiThe Avohkii is the Mask of Light, a golden mask that granted its wearer the power of Light and the ability to spread understanding. It was worn by Toa Takanuva. into the MangaiaMangaiaThe hidden stronghold of Teridax beneath the island of Mata Nui, containing Energized Protodermis and connected to the Bohrok Nest. and confront TeridaxTeridaxTeridax orchestrated a thousand-year scheme that ended with him occupying the Great Spirit Robot itself before his death on Bara Magna. in the final phase of the Mask of LightKanohi Mask of Light and ShadowA single fused Kanohi formed in Energized Protodermis when Takanuva and Teridax merged into Takutanuva, holding both light and shadow at once. crisis.