Tunnel of Darkness

"Tunnel of Darkness" is not an official name.

The subject of this article has not been officially named. The term "Tunnel of Darkness" either reflects how the subject has been referred to in-story or is an unofficial name popular among fans.

"I thought that tunnel we went through was just a natural phenomenon, something that doused lightstones. Now I'm wondering if maybe all illumination wasn't actually being devoured. And if that wasn't enough to send a bearer of light running home, we come here, where light is actually repelled."
— Nuparu, Dark Destiny

Tunnel of Darkness
Location
Status	Dismantled
Position	Between Metru Nui and Karzahni

The Tunnel of Darkness was a light- and sound-absorbing tunnel that lies between Metru Nui and Karzahni.

History

On their journey to help the Toa Nuva on the island of Voya Nui, a company consisting of Jaller, Matoro, Nuparu, Kongu, Hewkii, Hahli, and Toa Takanuva encountered the tunnel. Takanuva entered the tunnel to scout ahead, leaving the Matoran outside. He used his Elemental Power of Light to surround himself in a glowing aura in hopes of improving the visibility inside. When he entered, his aura vanished, and then failed upon attempting to remake it, discovering that all of his elemental and Kanohi powers were useless. With the tunnel being so dark, Takanuva became disoriented and was unable to escape. The group of Matoran became impatient for Takanuva to return, and decided to go in after him. Jaller entered the tunnel with Kongu and Hewkii, telling Hahli, Matoro, and Nuparu to wait thirty seconds after his group entered the tunnel to follow.

Their Lightstones lit, Jaller's group entered the tunnel. Hahli noticed that their Lightstones could no longer be seen, prompting her to hold her Lightstone into the tunnel. When she did this, her Lightstone too, was extinguished. Pulling it back, she saw that it was again alight. Nuparu offered her a length of cable, telling her to tie it around her waist, so that the three Matoran would be linked together, as well as to keep talking once they enter the tunnel, so that they could follow each other by their voices.

Right as the group was about to enter the tunnel, Matoro stopped them, telling them that Turaga Nuju had said that the way to Voya Nui was "through a land of the dead." Hahli, not believing this, reassured Matoro and the group entered the tunnel. After the group entered, Matoro was unable to hear Hahli talking, as she was told to. Finding this unnerving, he shouted for her to speak up, but he could not hear himself either. Matoro stumbled in the darkness and felt someone grab his hand, then helped the unknown figure to his feet. Feeling a tug on the cable around his waist, he followed it out of the tunnel into the light, where Takanuva and the other five Matoran were waiting. Realizing he did not know whose hand he was holding, he quickly turned to look, but the hand that had been in his was gone. The being was later revealed to be a physical projection of the Kanohi Ignika, which had chosen Matoro as a potential bearer; it was testing Matoro's willingness to trust and help someone even if he was not certain who or what it was.

After Teridax's death and mass evacuation of the Matoran Universe, the Tunnel of Darkness, along with all other locations, was dismantled to make shelters and villages.

Appearances

Books
Novels BIONICLE Legends 2: Dark Destiny BIONICLE Legends 5: Inferno (M)

Trivia

• Greg Farshtey has suggested that the Tunnel of Darkness may have been put in place by the Order of Mata Nui in order to prevent Av-Matoran from entering Karzahni.