Lunchables Comic 1
Drip…Drop…
Drip…
The sound echoed in the eerie cavern. Everything was black with an aroma of green wafting through the darkness.
Drip…
Drop…
Drip…
The chronicler felt the drops of a cool, unknown liquid hit her closed eyes. She appeared to be having a nightmare as each drop was met with
Shake…
Shudder…
Jolt…
Finally Hahli’s eyes opened. Cold; she was cold as she lay there on the solid rock floor.
Where… Where am I?
Hahli was groggy, as if she had awakened from a rough night’s sleep. Slowly, she started to slide her body up while she put a hand to the forehead of her mask, likely to nurse a headache.
“…I see you’re awake…”
A chill shot down Hahli’s spine. She froze completely, unable to make the slightest noise.
And then they attacked.
Eel-like creatures shot from the darkness and grabbed Hahli around her wrists and ankles. They squeezed tightly, spreading copious amounts of venom from their bodies. It took all Hahli could not to scream.
“Who… who are you? Why are you… doing… this…?” Hahli wasn’t sure why she was speaking.
Hahli was greeted with a malicious cackle.
“I must apologize, my dear,” the voice was as deep and dark as an endless abyss, “but you see, it has been so long since I have been in the light of day. Not even I have the privilege of gazing upon my beauty, and so I have no identity outside of shadow.”
Hahli could feel the venom spreading slowly across her body.
“Others… others must have… seen you.” Hahli couldn’t explain it, but with each word she felt distracted from her doom. There was no other logical reason to partake in conversation.
“Nothing that speaks has ever gazed upon my face and lived.” The voice had a distinct pride, yet somehow it felt lonely.
Hahli let out a grunt as the slug creatures tightened their grip. She prayed that a toa might arrive and save her. Try as she might, there was little she could do to fight the creatures. They were too large to wrestle away from.
“Do not worry… It will all be over soon.” The voice said softly.
“Yes, it will.” Hahli didn’t recognize this voice, but it was feminine and boomed like thunder. Looking around the cavern, she saw a wall of what appeared to be a silvery liquid. From it emerged two beings; both toa!
Thank Mata Nui- Hahli’s thoughts were cut off by the venom. She could feel it slowly climbing up her limbs and approaching her torso.
“Makuta!” The voice was the same as the one from earlier. It belonged to a green and blue toa with silver wings and a claw with three piercing blades.
***
Hahli was nervous. If everything was a dream, it was indeed a strange one. She had just become a toa, in fact, she was certain she was a matoran moments before. She was in a canister headed for Voya Nui when she was greeted by a green and blue toa with silver wings. Hahli had been told that she was needed; that her entire existence depended on this one mission. It seemed simple enough; rescue a single matoran. Of course, that was her thought before she learned the identity of their enemy.
Her orders were these; “Free the matoran and protect her. I’ll handle Makuta.”
Hahli ran up to the matoran bound by the strange snake-like creatures. She recognized them as kraata, a vile breed of rahi.
Even so, is it really right to take their lives?
She knew from the start she had no choice. She was ordered that this mission was of upmost importance; that anything in the way was to be removed.
The matoran let out a gasp, no doubt in pain.
Hahli raised her harpoon with hesitation, unsure of what would happen. As she concentrated a small ray of water encased in lightning seared one of the kraata. Hahli shuddered as it let out a final scream. She continued to remove the others as her new friend was battling in the background.
***
Hahli was used to seeing in the dark. Her eyes had adjusted underwater in the depths of Mahri Nui. And while that adventure in the sea had ended, it still had left Hahli with a deep scar that was far darker than anything in this cavern.
A deep cackling resonated from all over.
“So, you decided to show up. How thoughtful.”
“Save the pleasantries, monster. I’m not here for idle chit-chat.” Hahli closed her eyes and tried her best to pin-point the shadow’s location.
I swear, Makuta. For my home, for my friends, for my life; for everything I have lost I will destroy you.
“Come now. We have so much to catch up on.”
There!
Hahli spun and fired her cordak blaster without warning. The explosion lit up the cavern for a brief moment. She could see a small figure in the darkness, its face concealed.
Hahli ran towards that direction and slashed with her claw. She missed.
“Show yourself!” She barked deafeningly.
After the booming echoes of Hahli’s voice died down, a strange noise was heard. It was like metal and skin rubbing against the floor’s surface.
“Look out!” Hahli heard her blue and white companion call out.
Hahli turned around, and came face-to-face with an enormous cobra.
Hahli fired her cordak blaster. The missile hit its head and became dizzied. Without hesitation, Hahli followed her attack with a wave of water that hit with great force. The beast toppled over, flailing on the ground. The monster recovered, however, and did not wait to wrap its tail around the toa’s waist.
Hahli jabbed her claw into the tail. The monster flailed the toa against the floor in response. Suddenly the creature was met with a blast of lightning. The cobra’s glowing red eyes faded. Its body followed suit and disappeared into the darkness.
“Stay on alert, and don’t leave her side!” Hahli shouted to her blue and white companion. Though she was grateful for the help, she would have preferred to handle things herself. After all, she brought that toa along only to guard the matoran, not to fight the darkness.
***
Hahli felt sick. Her limbs throbbed and she still felt as if the venom was eating away at her body. She stood next to the blue and white toa, dazed and confused.
Maybe this isn’t even real… Maybe it’s all just one big hallucination…
She tried, but could not snap out of her haze. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to rest.
A small roar, like distant thunder filled the room.
“Where is he?” The toa next to Hahli inquired, raising her harpoon.
“Shh!” The other toa chided.
“…ring…” Hahli was mumbling something.
“What was that?” The toa whispered.
“Shh!” Again the toa chided.
“Purring… like a Muaka… Purring…” Hahli mumbled. But why was she mumbling that?
Just then a tiger pounced from the darkness and grabbed the matoran in its mouth.
“No!” The silver winged toa shouted and raced in the tiger’s direction. She fired two shots from her cordak blaster. Both of them missed their target.
The other toa managed to grab hold of the beast, and Hahli saw the toa pull herself to the top of its back. She charged her harpoon and fired directly on the back of the tiger’s neck. The beast ran askew and collapsed to the ground. Its body vanished into green smoke. Taking a breath, the toa helped Hahli to her feet and they moved back towards the toa with silver wings.
“You were supposed to protect her!” The winged toa snapped.
“I did protect her! She’s safe.” The toa said incredulously.
“Getting snatched by that… thing isn’t something I’d call safe.” Her voice exploded. “Just stay out of the way and do your jo-“The searing cry of a hawk cut the toa off.
The toa didn’t wait to fire her rocket at the ceiling in search of the enemy.
“Stop!” The toa with the harpoon rushed to quell the other’s launcher before she fired again. She pulled down on the winged one’s arm and stopped her. “You’ll bring the entire cave down on top of us if you keep that up! Let me help you.”
“Let go!”
The hawk’s cry came again.
“We’re out of time; trust me!”
The winged toa was out of options.
“… Alright, what did you have in mind?”
It was at this point that Hahli realized that the two toa had the same voice. Well, they weren’t the same. One was far more rigid than the other. It sounded as if it had been hardened over time.
“I’ll light the cave, you fire.”
“… I only have one shot left.”
“Then let’s make this count!”
***
Hahli concentrated on her hands. She had created lightning before, so if she could just get one blinding flash of light…
Come on, come on… She was still new to her powers.
The hawk’s cry grew louder.
A sphere of water appeared and within it a spark. And then another.
The hawk’s cry was piercing.
And then the lightning came.
“Got it!” Hahli cried, but just then the hawk swept down and seized her mask. Hahli’s concentration broke and her orb of lightning and water vanished. That made her curious as to why the cavern was flooded with light.
The hawk faltered in the air, blinded by the light.
The winged toa didn’t hesitate; she couldn’t ask for a better shot. The hawk took a direct blow of the cordak missile and it exploded to smoke in a magnificent flare.
“We did it!” Hahli shouted as she put her kanohi back over her face. In turn, the cave returned to its dark state.
Hahli extended a fist towards her toa companion. The winged toa was sheepish, but she returned the gesture with her own fist.
“…You two are quite a handful. I was worried today would be dull” a dark voice mused.
“Show yourself, Makuta! Show your true form!” The winged toa’s voice was still thunderous.
A crash sounded and the entire cavern shook.
“What was that?” Hahli had a very bad feeling.
“…It’s here… It… is angry… It won’t… be… stopped…” the matoran mumbled again. She was shaking violently, perhaps in fear. But Hahli was determined. She would face this new danger just as she had faced the previous three.
An enormous claw pressed itself into the ground. The beast was giant; the body of a tiger, the wings of a hawk and the tail of a serpent with the heads of all three.
This is impossible! How do we defeat three monsters united into that giant beas- … United?
Hahli shot a glance to her toa companion. She shot the same look back. It appeared they were thinking the same thing. They both gave a nod to the other and stepped forward.
“Unity!” They both shouted in unison. Their forms began to glow and bend together. They emerged; a being with four arms, silver wings, a lightning canon and a claw harpoon.
“This ends now,” The being spoke in a calm yet determined demeanor.
***
Hahli felt like she was going to die. The venom was spreading through her torso now and neared her heart light. Looking up, she saw a tremendous battle take place before her. The four-armed being was firing lightning at the giant beast. The cobra’s tail was dashing towards the being while its great front claws slashed and kicked. The being was very swift, however and was holding out fine.
But Hahli couldn’t stay awake anymore. She collapsed and fell into a deep, deep sleep.
***
“It’s over…” The being was about to land its final blow; a direct hit onto the collapsed monster with its canon. Just then, something snapped the being apart with a tremendous Crack!
Hahli gasped for air.
What… just happened?
“You’re too late, toa.” The vile villain venomously sneered. The giant monster vanished into smoke.
“What… What’s happening?” Hahli’s blue and white companion was vanishing in little white particles. It looked as if she were turning into snow. It wasn’t long before she disappeared entirely.
“No! … Hahli!” Hahli quickly rushed to the matoran’s side and lifted her into her arms. “Hahli, wake up!”
The matoran did not respond.
Tears streamed down Hahli’s face. She could feel herself fading from reality.
“I… I failed… I’m so sorry…”
Drip…
Drop…
And then silence…
***
Hahli’s eyes opened. Her mind was blank. She sat up and awaited orders.
Makuta appeared before her. He did not have three heads. He was not a cobra, not a tiger nor a hawk. He was a matoran with an infected Hau.
“Tell me, Hahli; am I a monster?”
Hahli shook her head side to side, emotionless.
“Tell me; do you hate me?”
Hahli again shook her head. She had now seen Makuta and now she had lost her ability to speak.
A thought then rang in Hahli’s head.
“Nothing that speaks has ever gazed upon my face and lived.”
Hahli dismissed the thought. Her mind was blank.
***
“Cecilia! Come on, dear, it’s time for lunch!”
The young girl snapped out of her trance and dropped the lego set in her hand. She had been engrossed in her imaginary story. Her room was lined with old toys and comics that once belonged to her older brother.
“Cecilia! I made noodles and schnitzel, your favorite!”
“Coming!”
***
A note from the author: Okay, so this story is very different from normal short stories. I debated whether or not to post this in comedies, as I did have a very comedic ending to this originally. However, I did not wish to get this story moved to Comedies, so I shied away from my original ending and instead decided to make the cut-off a little more dramatic. I made this story for a few different reasons:
-To further explore Hahli’s character (or at least how I picture her character)
-To further practice jumping from character to character in a story
-I actually have a serious message here
I’ve seen members get pretty engrossed in the canon story of Bionicle a lot. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not always a bad thing, and I love the canon story too, but sometimes I just get the feeling that people brush aside imagination and innovation with the story. Granted this one is very bizarre, but just because the events of this story are impossible, does that mean it’s terrible (if it is it's because of my poor writing skills. XD)? I used to just play with my Bionicle sets as a kid being goofy (and I still do that with them today. XD). I think it’s important to see things not just as “the canon is the only acceptable story” but also to be innovative, creative and to see through the eyes of a child making the impossible possible. Not to say I don’t enjoy stories that fit into the canon (I very much do enjoy a good read along those lines). Not everything in fanfiction has to have an explanation that fits into the canon, and I’ve seen writers make up excuses and convenient means to justify their story. I’ve seen this lead to having the authors have to explain or defend their stories, and sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Still, just remember it’s a toy line for kids. Not everything is made to be taken so seriously.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this! ^^
Oh! And why did I decide to go with this title? Well, we were told in the contest to be smart about our titles and to not use this one. So, obviously, when someone told me "no" I wanted to find a way to make the impossible happen. ^^' Of course this wasn't my entry for SSC8, but I still wanted to write this story anyway.
In other news, I've got three topics here now, so I'm going to cool down on submitting stories for now. Once my stories drift into the abyss of page 2 and beyond, I'll be back. XP
Edited by Tekulo: Toa of Gales, Jan 23 2012 - 01:49 AM.
