Run, run away!
Toa Metru Matau's legs pounded beneath him as fast as he could force them. He tried flying once more, but the wind not only ignored his command; it laughed in his face.
Toa of Air, the breeze whispered, not so great without me, are you?
"Why... are you... doing this?" Matau gasped, still running around and around the track. Mangled, wrecked vehicles lay scattered across the floor, tripping him and getting in his way.
For fun, came the hissed reply.
"Oh, great. For a timemoment, I was troubleworried you were going evilbad." Matau said in between breaths, every syllable dripping sarcasm. "Now I headknow you're just cruelmean."
Save your breath for running, Toa, the wind mocked. Run, run away. He's gaining on you. Run.
The creature chasing him snarled in rage, saliva dripping off it's six-inch fangs. It ran on all fours, like a Rahi, but the face bore a much more intelligent rage than a mere animal. How Matau knew that, he wasn't quite sure because he dared not look back and check, but he did know it. Hearing the sound of it's footfalls grow nearer, he pushed himself harder to get away.
Away to his left, somewhere in the darkness of the track, he heard Vakama yell in pain. "Firespitter?" Matau called back, accidentally slowing his pace.
"Matau!" Vakama shouted in anger. "You did it again! You've ruined everything!"
The Toa of Air barely dodged a lunge by his pursuer. "Yeah, well, now I feel much less heartinclined to helpgive," he muttered.
"Matau?" a lovely female voice cried. "Matau, where are you?"
"Nokama!" Matau's heartlight skipped a flash. "I'm here... I'm right here. Where are you?"
"Behind you!"
Matau struggled to comprehend that and slowed again. "But... the rahicreature--"
"--is me!" Nokama called sweetly. "Don't run away! Please."
"I don't want to fearrun from you, Nokama, but that thing isn't you." Matau pleaded, still running down the endless test track.
For a moment, the only sound was his own light footsteps and his ragged breathing. Then, sobs echoed in every corner of the Le-metru hub. Nokama was crying. Abruptly, Matau planted his feet and turned around. Whatever happened, no matter the danger, he would never leave Nokama alone and crying.
With a snarl of hate, the creature sprang on him and ripped his Kanohi Mahiki off with it's bird-like talons. It stank of filth and decay and poison. Pain ripped through his side as it's talons gouged his chest armor.
"Nokama!" Matau yelled. "Quickstop! It's me; you're hurting me!"
The creature's mouth twisted into what was supposed to be a smile. "She was never here, Toa." The voice was eerily familiar. "There is only you and me. And soon, only me."
Matau pitted all his strength against the attacker, but to no avail. Without the wind, he was powerless. "What are you?" he screamed.
"Look me in the face and tell me you don't know," the creature chortled mirthlessly.
Against his will, against reason, Matau stared straight into it's eyes. "NOOOO!"
- - - - -
"Matau!" Nokama shook her teammate's shoulder. "Wake up!"
He shuddered, opened his eyes and recoiled. "Ahh!"
Nokama Hordika rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot."
"Oh, Nokama," Matau groaned, rolling over and sitting up, "thank Mata Nui it's you."
"You were screaming. I thought I'd better stop you before you brought all the Visorak on top of us," she chuckled. "Onewa and Nuju have gone to take their turn on watch. You can go back to sleep."
"No!" Matau said quickly. "I'm never dreamsleeping again."
The Toa Hordika of Water shook her head sympathetically. "Nightmare? We're all getting them. What sort of freak monster was it?"
Matau stared. "How'd you know it was a monster?"
Nokama smiled drily. "Because every other time I've woken you up, you've asked me if I do it because I care."
"Oh, yeah. That."
"So what kind of Visorak was getting you?"
"Not a Visorak, a monster," the Toa Hordika of Air corrected. "A very scarybad, evilgrin monster."
"Makuta," Nokama muttered, cursing under her breath.
Matau shook his head. "Worse. I was the monster."
-S
Edited by Steelsheen, Jan 26 2013 - 05:50 PM.
