Tahu, Master Of Fire Options

[GaliGee]

Thanks, Huriko!

Tahu, Master of Fire

Chapter 1: Novice

An explosion shattered the silence of the deserted beach. The heavy lid of a large metal canister was blown several bios away, and mechanical parts were scattered randomly across the sand. But the intense mind that controlled those parts did not leave them in disarray for long. Soon they were drawn together and snapped into place. The new creature, standing straight and tall, placed a mask on his face and felt a rush of energy run through his body. He looked down at himself and his bright red and orange colors. He stared at the sword in his right hand and admired the twisted shapes that made up the blade.

“Here I am,” he thought. “Now what am I supposed to do?” He lifted the sword and swung it through the air. “This tool… I wonder how it works.” He pointed the blade at the sand. He felt his body begin to heat up. The surge of energy passed from his chest through his arm and into the sword, which started to glow red-hot. Flames shot out of the tip, melting the sand into glass. He stared in amazement at the shiny, hard patch at his feet. He reached down and ran his hand across the warm, smooth surface.

The creature stood again. “I am master of fire!” he cried joyfully.

He directed his newfound power at the sea. He watched the water hiss and boil as his fire met the surface. A great cloud of steam rose into the sky. Then he discovered he could melt through rock. He sliced a boulder into neat chunks. And he set fire to a patch of grass, breathing deeply as the smoke drifted over him. He found the hot, acrid smell very pleasant.

Over and over he practiced. He found he could regulate his own body temperature by force of will, to start or stop a blast of searing heat. And he fine-tuned his ability to control his fire. He could spray a wide blast of flames, shoot discrete fireballs, or direct a focused beam onto a target.

A sea bird flew overhead. As he watched it soar, it occurred to him that his tool could be used as a weapon. He shot a fireball just ahead of the bird, and it burst into flames and plunged into the water. “Oh, no,” thought the fire being. “I’ve killed an innocent creature!” He knew somehow that this was wrong, and he ran to the edge of the water. The bird surfaced, struggling, close to the shore. He stepped into the water and picked it up. The water felt strange and cool. He quickly backed up onto the sand again. Stroking the bird’s head, he looked at its charred wing. The damage was not severe. The bird hopped off his hand and flapped awkwardly away. “Well, that’s a relief,” he sighed. “I must be careful with this gift of fire.”

But soon he would have reason to use his sword as a weapon. He scanned the horizon, and saw a glow through the charred trees that stood a few hundred bios from the beach. Instinctively he was drawn toward it. He turned and walked in the direction of the glow. Suddenly he heard a buzzing noise, rapidly growing louder. He looked up to see three huge insects flying directly at him. They were two or three times his size. First he tried to sidestep them. But they turned to follow his movements. And there was nowhere to hide. So he raised his blade and shot a wave of flames at them. They fell, burning, to the ground. He carefully stepped up to the closest one. Its claws lunged for him, but it was disabled, so he easily jumped out of its way. He noticed the shiny black body, the colorful beaklike nose and tail, and the masks it wore over its eyes. They were pitted and slimy. He recoiled from the unpleasant stench. But instinct drove him to approach the beasts again, and, using his sword, he knocked off their masks. Then he kicked them into a pile, well away from the fallen creatures, and set them on fire.

“So I can use my fire to defend myself,” he remarked. “But that doesn’t seem like enough reason to have it. Perhaps someone else needs my protection.” The dim fragments of a dream began to fill his mind. “Someone like me, only smaller and weaker. Someone who has been crying out for deliverance for a long time.” He shook his head. He knew he had to find these people. And he headed once again for the red glow.

He stepped into the burned forest, looking cautiously from side to side. Occasionally the noise of a bird, obscured by the velvety darkness, broke the silence. He moved slowly to minimize the crackling of dead twigs under his feet. Then he was startled to see pointed stakes rising all around him, converging into a conical cage. Angered, he felt his temperature rise, and he ignited his sword. He slashed off the tops of the poles, freeing himself. He saw a crowd of small creatures coming over the hill toward him. They were of the same colors he was and held red staffs with flame-shaped tops. Unsure of their intentions, he extended his sword, ready to fight. But then something surprising happened. A taller creature with a larger weapon ran to the front of the group and knelt in front of him.

“Why is it doing that?” he wondered. “Doesn’t it see the danger?” Then he realized that the creature was putting itself deliberately at his mercy. And he lowered his sword.

“I am Vakama, Turaga of Ta-Koro, village of fire,” said the being, his orange mask almost touching the ground. “And you are Tahu, Toa of Fire.”

“If you say so,” replied Tahu slowly. “Fire would appear to be my specialty.”

Vakama stood. The small soldiers raised their weapons and cheered. “He’s here! Toa Tahu is here at last! Hope is alive!”

Tahu smiled. A wave of memories from his dreams washed over him. These were the people he was to protect! He kicked over the stakes and stepped out of the trap. He looked from one pair of expectant eyes to the next. They clearly had a lot of faith that he would solve their problems. And he had every intention of doing so. His heart filled with pride and excitement.

Vakama spoke again. “We have much to discuss, Toa Tahu. Please follow me to our village, and I will tell you everything I can about this place, and what you must do here.”

“Gladly, Vakama. I am honored to be at your service.”

The Turaga looked at Tahu intently. “Service? Ah, yes. But we will serve you in whatever way we can as well.”

Tahu put his sword on his back and walked beside Vakama toward the glow in the distance. It grew brighter, shining through the gaps in the blackened trees. As they walked, Vakama explained the prophesy of the Toa, six mighty warriors whose coming to the island of Mata Nui brought hope of victory over the evil spirit Makuta. Each Toa would wield an elemental power, as well as the power conferred by his Kanohi, or mask.

“This mask has a power?” asked Tahu.

“Yes. It is the Hau, the Great Mask of Shielding. When you activate it, it will deflect any attack you see coming. Try it!” Vakama jabbed his fire staff directly at Tahu’s face.

The startled Toa willed his mask to work, and was amazed to see the weapon bounce harmlessly off what seemed like an invisible shield around him. “That’s wonderful!” he exclaimed.

“And you, and the other Toa, will collect more of these. They are all over the island, some in places of great danger. And there are Noble Masks, like those of us Turaga. This is the Huna, the Noble Mask of Concealment.”

Tahu gasped as Vakama disappeared before his eyes and reappeared. Then the Turaga spoke again. “You will need these masks to defend the villages, and yourselves, against the minions of Makuta. He has put infected masks on the wild creatures, to turn them evil.”

“That must be why I was driven to burn the masks of those giant insects that attacked me on the beach,” said Tahu, whose own instinctive behavior had suddenly became clear to him. “Somehow I knew I was supposed to do that.”

“The Great Beings, who created us all, and this whole world, have prepared you in many ways for your task,” explained Vakama. “You must have fought some Nui-Rama. There are several types of Rahi. That trap you were briefly caught in was intended for some of them.”

“You said ‘villages.’ Presumably there are several?”

“There are six, just as there are six Toa, and six elemental powers. Fire, water, stone, ice, earth, and air. Each has a Turaga, or elder, like myself. And each has a distinct way of life. The Matoran of the different villages are linked by commerce, sport, and the need to defend ourselves. But most of the time we keep to our own villages. Ours is built next to the great Mangai volcano, which we farm for heat to use as an energy source for the whole island.”

Tahu listened carefully to all the Turaga said. It was as if the whole world were unfolding before him. And from time to time, a memory of a dream surfaced to corroborate Vakama’s words.

“The water village, Ga-Koro, is entirely female,” remarked Vakama. “But they defend themselves well, for being slightly weaker than we are.”

“Female?” asked Tahu.

“You’ll see,” shrugged the village elder. “They are… just different. In a nice way.”

They stepped out of the woods, and Tahu’s eyes widened as he saw a large stone structure with many openings, standing on an island in the middle of a river of molten lava. So this was the source of the glow. There was a bridge made of large boulders leading to the main gate. He breathed the sulfurous fumes and smiled. “The village of fire. Aptly named.” He turned and looked behind him at the volcano whose flows fed the slow-moving river.

“Yes, we are a people of fire. Heat and light are what we love.” Vakama led him across the bridge. The guards on either side of the gate saluted respectfully. Tahu saw joy in their eyes as they looked at him.

As they entered the compound, Tahu scanned the large courtyard -- the windows of the many-story dwellings facing it, the carvings, and the stacks of weapons. Guards were exercising in unison. Other villagers scurried about, pushing wheelbarrows. Torches flickered in every corner. Tahu was overwhelmed by the stark, fiery beauty of the place, and immediately felt as if he had arrived at a long-lost home. “What’s that round thing?” he asked, pointing to a shiny dome-shaped object about two bios across.

“That’s your Suva,” replied Vakama. He explained the function of the shrine, including its final glorious task. “There you will get your Golden Kanohi, after you find all the masks. Jala!” he called. A Matoran with a yellow mask like Tahu’s approached. “Toa Tahu, this is Jala. He is the commander of the Ta-Koronan Guard. He is available to give you any help you need.”

Jala bowed deeply. “We are so grateful for your arrival,” he said solemnly. “Anything we can provide is yours for the asking.”

“Thank you, Jala,” Tahu nodded. “And what are those two villagers doing?”

Vakama followed the Toa’s gaze out one of the portholes in the wall. “They are lava surfing.”

Tahu watched in fascination as the little Matorans rode metallic boards across the lava lake. “Your people really are enamored of fire,” he remarked.

“Not my people. Our people,” corrected Vakama. “They are yours, too, now.”

“Of course,” Tahu smiled. “Our people.” He liked the sound of that. “I want to try that lava surfing. If you’re all done with me, that is.”

Vakama inclined his head. “There will be time for more talk later. Go ahead, I’m sure they would be glad to show you. Just step on one of the bridge stones, and we will lower you to the lake.”

Tahu walked past the gate and stood on a stone. He heard the groaning noise of heavy machinery, and he felt himself sinking toward the lava. He stepped off the stone onto the ground at the edge of the magma. The two surfers rode their boards over to Tahu.

“Great Toa Tahu!” they exclaimed, bowing.

“No need to bow,” he laughed. “Just show me how to do that, please.”

“It will be an honor!” grinned one of the Matoran. “I am Raku. And this is Lito. You take your board, and you jump on it, heading downstream. Hold out your hands for balance, and shift your weight to steer. Like this.” He pitched his board in the stream and leaped onto it. Deftly he swerved right and left, spun around, and beached a few dozen bios downstream.

“Would you like to try?” asked Lito, handing Tahu his board.

“Sure. Thanks.” Tahu tossed the board into the lava and jumped on. After wobbling a bit, he got his balance, and found he could steer easily on the small board. He ran it aground and got off. He walked back to Lito and gave his board back. Then Tahu turned to a rocky crag and ignited his fire sword. The Matorans recoiled. “It’s all right,” the Toa reassured them. “I’m just making myself a bigger board.” He sliced off a long piece of basalt from the outcrop and put his sword on his back again. The wide-eyed villagers watched him throw it into the lava and leap on. Tahu’s momentum gave him a good start. But it wasn’t fast enough for the Toa of Fire. So he took his blade and put it into the lava stream at the back of the board. He raised his temperature, and the sword propelled him forward. He zoomed away behind the village, reappeared on the other side, ran the rock onto the ground, and hopped off. Because of the heat of the lava, the edges of the board had melted, and it was smaller than when he began.

“That was amazing, Toa Tahu!” exclaimed Raku. Lito just gasped in awe.

“Well, I have a bit of an advantage,” Tahu smiled, patting his sword. He replaced it on his back. Then he tossed the stone into the magma. “What happens if you fall into that stuff?” he asked.

“Oh,” replied Lito, wincing. “It’s really dangerous. That happened to Kapura once.”

Raku continued the story. “He slipped, and his leg got covered in lava. It hardened, and we had to chip him out. It was very painful.”

“He doesn’t surf much anymore. He’s learning a new skill instead.”

“I see. Well, I suppose I should go learn some more from Vakama. Thank you for the lesson. Surf safely!” Tahu stepped onto one of the stones of the bridge and looked up. The stone rose, and Tahu walked back into the village.

Vakama was waiting for Tahu. “That was quite impressive. I am looking forward to seeing more of your powers.”

Tahu laughed. “I don’t know why, but somehow the danger of it was very exciting.”

“It is as the prophesy said. You are like us, only more so,” remarked the Turaga. “We like warmth, you want extreme heat. We like thrills, you crave danger.”

“Perhaps the Great Beings made me that way so I can defend you without fear,” inferred Tahu.

“You learn quickly, great Toa,” Vakama replied. “To maximize your power, each of you Toa completely exemplifies his element.”

“Please tell me more about the other Toa,” said Tahu.

Vakama listed their names, elements, and mask powers. “And I’m glad you asked, because you must go meet them now. The prophesy says you will find each other on Mount Ihu, the ice-covered peak at the center of the island. Go to Jala’s office, and he will show you on the map.”

Soon Tahu was heading for Mount Ihu. Despite his rapid pace, he couldn’t help but notice the amazing range of beautiful scenery on the way. He passed through lush green coastal areas and dense jungle, which transitioned into pine forest as the altitude increased. From the foothills, he could see rocky lowlands and starkly beautiful desert. And in the distance was the shimmering blue sea, bright as a jewel in the sunlight. Finally, he began to ascend the great mountain. He climbed over a ridge and saw, sitting on a rock a short distance away, two Toa much like himself, one green and one blue. He walked over to them, and they stood up.

Tahu stared intently at the blue one. She moved differently than any other creature he had seen, with smooth, fluid ease, carrying herself with a serenity that was at once calm and powerful. Tahu looked at her until her gaze met his. Her yellow eyes were full of questions. He remembered the name Vakama had told him. “You are Gali,” he said.

“Ah, thank you,” she replied simply. She smiled at the green Toa. “So that’s my name. Gali.” But Tahu continued to watch her. She glanced at him again and stepped back. “Your element must be fire.”

Tahu, suddenly aware that she was uncomfortably hot in his presence, quickly lowered his temperature. “Yes. My name is Tahu.”

“Who am I?” asked the green being.

“You are Lewa, Toa of Air,” answered a white creature with a sword and shield. He was standing on the cliff above them. “My Turaga told me about all of you. The people here have been expecting us.” He alighted on a rock next to the others. He was followed by a brown Toa with powerful-looking legs and feet, who landed with a thud that shook the mountain and sent masses of snow sliding downhill.

The white Toa pointed his blade at the moving snow, and it froze in place. “I am Kopaka, Toa of Ice. This is Pohatu, Toa of Stone, and you must be Onua, Toa of Earth,” he continued, pointing at a black Toa who had emerged from the ground next to Lewa and was brushing dirt from his rugged arms with his claws.

“I am Tahu, Toa of Fire,” added Tahu quickly, not wanting this cold white stranger to speak for him -- or for the fascinating blue Toa, either. “And this is Gali, Toa of Water.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Pohatu. The other Toa nodded their greetings.

Tahu glanced around the gathering. He admired the different masks and weapons of each. “This is a group of powerful warriors, indeed,” he smiled to himself. “All it needs is someone to speak for it. And that might as well be me.” He took a deep breath. “We are as yet strangers to one another. But we know that we share an important destiny, protecting this island and its people. I have had a glimpse of what our enemy can do, and it will be a challenging task. I see that we are well equipped for it.”

“Who is this enemy?” asked Lewa.

“Our enemy is the powerful evil spirit Makuta,” replied Tahu. “He has intimidated the people by fitting infected masks to the wild beasts of the island, so that they will attack the villages.”

“Defeating him will not be easy,” remarked Kopaka. “Like us, he controls the elements, as well as the infection that turns the animals against us. We must collect the Great Masks of Power before we can confront him.”

Tahu glanced at Kopaka and continued. “These Kanohi, which resemble those we all have, are scattered across Mata Nui. Each one gives the wearer a new power. The Turaga know many of their locations, but we will have to hunt for others.”

“When you find a mask, place it over your original one,” explained Kopaka. “The masks will merge. And then you can switch at will from one to the other. Like this.” Tahu watched, astonished, as Kopaka’s Akaku morphed into a Hau, turning his fellow Toa into what looked like a white version of himself. Then Kopaka changed back to his first mask.

“And when you find one, a replica of the new mask will appear on your Suva, in your village, where you will go to receive your Golden Kanohi when you have all six,” finished Tahu.

Gali spoke hesitatingly. “And then… we will be ready to fight this Makuta?”

Onua nodded. “And then we will fight Makuta. What are the powers of your masks? Mine, the Pakari, is the Great Mask of Strength.”

“Mine lets me levitate,” added Lewa, lifting himself about a bio off the ground.

“It’s called the Miru, Lewa,” said Tahu. “Mine is the Hau, the mask of Shielding. But you have to see the attack coming.”

“Perhaps you can use mine to help with that,” said Kopaka. “The Akaku, which gives the power to see through solid objects.”

Pohatu pointed to his mask. “The Kakama is the Great Mask of Speed.”

“And mine?” Gali asked, looking around.

“Yours is the Kaukau,” answered Tahu. “It allows you to breathe underwater.”

“Oh, that would explain--” Gali smiled shyly. “I see.”

Tahu realized he was staring at her again and snapped out of his trance. “So, we must find these masks, while defending our villagers and learning as much as we can to prepare for our battle with Makuta. There are also six Noble Masks, like the Turaga wear, which have useful powers as well. Shall we meet again after we have each found a few?”

“I’d really rather work alone,” said Kopaka. “I say we meet again after we find them all.”

Onua disagreed. “I have a feeling we’ll need to work together sometimes, and keep an eye on each other. But I think we can start off by returning to our villages, and using the knowledge of our Turaga to find as many Kanohi as we can.”

Lewa put his hand on Gali’s shoulder. “If you find any masks up high, I can get them for you, until you get your Miru,” he offered. “And if I find any underwater, you know I’ll call on you to--” Lewa glanced at Tahu and stopped. He took his hand off Gali and backed up a step. Tahu suddenly realized his temperature had been climbing as he watched Lewa. He wasn’t sure why, but Lewa’s familiarity with Gali was making him angry.

“On second thought,” continued Lewa, looking warily at Tahu, “maybe I’ll just learn to swim.”

Pohatu spoke, relieving the tension. “If we need to meet, I can act as a messenger,” he volunteered. “I can cross the island in the time it takes a stone to hit the bottom of this canyon.” He kicked a small rock off the edge of the cliff.

“Then we’ll get together again whenever we have something to communicate to the others,” concluded Tahu. “Until then, may the Great Beings protect you all. And best of luck on your quest for the Kanohi.”

The others nodded, and the meeting broke up. Tahu turned and began to walk down the side of the mountain that faced his village. He could see smoke rising from the lava flows, and he was eager to leave this cold land and get home. And he was anxious to start his quest for the masks. Kopaka had already found one. Tahu wondered how easy his would be to find.

He paused and looked back over his shoulder at Gali. She was climbing nimbly down the cliff face with her hooks. At one point she jumped, flipping backwards and landing gracefully on a rock outcrop. He shook his head. “I wonder why Vakama didn’t tell me what she is really like,” he mused. “Maybe it’s because she is impossible to describe.” He decided that whenever he had a chance, he would go out of his way to protect her, because clearly she was the most precious thing on Mata Nui. “And protecting others -- that is the whole reason the Great Beings have given me the mastery of fire.”



Reply topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Mar 14 2003, 11:24 AM

[GaliGee]

Chapter 2: Apprentice

Tahu placed the dull gray Kakama on his face. The mask vibrated gently and changed to bright red, its energy blending with that of his Hau. Each time he found a new Kanohi, he explored its new power immediately, eager to see how it might help him with his continuing quest and his defense of his village. This one he had found in the desert, lying in the sand. “Perfect,” he smiled to himself, looking around. “No obstacles. Time to race the wind!”

And off he went in a fiery streak of red. He criscrossed the sand, weaving around the sporadic sage bushes to test his skill, until he was out of breath. “The wind didn’t stand a chance,” he laughed.

The Toa of Fire sped homeward with his new prize. He was already imagining how it would enhance his ability to come to the aid of an ally in danger, or to dodge an enemy. He materialized at the edge of the magma river in Ta-Koro. Lito, who was lava surfing, was so startled he almost lost his balance. He ran his board onto the rocky bank.

"Did you see Toa Tahu?" he called excitedly to Raku, who was already staring at the strange sight.

Tahu laughed. "How do you like my new mask?"

"Wow," said Raku simply.

"Say, I have an idea," said Tahu. "Would you like to come with me while I try lava surfing with the Mask of Speed?"

"Oh, yes!" the Matorans exclaimed.

"Climb on my shoulders," Tahu beckoned. They did, holding their boards, and he ran halfway up the side of the Mangai. When he set them down, they looked around in amazement.

"That was great!" crowed Lito.

The magma was flowing hot, fast, and deep so close to its source. Tahu sliced a chunk of stone off a ledge. The Ta-Koronans had made several lava boards for Tahu, but they all ended up melted and twisted by the heat, because of his penchant for surfing the hottest parts of the volcano. So he resorted to using disposable boards, hewn from the stone on site. Soon he was sailing down the lava flow. He activated the Kakama just as he used the rapids to launch himself into a full air roll, and he disappeared in a red blur. The Matorans watched the lava splatter as he landed, then saw a trail of sparks fly down the stream. Tahu ran aground and, picking up his board, he streaked back uphill to where they were standing speechless.

"Go ahead, I'll surf with you this time," he urged.

The grinning villagers jumped on their surfboards. Tahu rode close to them, as they were not used to such a strong current. "This is fun!" yelled Raku.

"Thanks, Toa Tahu! We've never surfed this high up the volcano before!"

"Wait till we tell--" But Raku stopped when he saw his friend careen out of control. The Toa of Fire swerved and caught the Ta-Koronan and the board in his arms. He steered for the shore and set him down. Lito was trembling, his eyes full of fear.

"It's all right," Raku comforted him. "You're safe with Toa Tahu."

Tahu had himself never felt fear before, and he was concerned for his villager. He leaned over toward him. “I’m sorry, Lito.”

Lito took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm fine now. Thanks, great Toa."

Raku punched his arm. “He’s pretty tough.” The friends laughed.

“Let’s go again!” said Lito. The three rode further downstream. The villagers gained in confidence, laughing and weaving in and out of each other’s path. Then they stopped to rest.

“I’m getting hot,” panted Raku. “Can we just watch you surf for a while?”

“Sure,” Tahu smiled, turning back towards the flow.

“Look at my board,” marveled Lito. “It’s all warped.”

Raku studied at his own board. “Mine is, too. But I bet Nuparu can straighten them for us. He did that for Takua once.”

“Who are they?” asked Tahu.

“Nuparu is an engineer from Onu-Koro,” answered Raku. “He doesn’t have a high rank or anything, but everyone knows how good he is with metals. We always go to him when we need things repaired.”

“And Takua is a Ta-Koronan with a blue Pakari. He left the village to go traveling, and no one has heard from him in ages. He’s a fantastic surfer.”

“They sound like interesting friends,” remarked the Toa.

“Toa Tahu, your board is getting awfully small,” said Lito. “And it looks kind of thin in the middle.”

Tahu laughed. “It should be good for one more run. Besides, I live for danger.” Switching to the Kakama again, he jumped back on. The Ta-Koronans followed the red streak with their eyes, marveling at the spray of molten rock that seemed to spring up spontaneously from the stream. But suddenly they saw a huge splash. Only Tahu’s head, with his mask changing back to the Hau, was visible above the flowing lava. He yelled in pain and leaped out, flinging molten rock everywhere. His whole body writhed with the searing heat. As he stood on the bank gasping, the lava hardened into a solid casing of stone.

Raku panicked. “Oh, no! Toa Tahu!”

“He can’t move! Let’s get help!” Lito cried.

“Wait,” groaned Tahu. “Stand back.” He was furious with himself for not listening to Lito’s advice and making such a foolish mistake. Ignoring the burning pain, he raised his temperature until the rock began to melt from the inside out. Cracks formed in the casing, and then it burst. Chunks of red-hot stone tumbled off his body. The Matorans threw themselves on the ground before him.

“Get up!” Tahu shouted angrily. “I’m not a god!” The confused surfers stumbled to their feet. Tahu saw the alarm in their eyes and relented. “I make mistakes, just like everyone else,” he said gently. “All I did was get out of the trouble I just got myself into.”

Lito and Raku exchanged a look of relief. “We’re glad you’re all right,” said Lito.

“I should have listened to you, Lito,” grimaced Tahu, using his blade to slice off a new board. “Well, let’s get back home. You can ride on my back again if you like.”

The villagers, still completely confident in their Toa, accepted his offer. He surfed steadily downstream, and they rode quietly on his shoulders. Finally they reached Ta-Koro. Tahu set them down next to the bridge. “Thanks, Toa Tahu, that was so exciting! We’ll never forget it!”

“Nor will I,” replied the Toa with a wry smile. “And thank you. I learned something from you today.” The Ta-Koronans stepped onto the bridge and waved at the operator. The stones lifted them back up to the village gate.

Tahu walked up the hill and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. The physical pain from the burn had subsided, since he was naturally resistant to heat, leaving only disgust at his own error. “So much for my mastery of fire,” he moaned to himself. “That rock split right down the middle. I guess I got too confident. It’s a good thing those Matorans weren’t hurt by my recklessness.”

The Toa of Fire sat, lost in his thoughts, until he was startled by a strange red-orange blur. He leaped to his feet, his weapon ready for an attack. As he saw the outlines of Pohatu materialize, Tahu lowered his sword. He was glad to see a friend. “Hello, Pohatu. It’s good to see you.”

“Hello, Tahu. How are you doing on your quest?”

“It’s going well, thanks. Let’s see… I’ve found the Akaku, the Kaukau, the Matatu, the Ruru, and the Rau. And just this morning I found my Kakama.”

“The Kakama? Congratulations! Don’t you think it’s the best?” smiled the Toa of Stone.

“Not bad at all,” replied Tahu, grinning. “I see why you like it so much. How about you?”

“I’ve got the Hau, the Matatu, the Ruru, the Miru, the Akaku, and the Mahiki. You’ll love the Mahiki. I really had the Po-Koronans going with that one. They thought there were three of me!”

Tahu laughed. Pohatu had a way of seeing something amusing in every situation. He could imagine the confused villagers, looking back and forth between three Pohatus. “You must have had fun with that.”

“I did. Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but Onua has called a meeting near his landing site. I’ve already told Kopaka. Now I’ve got to find Gali and Lewa.”

“Since I have my Kakama now, too, I can help you,” suggested Tahu. “I’ll go after Gali.”

Pohatu looked at Tahu. “Yes, I’m sure you will,” he replied with a wink. “Thanks. I’ll see you there!” And he was off again in a blaze of red.

Tahu had been thinking about Gali a lot since their first meeting. It seemed as if his mind couldn’t help but drift in her direction. He had seen her from a distance a few times, and once, after he found his Akaku, he watched her swimming at great depth in the sea. She was intriguing to him, but it was more than that. Several times already he had encountered perils from which he had narrowly escaped. And he wondered about her, and whether she was safe. She was slightly smaller than the others, and she seemed so much more fragile. He was certain that if they teamed up, he could protect her, and she could help him. Whatever could withstand fire would yield to water. And whatever water couldn’t prevail against could be conquered with fire. As he raced toward Ga-Koro, he wondered whether or not to tell her about this idea.

Tahu materialized on the beach in Ga-Koro. In the distance, he heard the rumble of a landslide. “Oh, no, I hope she’s not in trouble,” he thought. “I’d better go see what that is.” The Kakama brought him quickly to the base of a rugged peak next to the sea, where his worry was confirmed. He found Gali surrounded by snapping Nui-Jaga. Even with her remarkable water powers she had no hope of attacking them all. He braced himself and sprayed a wall of intense fire at the predators.

“Tahu!” Gali called gratefully, as the flames died down. But she was still in danger. He saw a group of Tarakava coming out of the water on the other side of her. If he blasted them, he would hit her as well, so instead he warned her. “Gali, behind you!”

Gali’s flip wasn’t quite enough to get her out of reach of a Tarakava’s powerful arm, which hit her squarely in the back. With a groan, she lost consciousness and fell into the water. As she was washed up on the beach, she babbled deliriously. “Wait! I must know more!”

Tahu crouched next to her. “It’s all right, Gali. The Rahi have fled.” Though angry at himself for not saving her from the Tarakava, he was greatly relieved that she was not injured.

“Tahu? I had the strangest vision…”

“We can talk about it later. Onua has called a meeting – the others are waiting for us near his landing site.” He extended his hand to help her up.

Gali took his hand with her hook. “The Toa Kaita. We will merge into two powerful beings. Uniting our minds and bodies.”

“Gali, do you have the Kakama?” asked Tahu.

“No,” she replied. “Not yet.”

“Then why don’t you ride on my shoulders?” he suggested. “It’ll be faster.”

Gali looked into Tahu’s eyes with a start, as if she had just now become fully aware of his presence. “Sure,” she agreed.

Tahu felt the light touch of her hooks on his back and smiled, closing his eyes. As Gali climbed onto his shoulders, her weight shifted down, as if she had changed the density of her body by moving fluid inside it, to make it easier for him to balance. “That must be how she swims so well. She can change her buoyancy! What an amazing creature she is.” He found himself wanting not only to protect her, but also to keep her close to him. Tahu began to run, almost regretting the speed with which they moved, because it meant they would soon be at the meeting, and he would have to set her down.

The Toa of Fire thought about the different emotions he had experienced since arriving on Mata Nui. Anger was obviously useful, because it drove him to fight the evil minions of Makuta. Loyalty was important, because it motivated him to protect his villagers, despite the danger. So his feeling about Gali must have a purpose as well. Why would the Great Beings give him a feeling if he wasn’t supposed to act on it? He slowed to a stop in a clearing in the woods. Gali got off his shoulders and looked at him quizzically. “What is it?”

“Gali,” he said softly, changing to his Hau, “I think it is our destiny to be together.” He put his hands on her shoulders, which felt surprisingly solid.

“Of course, Tahu. The prophecies say we Toa all share a common destiny.”

“That’s not what I mean, Gali,” he replied. “Just you and me.”

She twisted away from him. “I don’t think… Tahu! It’s a Nui-Kopen!”

“Is she saying ‘no’?” he wondered. “I must ask her again.” He felt the heat surge from his body as he spun toward the flying menace and shot flames at it with his fire sword. He watched the giant insect plummet, burning and screeching, into the forest. He walked up to the thrashing Rahi and pulled off its infected masks. Returning to the clearing, he tossed each mask in the air and incinerated it with his sword. He looked for Gali, and when he saw a jet of water dousing the forest fire he had just caused, he realized she was wearing her Huna. “She has so much compassion for the dumb creatures,” he thought admiringly, as the dazed animal rose again above the steaming treetops and flew harmlessly away.

He walked over to the Toa of Water as she changed back to her Kaukau. On impulse, he did what he was yearning to do – he put his arms around her. She was delightfully cool in his embrace, with a scent like a fresh ocean breeze. But she sprang backwards out of his grip.

“No, Tahu, I – I don’t think it would be wise,” Gali stammered, gradually finding her voice. “We Toa form a perfect hexagon of elemental powers. If two of the vertices draw together, there is no more symmetry. And Makuta would be the only one to profit from any jealousy among us. The Nui-Kopen was a sign that we shouldn’t.”

As she spoke, Tahu suddenly recognized what he was seeing in her eyes. It was the same look he had seen in the face of the Ta-Koronan who almost fell into the lava. It was fear! He smiled reassuringly at her and forced his temperature down. “The Nui-Kopen is a sign you are safe with me,” he said.

“No one is safe on Mata Nui!” she blurted, turning and running through the underbrush. Tahu was puzzled. How could she fear of him? His strongest desire was to protect her. But she was fleeing from him, crashing carelessly through the forest with no Kakama. She would surely be ambushed by Rahi! Was she more afraid of him than of Makuta’s foul beasts? Tahu’s heart sank as he changed to his Kakama and chased her.

He materialized in front of Gali and found her ready to fight, her hooks in front of her face. He longed to feel the fragrant coolness of her in his arms again, but he didn’t dare touch her. He sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you. Will you at least let me give you a ride?”

She reluctantly agreed and climbed his back again. He could feel her shaking. For the first time, Tahu was sad. First he had frightened his own villagers, and now Gali. He felt a hollow pain in his chest. But with the Kakama, the journey was over quickly. They arrived at the meeting. Tahu stopped, and Gali immediately jumped down from his shoulders. She stepped between Onua and Lewa.

“There they are,” Pohatu smiled. “Now we can get started.”

“Sorry we took so long. We had some Rahi trouble on the way,” explained Tahu. “And then Gali put out the forest fire I started.”

Gali just looked at the ground. Tahu glanced at the others, and he saw a flash of anger in Kopaka’s eyes.

“Right. Well, it’s interesting that you said that, because that’s why Onua asked us to come here,” said the Toa of Stone. “Go ahead, Onua.”

“I felt it was time we met again,” began the Toa of Earth. “This place holds dangers we never dreamed of… maybe even more than any of us can handle alone.”

Gali looked up. “We need to learn to work together. Our future depends on it.”

“She does want to work with others,” Tahu thought dejectedly. “But I frightened her by being too forward. What a terrible mistake.”

Lewa was skeptical. “I don’t know. I’m still not much for teaming up.” But when a loud rumbling shook the forest, he turned to the others. “Then again, there’s nothing like a little togetherness.”

Onua’s eyes looked distant for a moment as he considered the vibrations coming through the earth. “That lava flow could destroy the entire island. You have the mask of speed,” he said to Lewa. “Can you get me there?”

Tahu watched them leave to divert the lava flow. For once, he was glad someone else was taking care of it. He looked at Gali again. She was flipping a Muaka overhead toward Kopaka, who froze it with his blade. And then he heard a whistling sound as a boulder flew past his head. Pohatu had kicked it at the Tarakava who were massing to attack behind him. He snapped out of his melancholy mood and turned to Pohatu. “Thank you, friend,” he said gratefully.

“No problem, Tahu,” replied Pohatu. “But that’s not the end of it. Look behind you!”

Tahu spun to see a wall of sand avalanching toward him. “Makuta turns this very island against us! But with only a fraction of my power… sand becomes glass!” He shot a searing beam of heat, and the front edge of the mass of sand solidified into jagged shiny chunks. But two Nui-Rama crashed through it and gripped his arms with their claws before he could recharge himself for another blast. They lifted him high into the air. “Too bad I haven’t found the Mask of Levitation yet,” he said grimly, “because the ground is a long way down! But perhaps… if I heat the air below me… it will slow my fall enough…”

“…that I can catch you with ease, Tahu,” finished Onua, as the Toa of Fire landed in his arms. “You should really seek out--”

“The Mask of Levitation. I know, I know,” said Tahu, rolling his eyes. “Thanks, that would have hurt.”

Onua smiled. “Makuta is proving my point for me.” They stood, ready to help if needed, as Gali summoned underground waters to blast two Nui-Jaga into the sea. Onua scraped up a huge ball of earth and threw it at several more Rama who were diving on the group. Then the scene was quiet again.

“Perhaps Makuta is discouraged by the way we are helping each other,” remarked Pohatu.

“For now, anyway,” replied Onua. “We have won our first battle… but there will be more.”

“We must be prepared to fight them, separately and together,” added Gali. “I had a vision of what we will become after we find the masks. We will combine our bodies and minds into two giant beings that personify the spirits of Wisdom and Valor. When the time comes, we will understand what to do.”

“That’s amazing,” marveled Pohatu. I almost feel sorry for Makuta, trying to take us all on.”

Even the Toa who preferred to work alone seemed to be won over. “I have no use for teams,” said Kopaka. “But I will assist when I’m needed.”

Lewa nodded. “Same here. The masks of power are as good as ours!”

Tahu sensed the need for a leader again, to speak for and inspire the group. He stepped forward, holding up his sword. “Then let Makuta tremble this day—we stand together until Mata Nui is free!”

The other Toa raised their weapons in agreement.

“Let’s watch out for one another as we keep looking for the Kanohi,” said Onua. “We can summon each other quickly, now that many of us have the Kakama.”

Everyone nodded, and turned to continue his quest. Onua dug into the ground, and Pohatu vanished with a smile. Kopaka nodded to Gali and switched to his mask of speed, disappearing in a streak of light blue. Lewa grabbed a vine and swung away, becoming a green blur as he changed to his Kakama. Tahu caught Gali’s gaze for a brief moment. She quickly turned away and dove into the ocean.

Tahu was in no hurry to get home. He walked slowly as he pondered Gali’s reaction to his advances. “She’s right,” he thought regretfully. “If she were to favor one of us over the others, there would be a lot of tension and jealousy. It’s a good thing she’s wise enough to see that. As it is, Kopaka is already mad at me.” But his reasoning did little to take away the pain in his chest. “I wish it could be otherwise… she’s so beautiful… I want so much to be with her…”

Once again danger yanked Tahu out of his gloom. A Kane-Ra surged out of the underbrush, its head lowered, and charged straight at the Toa of Fire. He drew a curtain of flames on the ground in front of him and waited behind it. He jumped out and knocked off the creature’s infected masks as it circled around the end of the fiery barrier.

“Well, thanks, Makuta, for reminding me what I’m here for,” he smiled ironically to himself. “If I can’t possess her, at least I can protect her. Nothing on this island will ever harm her, as long as I am alive.”

And he consoled himself with the thought that perhaps, with patient and careful effort, he could regain her trust someday. As he walked, the beauty of Mata Nui began to be evident to him again, and he was inspired by his own words to the other Toa. “We really will live in paradise, once we rid this place of that horrible spirit,” he thought. “And with the tools the Great Beings have given us, we can do it. As long as we stand together, evil will never prevail against us!”

Tahu arrived in Ta-Koro in the middle of the night. No one was stirring except for the night guards. They saluted him as he passed through the gates. As Tahu walked slowly past his Suva, the Kaukau caught his eye. He stopped and sat down next to it.

“Toa Tahu,” said a soft voice behind him. Startled, Tahu sprang to his feet, his sword ready. But seeing that it was Vakama, he replaced the weapon on his back. The Turaga bowed. “My apologies, great Toa. I just heard you come in.”

“Sorry, Vakama.”

Vakama shrugged. “No need to explain your reaction. These are dangerous times. But there is something I should tell you about Toa Gali.”

“Oh?”

“It would be unwise to pursue her,” the Turaga explained. “She will remain alone for a long time. The prophesies are clear on this.”

“I see,” Tahu replied heavily, his shoulders drooping.

“Consider her presence to be a test by the Great Beings,” suggested the village elder. “A test of your mastery of fire.”

Tahu looked at him. “Thank you, Vakama. I was beginning to think they had put her here to torment me. Yours is a much better way of looking at it.”

Vakama studied the face of his Toa. “You’re welcome,” he replied. When Tahu remained silent, the Turaga quietly turned and walked back to his hut.



Review topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Mar 2 2003, 01:19 PM

[GaliGee]

Chapter 3: Journeyman

Tahu scanned the horizon. He had finished making the rounds of Ta-Wahi, checking in at all the guard posts, and he had just overpowered two Nui-Rama that were dive-bombing the cable car operator. From his high-altitude vantage point, he could see that all was quiet for now. So he decided to go to Ga-Koro and make sure Gali was all right.

He stopped at the edge of the burnt forest. A lava flow had blocked off the path to the beach. He looked up at its source. “I’d better repair that. It’s going to keep the Matorans from getting to Ga-Wahi,” he thought. He glanced toward the telescope on the cliff past the beach. And he was surprised to see an odd-looking Matoran staring at him across the lava flow. He was red and yellow with a blue Pakari. “I wonder if that’s the wanderer Lito and Raku were speaking of.” The Matoran nodded at him, then turned and walked away toward the beach.

Tahu shrugged, and went back to work. He used his Kakama to run up the hill. With his sword he melted and re-formed the breached channel bank to stop the leaking lava. And then he headed for Ga-Wahi again.

Decelerating from the Kakama's speed, he skidded to a stop on the beach. The water village was calm and lovely in the morning light. "As much as I dislike to be in the water, it sure is beautiful," he thought admiringly. "And of course we all need it, because it sustains life itself. No wonder the Ga-Koronans have such reverence for Gali. She keeps the waters safe for them."

He decided to take a look around Ga-Wahi. At the delta where the mighty Hura-Mafa River flowed into Lake Naho, he paused to appreciate the marshland creatures. Water birds pecked at insects in the mud, the Ghekula croaked rhythmically, and the reeds swayed gently in the breeze. "No trouble here," he thought. As he walked, he heard a scraping sound that gradually got louder. Soon he came upon Gali, digging in the muck with her hooks, probably looking for a mask. He slipped behind a stand of brush to watch her. She seemed discouraged with her slow progress. And in her concentration, she failed to notice a Tarakava that slowly reared out of the water behind her.

Tahu leaned out from behind the reeds and shot a blast of fire at it. The creature roared and punched the air with its powerful fists. Gali spun in time to see it burst into flames. It turned and zoomed back into the water on its tracks.

Gali seemed confused. She looked around anxiously for the source of the fire. But Tahu had hidden himself again. "Tahu? Are you there?" she called. Hearing no answer, she shook her head and returned to her digging, more watchfully this time.

Tahu smiled as he sped away with his Kakama. It felt good to help her and ask for nothing--not even recognition--in return. He resolved to himself to check on her secretly every day. Even if she didn't need his assistance, he would feel better knowing she was all right.

One day as he returned from Ga-Wahi, Tahu decided to look for Kanohi on a high ridge on the side of the Mangai. He had only two masks left to find, and Vakama didn’t know where they were, so Tahu had done a lot of exploring lately. "And if I don't find anything, at least I'll have a nice ride back to Ta-Koro," he smiled to himself.

He ran to a level area below the ridge with his Mask of Speed, and then he climbed carefully up the rock until he was standing on the ledge. For a moment he admired the breathtaking view of the lava flows and Ta-Koro far below him, and beyond the village, the glistening blue sea. Then he turned and scanned the area above the ridge. When he saw five infected Kane-Ra, he guessed he was close to something important. “Those things might be guarding a mask,” he thought. Often Makuta found the masks before the Toa and sent his vicious creatures to make the Toa’s quest more difficult. But Tahu had learned that they also gave vital clues to the masks’ locations, and in this way he used the evil spirit’s own minions against him.

The Toa of Fire made his way quietly across the foothills, jumping nimbly across a lava flow to approach the Kane-Ra. But one of them spotted him, and soon it was bellowing a warning to the others. He caught a glimpse of what they were guarding on a rock above them – a Miru. “Oh, good,” thought the Toa of Fire. “That one is going to be really useful.”

But first, he had to get it. And those ferocious animals were not going to let it go without a fight. Tahu leaped and landed in the center of the snarling pack. He spun in a circle, spraying flames at the beasts with his fire sword. They backed off, howling with pain and rage, but soon they were back. Tahu jumped up onto a boulder and blasted them again. But this time there were only four. Where was the fifth one? He didn’t have time to look. While they were still stunned, he turned and pulled the gray Miru from the rock above. He put it on over his Hau, waited a moment for the powers to merge, and then activated the new mask. A giddy feeling washed over him as he was lifted to safety above the Rahi. “Fantastic!” he thought. But when he looked for a place to land, there was nothing but gnashing teeth below his feet. He fired his sword at them again to buy some time. The blast propelled him backwards, and he spun out of control.

“Who knew this mask would be so hard to use?” he grumbled to himself. “I must line up the vector of my fire with my center of gravity,” he reasoned, and he pointed his sword straight down between his legs. Igniting it, he rose up out of reach of the creatures, and he shot a short burst in the opposite direction of his rotation to slow himself down. Then he heard a sound like thunder. He watched in amazement as the Kane-Ra tumbled into the earth, which closed around them with a loud rumble. Tahu deactivated the Miru and landed on the rubble. He looked around to see his rescuer, and spotted the Toa of Earth.

"Hi, Onua!" he shouted. "Thanks a million! I just got this thing, and I'm not really sure how to steer yet!"

Onua laughed. "Yes, I had that problem at first, too, Tahu."

"Well, I owe you my life. What can I do for you?"

Onua pulled a gray Pakari out of his pack. "What are friends for? Here you go. Try this one."

"You really ARE a friend, Onua. Thanks!" Tahu smiled as he put it on. "So, what can it do?" He sliced a large boulder out of the volcanic rock at his feet with his fire sword. Then he put the sword on his back and lifted the rock above his head. It felt about as heavy as a Matoran surfboard. "Awesome!"

Onua seemed relieved. "Wow, it worked! I was a little worried about bringing a Kanohi to another Toa, but it looks like that's allowed."

Tahu tossed the rock to the side, causing the earth to shake under their feet. "You have no idea how happy this makes me, Onua. That's my last mask! Would you come with me to my Suva?"

"Sure, I'd love to," replied Onua.

"Follow me." Tahu sliced two flat, oblong rocks about four bios long from the basalt. "Here, take one and jump on. Use your Kakama, and we'll be in Ta-Koro in no time." He threw his board into the lava stream and jumped on, switching to his Kakama.

"Um, I don't have a Kakama yet," yelled Onua after him.

"Oh, sorry," said Tahu, changing back to the Hau. “Poor Onua,” he thought. “Bringing a mask to me, when he doesn’t even have all of his yet. That’s really kind.” He fishtailed on the board to let Onua catch up.

Onua threw his board into the lava and leaped. He wobbled crazily a few times before catching his balance. "Hey, this is cool!" he called out as he figured out how to steer his board around some stones in the stream, which had just joined a wide river of molten rock.

Tahu smiled. "Yeah, I love surfing, it really relaxes me." Since his accident, Tahu had been much more careful, and he found that he actually enjoyed it more when his confidence was based on reason instead of empty bravado.

"I wouldn't call this relaxing, but it's fun," replied Onua. "Say, I've been wondering about something. I just tried to take this Pakari to Gali, but she's only missing the Kakama, too. But every time I'm around her I feel funny inside and talk like a fool. Is there something wrong with me?"

Tahu laughed. "Gali has that effect on everyone, Onua. You're perfectly normal. You'll get used to her." He said this without any expectation that he himself ever would.

"Oh. I was just hoping I could somehow be special to her."

"You and the rest of us! Listen, Gali will always be everyone's friend, but she will never pick a favorite. If she did, the rest of us would be jealous, and we would be worthless as warriors and protectors. That would just be playing right into Makuta's hands."

"How did you figure all that out?" asked Onua.

"Actually, Gali explained that to me."

"And how did you get onto THAT subject?"

Tahu turned his head and met Onua's gaze with his own. "Oh," said Onua. "Sorry."

Tahu was relieved that Onua understood, because he really didn’t feel like talking about Gali’s rejection. "So just thank the Great Beings whenever you get the chance to work with her, because she does make everything more fun. And don't worry about it."

"Still, I like to think about her," replied Onua dreamily. Tahu turned his head at the sound of an impact. Onua’s board had struck a boulder and slipped out from under him. He was hovering over the lava flow with his Miru, unable to reach the bank. "Tahu!" he called.

Tahu spun his board and pulled the fire sword off his back. He stuck it into the lava up to the hilt and ignited it. It propelled him upstream past Onua. He made another turn and put the sword on his back again. "Hang on!" Holding out his arms, he surfed under Onua and caught him, falling with a thud onto his back with Onua in his lap. He switched briefly to his new Pakari to push the Toa of Earth back up onto his feet and stood. "Now get behind me, slowly, and just do what I do."

Onua complied, trying not to rock the board. Tahu scolded him. "If you keep daydreaming about Gali, you're going to get yourself killed. So get your mind back on your work!" He guided the board, with Onua holding his waist and leaning when he did. Tahu found Onua’s movements very instinctual, and despite his weight, it was easy to surf with him on the back of the board.

"Yeah, you're right," replied Onua. "Hey, look! My Kakama!" As he twisted to look, the board tipped sideways. "No, wait, it's just a rock."

Tahu shifted in the opposite direction to right the board. "Easy, big guy."

Onua sighed. "Sorry, wishful thinking, I guess. Look, Tahu, is that your village? We are almost there."

A crowd of Ta-Koronans had gathered at the edge of the village to greet the Toa. Tahu skidded the board to a stop on the hard ground. He and Onua got off and walked up to Vakama. "I have good news," he told the Turaga. "Onua just brought me my last Kanohi. I'm ready for the Suva."

The villagers cheered. Vakama, beaming with pride, led the way to the Suva. “The prophesy has come to pass. The Toa of Fire is equipped for the battle with evil, by the kindness of another Toa.” All were silent as Tahu stepped on the center stone. The platform descended into the Suva. Tahu felt a strange tingling as energy flowed from the base of the shrine and surrounded and infused him. A brilliant flash of gold blinded him for a moment, and then he rose again. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his golden Hau gleaming in the glow of the lava. The Matorans cheered and hugged a surprised Vakama.

"Onua, you are incredible,” said Tahu gratefully. “Thanks for all your help."

"Don't mention it, Tahu."

"It looks like we are going to have a village council now. Would you like to stay a while?"

"No, I'd better be going. Got some more Pakari to deliver, and a Kakama or two to find. Thanks, anyway." Onua waved as he ducked into the tunnel to Onu-Koro and began to run. Tahu watched him go. “I sure hope he finds his Kakama soon,” he thought. “He said he’s going to deliver more masks, and that’s a lot of traveling the hard way. I should have offered to help deliver them for him. But maybe I can find his Kakama for him instead.” Then he remembered Gali was missing hers, too. “But who would I give it to? Onua just did me a huge favor, but Gali… oh, I’ll worry about that when I find one. IF I find one.” He paused as he saw his reflection in the suva, which the villagers kept polished to a high sheen. “Wow, that gold mask does look good,” he smiled.

The next day Tahu searched for Kakamas for a few hours after he had made his guard station rounds. It gave him a nice excuse to explore higher up the Mangai. And as he had done once before, he went all the way to the summit to peer down into the furiously boiling crater that supplied the precious lava which powered the entire island. He stood gazing for a while, basking in the glow and heat of the fascinating magma as it bubbled and subsided. “One day, I will surf the very heart of the Mangai,” he promised himself. “After Mata Nui no longer needs me. If I die, it will be doing what I love. And if I live, I will truly be master of fire.” Then he turned and headed for Ga-Koro to check on Gali.

Gali was fighting a Muaka on the beach. She shot a powerful jet of water at it, and it recoiled. Then it lunged at her. Tahu used his Akaku to watch her through the boulder he was hiding behind. He marveled at the way she dodged its vicious jaws with a skillful flip. The Rahi lifted its head again, spitting out a mouthful of sand. Now it was really angry. Gali spun and knocked off one of its infected masks with a flying kick. The huge animal swayed a little in confusion, then snarled and snapped at her again. Tahu leaned around the rock and carefully aimed a blast of flames, knocking the creature down. Gali jumped next to it and yanked off the second mask with her hook. She stood, panting, as the stunned creature staggered away.

Tahu smiled. “She’s quite a fighter,” he thought. “She would have gotten that one on her own.” Suddenly he realized Gali had switched to her Akaku, too, and she was looking back at him through the boulder. He lifted his hand and waved. Gali grinned and waved back. “Well, so much for my secret,” he laughed to himself. He changed to his Kakama and ran back home.

He walked across the bridge into the fortress village, still laughing, and almost collided with Lewa. “Oh, hello, Lewa. What brings you here?”

“Hello, Tahu. I have a favor to ask. I’d like your help with something.”

“All right,” replied the Toa of Fire, wondering what would drive the usually reclusive Lewa to seek help. He noticed that the Toa of Air was wearing a gold Kanohi, too. “How can I help?”

“Well, first I have to tell you what happened. I was looking for my Komau in a giant earthen Rama hive. And when I crept inside to get it, I was ambushed by Rahi. They put an infected Miru on me.”

Tahu gasped. “On YOU?”

“Yes, on me. And I became evil. A minion of Makuta. Luckily, Onua showed up to bring me a Pakari, and he fought me. We beat each other up pretty bad. Well, mostly I beat him up. But he won, because he fought smarter. He knocked off the infected mask with his Matatu, and made a Nui-Kopen drop mine into my hand. We escaped by air, and we took Matau and all the captured Matorans with us.”

“That’s abominable!” said Tahu. “Makuta has really gone over the top. Forcing Toa to fight each other.”

“Well, if you ask me, we have it in us to fight each other, with or without Makuta. He just pushes creatures over the edge of what their good judgement would prohibit.”

Tahu pondered Lewa’s chilling thought, and decided to emphasize the positive lesson of the story. “It’s a good thing Onua showed up when he did,” he said, shaking his head.

“Definitely,” Lewa agreed. “I owe him my life. And he really took a pounding to save me. The infected mask makes you crazy, desperate, vicious. I can’t believe what I did to him. He’s a real hero.”

“Yeah, he brought me a Pakari, too. That’s how I got my golden Kanohi.”

“Me, too!” exclaimed Lewa. “And he still doesn’t even have his own. He’s missing the Kakama.”

“I know. I’ve been looking for it.”

“I will, too, as soon as I take care of one thing, the thing for which I came to ask your help. That Rama hive is still full of infected bugs. Onua demolished part of the hive when we were fighting. And when we left, they were in disarray, so they stopped attacking for a while. But my village is still in danger. I want you to help me take that thing down.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Tahu smiled. “But why do you need me?”

“I could knock it down with a tornado, but then the Rama might make a new hive elsewhere. I think fire might be more effective, because it will burn away the infection,” Lewa explained.

“I see. Let’s go.” The two Toa changed to their Kakamas and ran to Le-Koro. When they stopped in a clearing in the jungle, Tahu saw the compacted mud spire of the Rama hive in the distance above the treetops. “That must be it?”

“Yes. Now, my plan is this. On the near side there’s a big hole at the base. I will cut down some trees and put the ends in the hole. You will set them ablaze. Then I’ll blow air into the fire, to direct the smoke into the hive and to make it burn hotter.”

“That’s brilliant,” said Tahu admiringly. “But aren’t the Rama going to fly out and attack Le-Koro?”

“The Le-Koronans are all hiding in safety.”

“Then start chopping!” suggested Tahu. Lewa felled three large trees with his axe, and the Toa, wearing their Pakaris, dragged them to the hive. As they approached, several Rama spotted them and began to dive on them.

“Keep working!” called Tahu. “I’ll cover you.” He fired blast after blast of flames at the creatures until Lewa had finished his task. Then the green Toa stepped back, and Tahu directed his elemental force at the trees. They ignited immediately. With his axe, Lewa aimed a powerful wind at the blaze. The ample oxygen caused the fire to burn fiercely, creating a strong draft. Smoke began to billow out of the top of the hive. The Nui-Rama swarmed out of the opening, confused and weakened. Waves of heat began to reach the Toa.

“It’s getting too hot for me!” yelled Lewa over the roar of the fire. He turned and ran from the hive. Tahu followed him. They crouched behind a boulder to avoid the Rahi and watch the spectacle.

The hive turned into a raging furnace. Air was rushing into the hole at the bottom with such force that branches, leaves, stones, and earth were being sucked in with it. And the black fumes pouring out of the spire became thick and oily. The overpowering stench of infection joined the acrid smell of burning green trees and wood-pulp honeycomb.

“That’s a thing of beauty,” smiled Lewa.

“Oh, it certainly is,” Tahu agreed. “Especially now, with the flames shooting out of the top.”

They stood and watched as the inferno blazed. The dazed insects had scattered in the forest, the infection burned off of their masks. Now the weakened structure began to lean. And with a mighty crash, the entire hive collapsed. A huge cloud of dust, flying mud clods, and hot coals rolled toward them. They ducked behind the rock again as it passed over. The remains of the hive smoldered still, but the fire was running out of fuel.

Lewa stood, coughing. “Thanks, Tahu! That was fun!”

“Fun?” asked Tahu. “Why, yes, it was. I’m glad I got to see that.”

The Toa of Air laughed. “Without you, it wouldn’t have happened for anyone to see,” he grinned. “And now my village is safe again. I’ve got such great friends.”

“Me, too,” Tahu smiled. “I’m glad you like to work together once in a while, after all.”

Lewa turned toward his village. “Well, I’d better check on things back home. Thanks again, Tahu.”

“No problem, Lewa.” Tahu raised his sword in a salute. “Let’s help everyone else find their masks, so we can do the same to Makuta!” He raced back to Ta-Koro, inspired to search again.

After two days of fruitless searching, Tahu was getting discouraged. And the Rahi were starting to behave differently. Concentrated, savage attacks alternated with periods of relative quiet. He listened as Jala’s scouts reported that all the Toa had gotten their golden Kanohi, except for Gali and Onua. “Makuta must know that we are nearing the end of our quest,” thought the Toa of Fire. “I mustn’t let myself slow down. We are so close.” And he ran back up the Mangai to look some more.

Finally Tahu spotted the treasure he sought. There, in a crevice in the rock near the summit of the volcano, was a Kakama. His heart leaped with excitement. And as he pulled the mask from the recess in the stone, he was startled to see another identical mask behind it. “Two Kakama!” he crowed with delight. “One for Onua, and one for Gali.” He looked up at the sky. “Thank you! Thank you!” Clutching the Kanohi to his chest, he ran to Ta-Koro to tell Vakama, then headed for Ga-Koro.

Tahu stopped on the beach and took a deep breath. He walked slowly across the causeway. Gali was talking to Nokama outside the Turaga’s hut. She turned to Tahu. “Well,” she smiled, “it’s my secret protector.”

Tahu smiled back and handed a Kakama to Gali. “I found this in a crevice in the volcanic rock.”

"Thank you so much!" said Gali joyfully. "This is my last mask! Now I can get my Golden Kanohi!"

"I know. Onua told me. Go ahead, Gali. Put it on!"

Tahu watched the dull gray mask turn to her lovely shade of blue. She pointed to her Suva. "Will you come with me?" she said to the Toa of Fire.

"Gladly," he replied. He stood next to Nokama and the excited villagers as Gali descended into the Suva and rose again. She stood, speechless, as the Ga-Koronans swarmed around her and hugged her legs.

Tahu lingered a few moments, smiling at Gali. She was dazzling in her radiant gold Kaukau. And he was so proud that he had helped her get it. He sighed and switched to his Kakama. "Now, I've got to take this other Kanohi to Onua. Start heading for the temple at Kini-Nui. We all have our golden masks now. It's time to face Makuta. May the Great Beings protect you!" He turned and ran toward Ta-Koro. From there, he would take the tunnel to Onu-Koro.

But as he ran, he had an idea. He thought about how much Onua had helped everyone, and how severely battered he had gotten doing it. The last report from Kapura said that a Muaka had crushed him in Ko-Koro, too. “He must be really exhausted and discouraged. Maybe a visit from Gali would cheer him up.” So Tahu returned to Ga-Koro. Gali looked at him, puzzled.

"Gali, would you mind taking this to Onua? You could try out your own Kakama that way. And besides, I think he could use some encouragement, and you're just the one to give it."

"I am? Why does he need it?" asked Gali.

"He's been particularly hard-hit by Makuta," replied Tahu. "He's been trekking all over the island, without a Kakama, delivering a Pakari to everyone. And in the process, he was pounded by Lewa, whom he fought to remove an infected mask. Then he was crushed by a Muaka. Kopaka had to freeze him along with the Rahi, just to get him out of its jaws."

Gali looked shocked. "Makuta's using infected masks on Toa now? How horrible! Well, I'd be delighted to help him. He's done a lot for me, as well as everyone else."

"Thanks, Gali. Then both of you come join the rest of us at Kini-Nui." Tahu turned and ran for the central temple. He began to feel a rush of adrenaline. “We are finally going to face Makuta,” he realized. “This is it. The reason for which we were summoned to this island. If we fail at this, we are worse than nothing. But we will not fail.”

Tahu was the first to get to Kini-Nui. Lewa, Pohatu, and Kopaka had been alerted by Jala’s scouts while Tahu took the mask to Gali, so they soon arrived as well. And then Onua and Gali jumped from the mouth of the tunnel from Onu-Koro. The other Toa cheered and crowded around Onua. Pohatu slapped him on the back. "Here's to the Toa who showed us the meaning of friendship," he said.

"And teamwork," added Kopaka, raising his blade in a salute.

Lewa put his arm around Onua. "Thanks to you, we all have our golden Kanohi. Maybe we've had to learn the hard way at times, but we'll show Makuta how well we can fight!"

Onua spoke to Tahu. "Thanks for the Kakama. And everything else." He glanced at Gali.

Tahu winked at Onua. "You're welcome, friend. Now, let's get ready. This is where we begin our final task. If any of you question our choice, or doubt our chances if we work together, speak now."

The Toa of Fire was surprised when Kopaka spoke up. "I have doubted you in the past, Tahu, but no more. I think I speak for us all when I say that our only hope is to work together. So I cast my sword with yours, if you will have it."

"I will have it gladly, Kopaka," replied Tahu with a solemn smile. "You are all in assent?"

The Toa looked at one another and nodded.

"Then it is decided," Tahu continued. "Together, Makuta cannot resist us."

Lewa stepped forward. "Wait, Tahu! Have you given no thought to our return? If the Rahi attack the temple while we are below, how can we escape?"

"I do not know the answer to that question, Lewa. So grim is this task, that I have not thought it much use to consider anything beyond our meeting with Makuta."

As they considered this problem, Onua tensed his body and raised his claws in a defensive stance. "Hold! There is an intruder among us!" They saw a party of Matoran cresting the hill across the field from the temple. "But… what is this?"

"Stay your claws, Onua!" said Gali. "It is the Chronicler, and his company!"

Onua dropped his arms as the villagers crossed the field.

Gali addressed the leader, the multi-colored traveler that Tahu had seen across the lava flow in Ta-Wahi. "Little one," she remarked, "you are brave indeed to have come all this way. And I see you have gathered help from all the villages around! Tahu, it is as I hoped. These Tohunga can guard the Kini-Nui while we descend, and see that no Rahi attacks us from behind."

Lewa spoke slowly. "The Rahi are fearsome. May their hearts prove greater than their size would suggest!"

"In truth it is said that great power can be found in small packages, and that aid can come from places least expected," Pohatu noted. He shrugged his shoulders. "And besides, we have few options."

"So be it," Tahu declared He remembered what Vakama had told him about brave little Takua, who had solved problems for the villages while the Toa were on their quests. "Chronicler, it is your doom to remain here, and guard the Kini-Nui at all costs. This deed will be remembered as long as any remain to sing of it! Friends, we have much to do and little time. Let's go!"

After Gali explained to the Chronicler how she would communicate to him as the Toa descended to fight Makuta, Onua leaned toward the Matoran. "Chronicler," he said, "you have preceded me all over Mata Nui. You have saved many villagers before a Toa could even get there to help. Whatever happens to you, know that the spirit of your courage will live on in the hearts of all who have crossed your path."

The Matoran seemed overwhelmed by so much attention from the mighty heroes of Mata Nui. He bowed his head. "Thank you. We will not let you down."

And the Toa walked onto the central platform of the temple. Tahu took a deep breath as he considered the task ahead of them. This would be the true test of his mastery of fire.



Review topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Oct 12 2005, 11:24 AM

[GaliGee]

Chapter 4: Specialist

Tahu felt the rapidly descending stone on which he was standing come to a sudden stop. He threw his hands out to keep his balance. Except for the echoes of the now-motionless stones, there was silence. And there was complete darkness, except for a narrow circular crack in the wall that was shining red. He ignited his blade and looked around at his companions in the dusty glow.

"This must be the entrance to Makuta's lair," he said to the others, waving his sword at the crack. They could see the image of a monolithic creature carved on the door.

"We must form the Toa Kaita now!" urged Gali. "Kopaka, Lewa, you are with me." Tahu felt a pang of envy as they moved toward Gali.

Pohatu and Onua stepped next to Tahu. Somehow Tahu found himself knowing what to do, and he saw that the others knew, too. He sat down and snapped off his feet. Quietly, they began to take themselves apart, first with their hands, and then when their arms were removed, with their Matatus. Then, taking turns, they clicked their pieces together into a new and puzzling configuration, in a strange dance of moving parts. As the great creature neared completion, the powerful design became apparent. Tahu willed his head to be lifted onto mighty shoulders, and as it slid onto the neck, he felt his neural connections link with those of the combined body. His eyes met those of Pohatu, whose head was lying on the ground. As he stared into the orange glow of his friend's eyes, he felt a presence inside his own mind, as if Pohatu were joining him there. Then he - or they - turned to face Onua, and the dark Toa behind the emerald green eyes appeared inside the shared mind as well.

The three identities were separate, dwelling inside one head together. Tahu was aware of Pohatu's voice resonating inside his head. "Tahu, Onua, can you hear me?" And he heard Onua's, "Here I am." As he put the gold Hau on his face, Tahu responded. "And here I am."

Tahu began to feel like his thoughts were being emptied out of his mind. Then he saw the memories of Onua and Pohatu flash before his eyes, as if he were living them himself. He saw Lewa, wearing an infected Kanohi, lunging at him in the Rama hive, and he felt Lewa's axe hit his back. He looked down and saw powerful legs propelling boulders at a snapping scorpion. He felt cool mud on his claws as he dug up a mask for Gali. He felt the heat of the Po-Koro sunshine on his back as he called a landslide onto a herd of Kane-Ra with a slam of foot against stone. And he heard voices, this time in the present. Pohatu's spoke gently: "Trust Gali… her words were wise, and they are still true." And he felt his anxiety about Gali dissipate like the smoke from a bonfire on a windy night. Onua's addressed his apprehension about Makuta: "The Great Beings created us for this very task. We will unite, and we will prevail." And Tahu felt the courage well up inside him - or perhaps it was inside the great composite creature they had become. He heard his own voice speak to the others: "Makuta will regret the day he threatened those we love." And then there was no more Tahu, Pohatu, or Onua -- there was Akamai, Toa Kaita of Valor. "Spirit of Valor - hear me!" he heard his own triple voice call out, in perfect unison.

Akamai turned to look at his companion, Wairuha, Toa Kaita of Wisdom. In his shining silver Miru, he looked sleek and powerful. "So, Wairuha, you are joined. Let us now choose a path and go into the darkness to face our destiny, be it good or ill."

"Our way lies not together, Akamai. We must face whatever evils are before us alone. I choose this road. You take the other. With luck, we will come together again, at the gates of Mangaia!"

Akamai strode into the blackness. He lit his fire sword and looked around. He was surrounded by glowing yellow eyes. The huge, menacing crab-like Manas inched closer. Suddenly one lunged at his head. He struck it with his blade, and it fell. But another was approaching. Akamai used his Kanohi to repel the attack. The heavy, powerful creatures pounded against the Hau, and Akamai summoned all his strength to resist them. Then one hit the back of his head, and he felt a wave of pain as he was thrown to the ground. He rolled over quickly to prevent another surprise attack. Jumping to his feet, he dodged another flying Rahi, then looked around for Wairuha. “Our chances will be better if we stay together,” he thought, “so we can cover each other’s back.”

He saw a flash of sparks where Wairuha was beating back a crowd of Manas, and he ran toward his comrade. As one of the beasts jumped for Wairuha’s head, Akamai lunged in front of him and struck it away with his sword. It flew into one of the cylindrical towers lined up near the doorway, and its eyes dimmed. But despite his bravery, Akamai was unable to see how this battle could be won. The enemies were so numerous and so powerful that they would eventually prevail. He looked at the Manas, massing for another attack. “This then, is how it ends, Wairuha,” he said grimly.

“For these monsters also, Akamai,” replied Wairuha. “We will not go down without a price!”

Akamai realized that the wise thing to do was not to give up, but to look for another way besides brute force. “Wait, Wairuha. These strange towers… maybe…”

Wairuha was already swinging his weapons, cleaving the tower in half in a blaze of light and flying metal debris. Several of the Manas lurched to a halt, their yellow eyes extinguished. Akamai slashed another tower with his fire sword and watched more Rahi stop. Wairuha covered his back, whacking away the attacking creatures as Akamai destroyed the last of the towers. In the sudden silence they surveyed the damage.

“We have survived,” panted Akamai.

“For now. We were lucky,” smiled Wairuha.

“Wisdom provides only when valor is in its service,” remarked Akamai. “And vice versa.” He was grateful for his friend’s insight, which had meant the difference between dying a noble death and winning the battle.

The two combined Toa watched the circular door rise and stepped through the doorway. But they immediately felt the tug of bizarre forces on their bodies.

“I feel… strange,” said Akamai.

“Feels like -- being torn apart!” Wairuha stumbled and fell to his knees.

The Kaita watched in amazement as their parts were pulled off and fell to the ground. Akamai felt his mind disintegrate into three individuals, and then Tahu was aware of being alone in his own head again. He quickly willed his parts to recombine, snapping the last of them together with his hands. “What has happened?”

“The spirit of Makuta… is the spirit of destruction,” said Gali slowly. “This is his inner realm. The Toa Kaita cannot exist here.”

Pohatu’s usually serene face looked anxious. “The Manas nearly destroyed the Toa Kaita. And Makuta is ten times greater than they. What hope do we have?”

Gali spoke reassuringly. “The Toa Kaita merely gave physical form to the force of our unity. We still possess it, in our hearts.”

“But the Toa Kaita's wisdom and valor were unmatched,” objected Lewa, shaking his head.

Tahu remembered Onua’s words as they were forming Akamai. This is what the Toa were created to do – destroy evil. “Where wisdom and valor fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all. Gali is right. We must go on.”

The others nodded. Side by side, they strode into the lair. Overhead, they saw a powerful vortex of swirling parts. The strange wind that animated them made an eerie moaning noise. Tahu stepped forward. “Makuta!” he called in a loud, clear voice. “We have come!”

Tahu braced himself and activated his Hau. The prophecies of the Turaga described Makuta as taking the form of a huge, vicious, snarling beast. And after facing the Manas, he was ready for something enormous to spring on them. But from the dark recesses of the den, a strange, small figure emerged. It was a Tohunga, wearing a Hau and covered with mottled patches of corrosion and infection.

Tahu recoiled. “What?!”

“I have been waiting for you,” said Makuta in a gravelly voice.

“But you - you are--” stammered Tahu.

“I am that which you have sworn to protect,” replied the Matoran.

Kopaka glanced at the Toa of Fire. “Tahu, it's a trick! We must destroy him!”

“Destroy me?” laughed Makuta. “You cannot destroy me. No more than you can destroy the sea. Or the wind. Or the void.”

Gali glared at him angrily. “You are like the sea? The sea bears life! The sea bore us!”

“I bore you,” sneered Makuta. “For I am Nothing. And out of Nothing, you came. And it is into Nothing that you will go.”

Tahu considered these words. “That isn’t right,” he protested to himself. “We were created, deliberately, to protect a beautiful island and its people. There is a plan for us. We are not here by random chance!”

“I stand by Mata Nui, side by side. I am his brother,” continued the Spirit of Evil. “The people of the world are builders. But look into their hearts… and you will find that they have also the power to destroy. I am that power. I am destruction. And I WILL destroy you.” At this, his eyes narrowed to sinister slits.

Tahu was still confused. “But… you are but a Tohunga!”

“You expected something else?” snarled Makuta. “Something like THIS?” A massive cluster of dark tentacles emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, and lifted his head high into the air. Then the long, powerful tentacles began to lunge at the Toa. Kopaka quickly switched to his Kakama and ran. But the enemy was faster, slamming the Toa of Ice to the ground. Onua’s Hau deflected the thick rope-like strands, but then they circled behind him and struck him. Pohatu and Gali tried to dodge the assault and were swept away. Lewa levitated above the tentacles, but they reached up for him and entwined around his legs, dragging him down. Tahu hacked at them with his sword, but like Onua, he was overcome by an attack from behind, and was thrown to the floor. The massive beast regrouped himself, his ominous laughter resonating against the dank walls of the lair.

The Toa jumped up and approached Makuta again. When Tahu saw that they were all standing in a circle around the monster, he called to the others above the roar. “Our only hope is to work together!” And he directed his fiercest flame straight at the heart of the creature. Next to him, he saw Kopaka power up and shoot a blast of extreme cold. Gali discharged a powerful jet of water. Lewa fired a gale-force wind. Onua formed a glowing green ball between his claws and slammed it into the floor. Pohatu smashed his foot onto the ground. The Toa watched as four streams of elemental energy caused the strange head to bob and thrash. Then the two slower powers made their impact. Huge chunks of earth and stone erupted from the ground, battering the vicious monster. He uttered one more threat as his head spun from its body. “You cannot destroy me… for I am Nothing.” Disembodied parts rained down on the Toa. The echoes of the battle fell silent, and they stood looking at one another.

Tahu felt his body vibrate and turn white. He caught his breath as he was lifted off the floor and transported away. He stumbled as his feet landed on something hard. Blinking in the bright daylight, he realized he was in the middle of the temple at Kini-Nui. One by one, the other Toa appeared around him, similarly dazed. A crowd of Matorans--the Chronicler’s party (except for Takua himself), along with most of the Ta-Koronan Guard, the Onu-Koronan Ussalry, and the Le-Koronan Kahu-Force, cheered and shouted and flung their discs into the air.

"We did it!" shouted Tahu, raising his sword. "We defeated Makuta! Mata Nui is safe again!"

"Hooray!" cheered Lewa as he launched into a back flip.

"Praise the Great Beings!" yelled Pohatu, clasping Onua's raised claw with his hand.

"Well done, everyone," Kopaka grinned, leaning back on his blade. Gali tipped her head back and laughed.

The Matorans ran over to the Toa and embraced their legs. The Toa sat amidst them and told them about the battle.

Tahu was completely exhausted. But he was too elated to rest. He kept looking back and forth between the other medToa. "That was so amazing," he said, shaking his head. He looked down at a beaming Kapura and smiled.

"Makuta thought he had us," smiled Kopaka. "He thought we would fall for his lies. But now he is fallen."

Lewa turned to Kopaka. "Thanks for seeing through his ruse. And thank you, Tahu, for leading us so bravely against him." He nodded at the Toa of Fire, who smiled back.

Onua walked over to a column and sat down with his back against it, followed by Taipu and a crowd of Onu-Koronan villagers. "I see why the Great Beings prepared us first with the quest for the masks," he remarked. "All that practice with the Kanohi, with our elements, facing all kinds of threats… I could never have faced that demon without it."

The Toa were silent for a while, basking in the gentle sunlight and the peace that came with victory. Since their arrival, they had been constantly challenged. Finally their people were safe! Now there would be no more grief, no more fear, no more despair. The sudden calm was welcome to Tahu, but at the same time he felt restless. He began to pace around the temple. “Now,” he thought, “I can realize my dream of surfing the Mangai.”

Gali sat in the grass and put her arm around Maku. "I feel like it's been a hundred years since the day my parts fell out of that canister."

“Do you remember,” Lewa grinned, patting Tamaru’s head, “how much we learned that day?”

Pohatu smiled at Gali. "You have grown so much since then, in wisdom as well as skill. All of us have."

"Sometimes," said Tahu, "it was a trial by fire."

"Yes, Tahu. I learned a lot about you from being in the Kaita," replied the Toa of Stone. "Your emotions are about three times as intense as mine and Onua's. How can you live like that?"

Tahu shrugged. He had never considered why the others always seemed calmer than he was. "I don't know, Pohatu. That's just the way I am." Maybe it was just as well he wasn't in the same Kaita as Gali.

He gazed at her, lying in the grass with her eyes closed. She looked depleted, but she was smiling. She had done her part well in the great battle and spent every bit of her energy in the process. Tahu’s mind raced. "She won't need my protection any more," he thought. "But if I survive the great Mangai, I will talk to her again. Perhaps symmetry is not so important now that Mata Nui is safe. Maybe she will consent to spending some time with me, if I am very careful." And he turned his thoughts to the big volcano. "How thick a rock will I need to make it across the crater?" he wondered. "If I make it long, it will move more quickly. I'm going to need my Pakari just to throw it in the lava." He continued his calculations in his head.

“The Turaga would probably tell us to rest now,” remarked Onua. “And when we have been restored to our full strength, we can begin to repair some of the damage done when we fought the Rahi.”

“Sure,” replied Tahu distractedly. “I’ll be right back.” He changed to his Kakama and raced away toward the Mangai.

Tahu stopped, breathless, at the edge of the crater and looked down into it. The seething magma, hot as ever, beckoned with its ceaseless turbulent motion. With his eyes, he surveyed the path he would take. There was a large crack that extended across the diameter of the basin. On either side the jagged rocks would lacerate him if he fell sideways, and the boiling lava would incinerate him if he fell down. He would only have one chance.

The Toa of Fire studied the rock around him. He ignited his sword and sliced off a large chunk. Then he carved it with his blade until it was the right size. He flipped it over and shaped the other side. Then he put his sword on his back and switched to his Pakari. He took a deep breath and lifted the stone over his head.

“Wait, Tahu!” called a familiar voice.

He turned his head and saw Gali standing behind him with her Kakama. He set down the rock. “What is it, Gali?” he asked.

“Don’t risk your life,” she implored him. “Mata Nui still needs you.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine, Gali,” he shrugged. “Besides, Makuta has been defeated. Even if I perish, the Matorans are safe now.” He bent over to pick up the great stone again.

“No, Tahu, there’s something else,” she said, changing to her Kaukau.

Tahu stood and looked at her, curious. Was she just worried because she cared about him? He hardly dared to hope…

“Nokama told me of a prophesy,” Gali continued. “She didn’t tell me any details, but she warned me that Mata Nui may face another threat. And we would never be as strong without you. We are six who share a common destiny. Besides, you are our leader, and the most fearless of us all.”

Tahu was disappointed. Another threat? He hoped it was just a myth. But the Turaga were not known for telling empty tales. He felt the waves of heat coming off the lava behind him, and his eyes were drawn to it, with its intense red glow. But Gali was right. If there was a peril lurking in Mata Nui’s future, it would be foolish to endanger himself, just to prove something, just for a thrill. He sighed and glanced back at her. Then he lifted the stone and heaved it into the boiling magma.

“No!” cried Gali, lunging and throwing her arms around him.

Tahu stood still and switched back to his Hau. “I’m not going anywhere, Gali,” he said quietly, turning around to face her. “But thank you for--” He stopped when he saw her alarmed face. She was looking past him into the crater. The stone was rapidly melting. They watched it get smaller and smaller, finally subsiding into the swirling molten rock. “Thank you for saving my life,” he finished uneasily.

Gali looked into his eyes and took a deep breath. “I owe you a few,” she replied. “Let’s get back to Kini-Nui and rest for a while.”

“How could I have miscalculated so badly?” Tahu berated himself. “I am not yet master of fire.”

"At least you're still alive, so you can keep learning," Gali replied.

Tahu switched to his Kakama. and watched Gali do the same. With a new threat looming, Gali’s answer to a question of love would surely be unchanged. But she understood him well enough to guess what he was planning, and she cared enough about him to stop him. Or maybe she just cared about Mata Nui. Either way, he felt very fortunate that she was there.

They returned to Kini-Nui. The other Toa were sleeping. The Matorans had all returned to their villages to celebrate, except for Jala, who was keeping watch. “Toa Tahu, Toa Gali,” he greeted them. “Take some well-deserved rest. Takua has been found, and he is safely back in Ta-Koro. I am happy to report that this has been my most boring evening watch duty ever.”

Tahu smiled at his villager. “Thank you , Jala. And thank you for everything you have done for this island.” Jala bowed politely and sat back down on the edge of the temple platform.

Gali lay down in the grass and was soon asleep. Tahu watched her breathe for a while. Then he lay down a few bios away. The setting sun painted the sky red and orange. Fireworks began to explode over Ta-Koro, and he admired them for a few minutes before closing his eyes and drifting into peaceful slumber.



Review topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Mar 2 2003, 05:58 PM

[GaliGee]

Chapter 5: Expert

After a night of peaceful sleep, Tahu awoke to a sound like rumbling thunder. He jumped to his feet, trying to shake the fog of sleep from his mind. He was standing in the grass next to the great stone temple at Kini-Nui. The other Toa were looking toward Ta-Koro. A column of black smoke was rising on the horizon. The birds and insects had fallen unnaturally silent, and the ground shook occasionally as if from an earthquake.

"What is happening?" Lewa muttered “I thought we had finished our quest!”

Kopaka shook his head. “Victory might have been an illusion, Lewa.”

“Look!” called Pohatu. “It’s one of Tahu’s villagers!”

Tahu leaned over toward the Matoran who had just emerged, breathless, from the underbrush. “Speak,” he urged gently. “What brings you so far from Ta-Koro?”

The frightened villager simply whispered one word, over and over. “Bohrok… Bohrok… Bohrok… Bohrok…”

From this moment the Toa faced a new threat, stranger and more sinister than the Rahi. Their precious island was overrun by swarms of powerful creatures whose only apparent purpose was to turn everything of beauty to rubble. They leveled majestic mountains, dried up mighty rivers, and felled magnificent trees. And inside their head cases they carried mysterious parasitic krana, which, the legends of the Turaga told, drove them on their mission and could steal the mind of an enemy. Vakama instructed the Toa to collect one krana of each of eight types, for each of the six breeds of Bohrok. This, he assured them, would enable them to unlock the secret of the swarms and defeat them.

The Toa met the challenge of this foe by learning new ways to work together. About the size of a Toa, and wielding one of the same six elemental powers as the Toa, a single Bohrok was no match for a Toa. But the creatures worked in groups, communicating telepathically with each other, and this made them formidable indeed. And while the Toa could overcome the swarms with a massive show of elemental force, this would do as much damage as the Bohrok themselves. So rather than risk destruction of the very land they had sworn to protect, the Toa had to become more resourceful.

Soon after that first attack, Onua came to Ta-Koro to ask for Tahu's help. "I've found a swarm of Nuhvok hiding in a network of tunnels just outside of Onu-Koro. One at a time, I can easily capture them. But together, the whole swarm can cave in my tunnels faster than I can dig them. If we could flush them out, we could attack them as they come to the surface, and gather their krana."

"Sounds good," replied Tahu. "What do you have in mind?"

"You and Gali come with me. I'll dig a tunnel to their network. She will fill the tunnels with water. Then you will heat the water. The steam will drive the Bohrok to the surface. They won't be able to dig deeper to escape, because the pressurized steam will just fill their new tunnels."

Tahu agreed, and they headed for Ga-Wahi to find the Toa of Water. Tahu had just checked on her, so he knew she would not be far from the village. They found her standing on the great Kaukau statue that formed the waterfall above Lake Naho. She was scanning the horizon for Bohrok. She watched Tahu and Onua climb up the rocks.

"Hello, you two," she smiled. "What brings you to Ga-Wahi?"

"We need your help for a project," explained Tahu. "Onua wants to steam out some Nuhvok. Will you come with us?"

"Of course," replied Gali. "Let's go."

Onua led the others to Onu-Wahi and stood by a group of boulders. He pointed to a large rock a few hundred bios away. "I'll start digging here and come back up over there, and I'll signal you to begin. That's probably where they'll come out, but they may just dig straight up from wherever they are when the steam reaches them. Be ready to collect their krana." He dug into the ground and disappeared from sight.

Tahu smiled at Gali. Since he had seen her combat Makuta and use her elemental powers to thwart the first Bohrok attack, he had new confidence in her ability to fight. "She does her part as well as the rest of us Toa. She's really one of the team," he told himself. "I must treat her like the others. She would prefer that, I'm sure." Still, he had to remind himself not to stare at her.

A rumble of earth and stone preceded Onua's call to action. Gali raised her hooks and shot pressurized water into the tunnels. As it began to well up from cracks in the earth, Tahu stepped up to the opening. He fired a blast of heat into it, and soon steam began to hiss from the ground. The earth shook as the Nuhvok scrambled to the surface, breaking loose large chunks of compacted soil. The dazed creatures popped up, one by one, and were overcome by the Toa. Presently the ground was littered with disabled Bohrok. Onua tossed the last pale green krana into the air and caught it with his claws.

"Well done, friends! Thank you!" he grinned. "It wouldn't have worked without you."

"No problem, Onua," replied Gali, patting him on the back with her hook. "Glad we could help."

"Our pleasure, Onua," said Tahu. "It's amazing what we can do when we work together."

"Well, my village is safe for the time being.” Onua's smiling face turned somber. “Now I'm going to go look for Lewa. No one has heard from Le-Koro for some time now. I have a feeling he may be in trouble."

Tahu put his hand on Onua's shoulder. "Be careful, brother. It's dangerous traveling alone with Bohrok about. But I have confidence in you."

"Thanks, Tahu. May the Great Beings protect you both." Onua waved before he dropped to the ground and dug in.

Gali turned to Tahu. "I'd better go back to Ga-Koro."

"It’s on my way, Gali. I’ll go with you," offered Tahu. "But this time you have your own Kakama."

Gali laughed nervously. "Yes, I do." She changed to it and began to run.

Tahu caught up and ran beside her. "Want to race?" he grinned.

"Sure!" She glanced at him, then turned her eyes back to the path and accelerated. Tahu, surprised by her speed, ran hard to catch up again. He finally passed her as they reached the beach next to the water village. He skidded to a stop and pivoted on his heels. Gali, unable to stop or dodge him in time, bumped into him, and they both tumbled into the sand.

"I'm sorry," said Tahu, helping her up.

"You rascal!" Gali laughed. "You did that on purpose."

"Well, maybe just a little bit on purpose," he admitted. "You be careful around those Tahnok, all right?"

"Me?" Gali scoffed. "I always am. You're the one who needs to learn to be careful!" She flashed him a smile before she turned and walked across the causeway. Tahu waved to his lovely teammate. Then he turned and headed for home.

“So much for treating her like any other warrior,” he chided himself. “But at least she didn’t mind me being playful with her.”

But not all his encounters with the Bohrok were so successful. One day Tahu found himself high up the slope of the Mangai, facing a swarm of Tahnok. “Fire creatures, like me,” he thought to himself. “Except they want to use it for evil. But I will prevail against them.”

He ignited his sword and shot a volley of fireballs at the approaching Tahnok. They kept marching forward as if nothing had happened.

“Well, of course that doesn’t work,” Tahu shrugged, “because they are impervious to fire. So I will use the landscape against them.” He ran uphill of them with his Kakama, and then switched to his Pakari. With his blade he cut a huge boulder out of a basalt outcrop and pushed it toward the Tahnok. It rolled toward them, gaining speed. The creatures, acting as one, all shot fire at it at the same time, melting the boulder before it reached them.

Tahu groaned. He remembered Onua’s problems with the Nuhvok. “It seems the ones most like us are the hardest for us to defeat.” So he changed to his Huna and ran into the midst of the Bohrok. Then he changed back to his Kakama. As the creatures turned toward him and began to fire at him, he raced away. Standing on a nearby rock, he watched them blast each other. But they immediately realized their error and stopped. The fallen ones jumped back to their feet.

“That bought me all of two minutes,” Tahu grumbled. “Now what?” He looked around. “If I can get them to separate…” Suddenly he realized the stone beneath his feet was turning to magma. He started to slide down the slope. “Surfing with no board… I don’t like this…” He scrambled to get to solid ground and slipped, landing on his side in the new lava. He yelled in pain as he jammed his sword into the rock and used it to vault to safety.

Tahu, panting, studied the creatures from his new vantage point. Perhaps he should do like Onua, and seek help. He hated to admit that he needed it. Still, he felt he should heed the wisdom of his dark friend. “Now, who would be able to help me?” he wondered. Onua was still searching for Lewa, and Pohatu and Gali were working on a trap for another swarm of Tahnok. That left Kopaka. He sighed and headed for Ko-Koro.

Matoro looked surprised to see the Toa of Fire walking into the temple. “Toa Tahu,” he said respectfully.

“Hello, Matoro,” said Tahu. “I’m looking for Kopaka. Have you seen him lately?”

“He just went to Ta-Koro, to look for you,” replied the Matoran.

“Really? Thanks,” replied a puzzled Tahu. He ran back to the fortress city, wondering what the Toa of Ice wanted from him. When he arrived, he found an overheated Kopaka waiting by the gate.

"I've found the Bohrok lair," said Kopaka. "It's a hole deep in the ground, near the temple at Kini-Nui."

"The lair? Do you have proof that's really it? How do we know they even have a lair?"

"How much proof do you need?" snapped Kopaka. "Your own villager saw them hatching underground."

Tahu crossed his arms and frowned. "Yes, but how do we know that's their main hideout? Maybe a few of them are staying there, but--"

"There was such a multitude of them swarming out of that pit. It has to be where they're coming from." The Toa of Ice shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He looked very uncomfortable. "Do you think I'm lying?"

"Of course not," grumbled Tahu. "But it's possible you could be wrong."

"Then come see for yourself," said Kopaka crossly. "Besides, I'd love an excuse to get away from this inferno." He waved his sword at the fortress of Ta-Koro looming behind them.

"All right," Tahu agreed. They changed to their Kakamas and crossed the bridge. Then they turned toward Kini-Nui and ran.

As they ran, Kopaka fell silent again, as he often did for long periods of time. Usually this made Tahu slightly uneasy, since he wondered what Kopaka, with his brilliant mind, was keeping to himself. But this day Tahu decided not to let it bother him. Kopaka slowed down as they entered a grassy area with scattered trees. He signaled to Tahu to be quiet. Then he crept toward a clump of brush and stones. He hid behind a bush and waved for Tahu to join him. They leaned over the rocks. Tahu gasped at what he saw.

"Look, Tahu!" said Kopaka, pointing down into the pit. "There is the proof you demanded!" From deep in the earth, they saw hordes of Tahnok Va climbing up the stone walls. They were too numerous to count. And each krana they carried would give new life to a fallen Bohrok.

"No wonder Vakama knew so much about the Bohrok. They are not creatures from some other land - they come from Mata Nui itself!" Tahu felt his temperature increasing as he considered the sinister nature of their foes. "The time has come to end this, Kopaka! With our combined powers--"

"Have you learned nothing?" snapped the Toa of Ice. "Charging in there now will not save this island. The krana are the key!"

"Every moment we delay, the Bohrok and Bohrok Va are free to overrun this land," replied Tahu grimly. He sighed and stepped back from the opening of the cavern. "Still, you are right. As long as our people are threatened, we don't have the luxury of being merely warriors. So I will heed your advice… this time."

"Besides," remarked Kopaka, "how do you propose that we combine our powers? Without the other Toa's elements, fire and ice would just cancel each other out. We would be working against each other."

Tahu understood his point, but he didn't feel like conceding again. "I'm sure there's some way we could use them together," he growled. "You could freeze one side of something, and I could burn the other. That would certainly destroy an enemy."

"Well, yes," replied the Toa of Ice. "In a way, we wield the same element. Heat. You create the abundance of it, whereas I produce the absence of it."

"True. And I've learned to remove heat from things, to extinguish a fire. Just as you can add heat to melt ice."

"So we just work at opposite ends of the same spectrum," reasoned the white Toa.

Tahu shrugged. "But I still prefer my element, because it is more powerful. With fire, I can do a lot to ice."

"No more than I can do to fire," retorted Kopaka.

"I propose a contest," challenged Tahu. "See that peak over there? You make an ice staircase up one side using your ice powers. On the other side, I will carve a staircase into the ice with my fire powers. And we will see who gets to the top first."

"All right," Kopaka agreed. "When we're finished building, we will race to the top without our Kakamas."

"You're on," grinned Tahu. He was certain he could build more quickly than Kopaka, since the Toa of Ice was so careful and calculating about everything. "All it's going to take is a few swift strokes," he said to himself. "Kopaka will still be figuring out how high to make each riser."

The two Toa took their positions on opposite sides of the crag. They counted down together and began. Tahu lit his blade and made a long, smooth movement to form the basic shape of the staircase. But in his enthusiasm, he melted the ice all the way down to the stone. "I'll have to start over," he mumbled. He stepped to one side and began again on fresh ice, with more restraint this time. Then he sliced out each tread in the staircase, moving steadily up the slope. Finally, he reached the top. And he saw Kopaka's upper landing, glistening smooth and angular in the pale sunlight of Ko-Wahi. "Oh, no," he thought. "He's ahead!" He put on his Kakama and leaped down his staircase three steps at a time. And then he changed to his Hau and ran back up. He found himself face to face with his competitor.

"Nice work, for an amateur," nodded Kopaka.

Tahu felt the rage rising in his chest. "If I hadn't--"

Kopaka rolled his eyes. "I meant it as a genuine compliment, Tahu," he interrupted calmly. "This isn't even your element, and you did it really fast. Even with your initial error."

Tahu stood, silently fuming. Kopaka lowered his temperature to compensate for Tahu's extra heat. "I don't know why you feel compelled to beat me at my own game," he continued. "You would certainly win a similar contest in Ta-Wahi. But we could spend all day up here wasting energy, and it won't get us any closer to defeating the Bohrok."

The Toa of Fire sighed. "You're right, Kopaka. Let's go blast some enemies instead."

Kopaka shook his head. "You mean collect some krana."

"Right," said Tahu grudgingly. To himself he added, "He would be so much easier to get along with if he made a mistake once in a while."

"Try my stairs," suggested Kopaka. He stepped onto Tahu's. "These are really beautiful. The turbulence of the flame must be what formed these curved shapes."

"Yours are really smooth and straight. They look like they're made of glass."

"Well, I've had a bit of practice. I should be good at this by now!" laughed Kopaka. They reached the bottom and started walking together again. "But you know," continued the Toa of Ice, "I have actually been overwhelmed by my own element before."

"Really?" Tahu was surprised that Kopaka would confess such a thing. Was he trying to make peace? Tahu decided to go along with it. "I used to think I was fireproof, but then I fell in the lava, and it was really painful."

"I can imagine!" grimaced Kopaka. "With me, it was an avalanche that Makuta started. I stopped it twice, and it kept coming. Onua pulled me into a cave, or I would have been crushed."

"Onua? He keeps showing up out of nowhere and saving everyone. He's amazing."

"What we call 'nowhere' is 'everywhere' to him," smiled Kopaka. But then his smile disappeared. "Gali is with Pohatu, so both should be safe. But Onua left to search for the missing Lewa and has not been heard from."

"I would not worry about Onua-the Toa of Earth can take care of himself."

"I suppose so," replied Kopaka.

"Well, now that we know where the nest is, we need to find the other Toa, and see which krana we still lack," said Tahu.

"I'm pretty sure we still need some Pahrak krana," remarked Kopaka. "And there are some right now, behind that ridge."

Tahu switched to his Akaku. "Yes, I see them. A good-sized swarm. Let's go!"

"Go do what, Tahu? Perhaps we should come up with a plan first."

Tahu growled to himself, but once again, his irritating friend was right. "How about this? I'll go up the hill and shoot some fire at them, and drive them toward you, and you can freeze them."

"That sounds good," agreed Kopaka. "Try to keep them in a group if you can. Let's go."

Tahu sped up the hill, flanking the Pahrak and spraying fire at them. The creatures shot sharp fragments of stone back at him, but they bounced harmlessly off his Hau. Finally the Bohrok turned and ran. Tahu followed them, running around them and herding them together. Then Kopaka shot a huge mass of ice at the Pahrak, imprisoning them in a large crystal block.

"Great! Now, I'll free them two at a time and we can collect the krana while they are still stunned," said Kopaka. "Be careful, they may still be communicating with each other, you know."

"Yes, I know," replied the Toa of Fire, rolling his eyes. He watched Kopaka wave his sword at the ice, which melted away from two of the dazed creatures. Kopaka and Tahu, both in their Haus, opened the head cases to remove the krana. Not wanting to wait for Kopaka, Tahu brandished his sword and melted the ice off two more Bohrok.

"Careful, if you get them too hot--look! You melted its krana! Now we can't use that one! Whatever it was," groaned Kopaka.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tahu saw the other Pahrak begin to move. It flipped open its head case to launch a krana at the Toa of Ice. But Tahu fired first. The smoldering Bohrok collapsed on the ground.

Tahu shrugged. "Well, you're right, a krana is useless if it is burned beyond recognition. But we Toa are probably useless if we are wearing one, too."

Kopaka stared at Tahu. "I'm sorry. You just saved me, while I was busy yelling at you."

"Well, I'll be the last to criticize you for being quick to anger," laughed Tahu.

They finished collecting the krana, and Kopaka strung them on a rope. He smiled as he slung the rope over his shoulder. "Now I suppose we should get back to Kini-Nui and see if the other Toa are there yet."

"I know we're finished with the Nuhvok," said Tahu. "Gali and I helped Onua steam a whole swarm of them out of some tunnels a couple of days ago."

"That's great," said Kopaka. “Because we are definitely missing some Pahrak, thanks to you melting two of them.”

“Look, I’m sorry! Besides, you seem to have forgotten that one of them would have ended up on your face.”

“If you had just waited for me to thaw them--” Kopaka was interrupted by a rumbling sound.

Suddenly Tahu felt a heavy object slam into his chest, and he was knocked off his feet and thrown into a bush. He sat up slowly and looked around. Pohatu was lying halfway on top of him, with his other arm around Kopaka. And a giant landslide was sweeping past them down the slope on which they had been standing.

“Pohatu, what was that all about?” asked Tahu.

“Hello, Tahu and Kopaka. Sorry about that. It’s just that there was a swarm of Gahlok about to wash you down the hill, so I took them out with a landslide. And I had to get you out of the way first.”

Kopaka laughed. “Once again we were too busy arguing to protect ourselves. When will we ever learn, Tahu?”

Tahu grinned. “With friends like Pohatu, we could stay stupid. But let’s not.”

The Toa of Stone rolled his eyes. “What is it that makes you two want to squabble all the time? The fact that you are so different, or the fact that you are so alike?”

Tahu and Kopaka looked at each other. “Alike?” wondered Tahu.

“I think I see what you mean,” replied Kopaka. “As much as I hate to admit it, Tahu is a lot like me.”

Tahu frowned at Kopaka. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said grudgingly. “We both want to be king of the mountain.”

Pohatu laughed. “Well, let’s go pick up some Gahlok krana before they wake up and dethrone us all.”

The three Toa finished untangling themselves from the branches and went to work. Soon they had strung several orange krana onto the rope, and each headed home to his village with the satisfaction that they were a little closer to their goal of ridding Mata Nui of the scourge of the Bohrok.

Unfortunately, there were still hardships to come before the final goal would be reached. The next day, Tahu was startled to see Kopeke running across the town square. "Toa Tahu!" he panted.

"What is it, Kopeke?" he asked the Ko-Koronan.

"Toa Gali is injured. Toa Kopaka wants your help to save her."

Tahu's mind reeled. Gali was hurt! He wondered how badly, and what had happened to her. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"She's right outside Ko-Koro. I can show you…" But Tahu had already changed to his Kakama and disappeared.

The Toa of Fire arrived in the icy village and changed to his Akaku. On the other side of a large snowdrift, he saw Kopaka leaning over something on the ground. He ran over and saw that it was Gali. There was a cable coming out of her chest, attached to a computing device. Kopaka was holding her hook in one hand and stroking her mask, and Gali was singing in a feeble voice with her eyes closed. Tahu was furious with himself for letting her get hurt, despite his promise to protect her. And he was mad at Kopaka for somehow being involved. "Kopaka, what have you done to her?" he raged.

Kopaka dropped Gali's hook and stood, weaponless. "Either kill me or help me, but decide quickly," he replied solemnly. "And yes, it was my fault. She was hit in the neck with Lehvak acid. Her heart wasn't beating, but I restarted it." He pointed to the recording device.

Tahu extinguished his sword. He regretted his fury. Kopaka had probably been doing all he could to protect her, but the Lehvak were treacherous. And what Kopaka had done to resuscitate her was ingenious. "Sorry, brother," Tahu said grimly. "How can I help?"

Gali opened her eyes. She glanced up at Tahu and smiled weakly. Tahu felt as if all the sunlight in Mata Nui were contained in those fragile gold eyes. "Please don't let her die," he prayed silently. He knelt next to her. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but instead he patted her shoulder. "Gali, it's me, Tahu. You're going to be all right. Just stay with us."

Kopaka showed Tahu an ice patch on her neck. "This has kept her from bleeding to death, but she needs a permanent repair. Can you weld her neck?"

Tahu gasped. "I--well, I think so," he said slowly. For the first time ever, he felt afraid. This would be by far the most important, and the most difficult, use of his element he had ever attempted. He hoped fervently that he was indeed master of fire.

"I'll freeze the area around it, so you won't damage anything else."

Tahu ignited his sword. "All right. Go ahead, Kopaka."

Kopaka leaned over her and melted the patch. Yellow fluid began to drip into the snow. Then he delicately froze a ring around the injury. Tahu took a deep breath and brought his blade next to Gali's neck. He hesitated for a moment. "Great Beings, please give me the skill to save her," he whispered. He applied some heat, pulling the sword away with alarm when the fluid began to bubble and hiss. But he tried again, more cautiously, and then he carefully ran his finger along her neck to push some of the softened metal over the wound. Finally, he passed his fire sword lightly over the whole area to smooth it out. He leaned back and remembered to breathe again.

"Look, Tahu! I think it worked. She's not bleeding anymore," smiled Kopaka.

Tahu felt dizzy. He was amazed that the weld was successful, but he was still worried. "Kopaka, I only hope I haven't further damaged the nerves. Gali, can you hear me?"

She opened her eyes again. "Huh?"

"Start singing again," said Kopaka. "Tahu, how can we restore those nerve connnections?"

Gali continued her song in a feeble voice as they talked. "Healing waters…"

"Maybe we can rig a parallel cable from her head," suggested Tahu.

"Are you crazy? How are we going to find the right connection in something as complex as a brain?"

This was not a good time for Kopaka to challenge him. "Well, do you have a better idea? You're the one who caused all this!" retorted the Toa of Fire angrily.

"Healing waters… solace flows from the river of forgiveness to my soul… I need you… healing waters… " Gali's voice trailed off.

"That's it!" shouted Kopaka. "Tahu, melt some snow! Remember what Onua said? Gali healed him with water. Let's try it!"

Tahu remembered Onua's account of how Gali had healed him before the battle with Makuta. Despite his injuries and fatigue, Onua had shown up at Kini-Nui completely rested and ready. Though Tahu was doubtful anyone but Gali could do it, it was worth trying. And maybe she could make it work herself. He picked up a piece of ice with his left hand and melted it with his sword. Kopaka caught the drips with his cupped hands. When they were full, Kopaka leaned over Gali. "Spirit of the waters, heal your daughter!" He poured the water slowly on her wound. The two Toa waited, breathless.

"Look, Tahu! Look at this! A second rhythm!" Kopaka pointed at the display, and typed something on the keyboard. "It worked!" He pulled off the cable and snapped her chest piece back on.

Kopaka stood facing Tahu and smiled broadly. "Thank you, brother," he said gratefully, putting his hand on Tahu's shoulder.

"No, thank you," replied Tahu. He placed his arm around Kopaka. "And I don't even need to know how it happened. Mata Nui is a dangerous place."

"It wasn't his fault, Tahu," Gali said quietly, sitting up. Both her companions dropped to their knees to help her. "Thank you so much, both of you. I owe you my life."

"Don't forget Kopeke," smiled Kopaka.

"And Kopeke, thank you, too." Kopeke did a modest little bow.

"Turaga Nuju says that even in her weakness, Gali's intuition is strong. She is very wise for one so young," said Matoro. The Toa turned to look in the direction of his voice. The entire village of Ko-Koro was watching from a nearby snowdrift. "And Kopaka and Tahu, you have performed a miracle. The healing required both pure water and strong faith. The prophesy is truly fulfilled."

Tahu looked at Gali and thought about how hard she had been fighting for Mata Nui, and how her wisdom had been so crucial in the battle with Makuta. And despite his decision to treat her as one of the team, he couldn't help but recall the first time he saw her move, and the first time he heard her speak, and how she felt in his arms in the moment before she fled. But most of all, he remembered how she had come to the very brink of the great volcano and saved him from himself. "Gali," said Tahu, "I'm so glad you're alive. I don't know how I would go on without you here."

"She's not here for you, Tahu," said Kopaka icily. "She's for all of Mata Nui."

Tahu gave Kopaka a fierce look and stood up. He knew it would grieve Gali to see discord between them. So against his strongest instincts, he decided to withdraw. "Well, I'd better be going. I've got one more Tahnok krana to capture. A Xa. Take good care of her, Kopaka."

He changed to his Kakama and ran back towards Ta-Koro. When he passed the Mangai, he slowed down and glanced up at the summit. "Yes, I'm very glad Gali is here," he thought with great relief. "And I'm overjoyed I was able to use my fire to save her." But he still felt uneasy about one thing. Even though he tried to shake the image from his mind, it bothered him to think about Kopaka leaning over her, holding her hook, gently touching her mask. "I know she needed that kind of care, and I'm glad he was able to give it. But still… I hope that he believes his own words. Gali is here for all of Mata Nui."

Tahu walked into the village, found Vakama, and told him of Gali's healing. "You welded her neck?" Vakama marveled. "It sounds like your mastery of fire has improved considerably since your arrival."

"Thanks, Vakama," sighed Tahu. "It was almost as difficult as walking away from Kopaka's provocation, and leaving Gali with him."

Vakama grinned. "Impressive."

"But I think I still have a lot to learn."

"Only a fool would claim otherwise," laughed Vakama. "You can trust Gali, you know."

"That's what Pohatu said," replied Tahu.

"That the healing waters worked doesn't surprise me," commented the Turaga. "I have seen Nokama do something similar, although the situation was much less drastic."

"Really? You Turaga have quite an interesting history," said Tahu. "What happened?"

"A Ga-Koronan was bitten by a Takea, and Nokama healed her with water. But it took many hours, and much prayer."

"I suppose Gali can do it faster because she is a Toa."

"No doubt. But it sounds like you and Kopaka did as much as Gali in this case. It must have been the strength of your faith."

"That's what Nuju said," Tahu smiled.

"Well, I hope you won't need that trick again. How is the krana collection coming?"

"It's almost complete. I promised to find the last Tahnok krana. Has anyone spotted a swarm of them lately?"

Vakama scratched his head. "No, but you might check with Jala."

Jala shook his head at Tahu’s question. “No, but there’s trouble afoot up the Mangai. The lava flows have been reduced by half in the past hour. And the scouts still haven’t reported back.”

"Then that's where I'll be," replied Tahu. He turned and walked across the bridge, then ran part of the way up the Mangai to use his Akaku to scan the area. Right away he saw a swarm of Kohrak. They were freezing the lava, blocking off the main flow to Ta-Koro.

Tahu felt rage rising inside. “Cutting off the precious flows--I must stop them now!” He ran to the scene, and with a few strokes of his sword, the magma was flowing again. In the meantime the Kohrak had frozen his feet to the ground, but he raised his temperature and freed himself. Then he hit them with a blast of flame, and as they staggered back, he was able to knock open one head case and remove the krana. The others regrouped and encapsulated him in ice, but once again he melted the frozen bonds. This time he countered with a more efficient move. He shot fire at the bluff above them, melting a new path for the lava, and it poured on top of the Kohrak. Several escaped, but Tahu was able to collect two more krana from the slower Bohrok.

Tahu sliced off a piece of rock and began to surf back down the mountain. But as he rounded a bend in the stream, he saw a strange sight. A huge block of ice glistened in the sun. Inside it there seemed to be red, yellow, and orange objects. Tahu ran his board onto the ground and walked up to the ice. As he approached he realized it contained two Ta-Koronans.

“The scouts!” he gasped. “The Kohrak have frozen them! This will require a gentle touch…” He brought his sword near the block and applied just enough heat to melt the ice around the first Matoran.

“Toa Tahu! Thank you!” he cried gratefully, bowing low.

“Stand up, Luki,” Tahu replied with a smile. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. But the Kohrak are freezing the flows! We must tell Jala!”

“I took care of that,” said Tahu reassuringly. “Now for your comrade…” He released the other Matoran, who rubbed his hands together and stamped his feet while he gushed his thanks.

“You’re quite welcome,” laughed the Toa. “That just happened to me, too, so I know how you feel. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find some Tahnok.”

Tahu jumped back on his board and headed downstream again. Switching to his Akaku as he surfed, he spotted a source of intense heat that was obviously not lava. It was the Tahnok. They were on the same beach where he came to life so long ago.

The Toa of Fire faced the Bohrok of Fire across the expanse of sand. He felt dread in his heart, remembering how a similar swarm had driven him to seek Kopaka’s help. Perhaps these were the same Tahnok, since the two Toa had been distracted by the nest and the Pahrak. After Pohatu had saved them both from the Gahlok, the Tahnok were nowhere to be found.

This time Tahu came up with a new strategy. “I’ll cut a trench in the ground with my sword, and as they jump across, I’ll knock their krana out.” A huge cloud of smoke rose as he slashed a crevasse in the sand, forming glass on each side. He backed up and waited for them to attack.

But he hadn’t checked behind him. And around a bluff came another swarm. Tahu heard the click of a head case opening, and turned just in time to see a flying blue object. His Hau, unable to protect him from the ambush, was knocked to the ground. In its place was a cool, slimy object… Tahu felt queasy. He clawed at the krana with his hand, but it held firmly to his face. Then he felt sharp pains all over his face, as if he were being pierced with a hundred needles. A wave of nausea swept over him, and he heard a rushing sound all around him. Tahu stumbled and gripped his sword tighter. He shot a blast of flame at his own face, but the krana held fast. Then the voices began.

“Welcome, Toa Tahu,” they whispered. “Now you will use your power to help us. Nothing will stand in the way of our mission.”

Tahu was horrified. So this is what it was like to wear a krana. Vakama was right… he could feel himself starting to respond to the voices’ commands. “Destroy those flying creatures. They do not belong.” A surge of hatred filled him, and he aimed his sword at a flock of birds and fired. “No!” he recoiled in alarm as they fell into the sea. “Those are innocent beings… I must resist…” But the voices drowned out his thoughts. “Well done, Toa. Now, those creatures in the water…” Tahu felt himself turn toward the crabs in a tidal pool. “Kill them! Burn them!” ordered the voices. Tahu sensed the hatred coming back, but he tried to suppress it. He shouted aloud, “I am here to protect life, not to destroy it! I--”

“You will do as you are told. You will help us restore things to the before-time,” chorused the voices. A spasm of pain racked Tahu’s entire body. So the voices could punish him. But his will was stronger than theirs. Or was it? He lowered his sword and pointed toward the crabs. Then he thought of Gali, and her love for the creatures of the sea. He could see her face in his mind. “Tahu,” she said, “you are a Toa…”

“Destroy it,” the voices commanded. “It is an obstacle. It must be removed.” Tahu realized they were talking about Gali. Once again, black hatred seeped into his mind. But the image of Gali struggled to take its place. As a dark cloud of wrath pushed her face out of his consciousness again, he heard her say, “Tahu, I love you…”

“Gali? NO!” he screamed. “I won’t hurt her! I must be free!” He doubled over in agony as his body was tormented again, but he stood up straight and grabbed the krana. As he ripped it loose, it felt as if his whole face was being torn off. When the wave of pain subsided, he found himself lying face down on the wet sand, a dark blue krana clutched in his hand.

“Gali?” he panted. “Are you here? Did I really try to hurt you?” He sat up and looked around. She had seemed so real. But he was alone. There were burn marks and puddles of water in the sand—signs of a struggle. His mask lay half-buried a few bios away. The Tahnok were gone.

Tahu reeled from the haze of confusion. He slowly stood up and walked over to his Kanohi. He bent to pick it up and fell to his knees. But then the wave of nausea dissipated, and he put the mask on his face. He looked at the krana in his hand. “Of all the miracles… it’s a Xa. I must go tell Vakama…” Tahu staggereed to his feet and changed to his Kakama. In a few moments he was safely inside the gates of Ta-Koro.

“Vakama!” Tahu stepped into the Turaga’s hut. “Vakama! The strangest thing just happened to me!”

Vakama turned from his sacred fire to look at the bedraggled Toa. “You look terrible, Toa Tahu. What’s wrong?”

“I was ambushed by the Tahnok… and one of them launched its krana onto my face,” he explained, holding up the Xa. “It was awful. You can’t imagine how awful.”

Vakama’s eyes widened. “How did you get free?”

Tahu leaned closer. “That’s the strange part. These voices were telling me to destroy everything living. And I started to. But then I saw a hallucination of Gali. And she spoke to me. And I knew they wanted me to destroy her. So I tore off the krana.”

Vakama reached up and gently put his hand on the side of Tahu’s head behind his mask.

“Yes, it really hurt,” he said in answer to Vakama’s unspoken question. “But it hurt worse to think that I would have harmed Gali, if she had really been there.”

“She may really have been there, Tahu,” replied the Turaga.

Tahu recalled the water all over the beach. “Do you think she came to save me and then left before I returned to normal?”

“Possibly. Or maybe she was there in spirit. What you call a hallucination sounds more like a vision to me.”

“A vision? Do you think she sent it to me?”

“It’s possible,” said Vakama quietly. “She, or the Great Beings.”

“She said--” But Tahu couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

“Whoever sent it loves you and knew you were in pain,” continued Vakama. “That’s all I can tell you.”

Tahu stepped back, speechless. He looked at the krana. He was holding pure evil in his hand. But love had overcome its hold on him. Whoever had sent the vision, it was his love for Gali that had ultimately saved him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the outside of the hut. “Tahu?” called Onua’s voice. “I found Lewa. And the others joined us on the way. Have you gotten that Tahnok Xa yet?”

“Yes, I have,” replied Tahu. “It’s right here.”

“Then we have all the krana,” smiled Lewa as he stepped inside. “One of them is the Lehvak Za I was wearing until Onua saved me.”

Tahu held up the Tahnok Xa as he looked into Lewa’s eyes. For a moment they shared a memory of pain and horror.

“You, too?” asked the Toa of Air.

“Yes, for a few moments,” replied Tahu. “I will never forget it.”

“Then let’s go rid Mata Nui of those villains forever,” said Onua. “The others are outside the gate.”

Tahu’s heart skipped a beat as he realized he was about to see Gali again. “Let’s go,” he agreed. He nodded to Vakama. “May the Great Beings protect you.”

Vakama bowed. “And you also.”

Tahu led the way out of the village. Kopaka, Pohatu, and Gali were waiting outside, each holding a rope of krana. As they greeted him, Tahu studied Gali’s face intently. Was she the one that had sent the vision?

Gali smiled at Tahu. “Are you all right?” she asked gently. “You look tired.”

“I was, but now I’m ready to take on those monsters. Now I understand how evil they really are.”

She put her hook on his arm. “Let’s go,” she replied simply. They changed to their Kakamas and caught up with the others. Once again, Tahu’s powers would be challenged to the ultimate. But he felt ready for the next test of his mastery of fire.



Review topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Oct 7 2003, 09:54 AM

[GaliGee]

Chapter 6: Master

The Toa of Fire leaned over the ledge. Below him he saw a vast chamber, its walls lined with Bohrok pods as far as he could see into the hazy darkness. "Tell the others to wait," he said to Onua. "I will go down and investigate."

"Be careful," cautioned Onua. But Tahu was already dropping into the cavern with his Miru.

"A nest!" he thought. "The creatures still slumber, and if we are fortunate, they will never awaken." As he assessed the vast array of Bohrok, he heard an ominous sound. The chamber was closing! Like a heavy lid, a large stone was sliding over the opening, isolating Tahu from the other Toa. He could hear Onua's shouts before they were cut off from each other. "Oh, no! We must stay together… well, perhaps I can destroy these sleeping monsters before I find a way out." He ignited his sword, but already the pods were bursting, and the creatures were popping out. Tahu jumped to the side to avoid being hit. Now that they were emerging, he had no hope of destroying them all. So he scanned the cavern walls with his Akaku for a sign of an opening. "Solid stone, everywhere," he groaned. "But there is a hollow place behind this wall." He directed a focused beam at the wall to cut a hole in the rock. The unnaturally hard material refused to yield. Tahu cast his eyes desperately around the chamber again, hoping to find a weak spot.

As more Bohrok blasted out of their pods, the pressure in the sealed chamber began to build. "It's getting really oppressive in here," gasped Tahu. "Hey! That's it! Pressure!" He turned around and began to emit a diffuse heat, raising the temperature around him. He felt the hot air pressing on him from all sides. It was burning his lungs and eyes. But he closed his eyes and persevered, pouring out every bit of his energy to increase the heat. Finally the walls of the cavern burst with a loud explosion, and Tahu shot through the partition separating him from the other Toa. Shards of stone and Bohrok pods flew everywhere. Tahu rolled and landed on his feet and looked around through the smoke and dust. The other Toa were getting up from the floor, where they had thrown themselves to avoid the explosion.

"Tahu! Are you all right?" asked Lewa.

"Used my sword... to heat the air... until the pressure blew the nest apart," panted Tahu. "I went one way... the Bohrok the other. But they will be back."

"We may not be here to greet them," commented Kopaka, as the floor began to shake and crack.

"Use your levitation powers!" Gali shouted.

"And be ready for anything when we reach the bottom!" added Tahu. The Mirus slowed their fall, and they landed on a round platform at the bottom of a stone well. "Where are we?"

"Still in the realm of the Bohrok," answered Kopaka. "These carvings in the floor match the krana we carry, and I think... yes, this is where the krana are meant to go."

"Place them in these niches," said Pohatu, laying his krana in the indentations in the stone.

"It's begun! The end of the Bohrok!" cried Lewa.

"What are you talking about, Lewa?" asked Onua. "What do you know? It seems we've been invited in." Huge stone doors groaned as they opened.

"Six doorways. Six of us," remarked Tahu.

Ever cautious, Kopaka wondered aloud, "A trap?"

Tahu’s mind raced. The krana seemed to work like keys to open these doors, and Vakama had assured them that the krana were the secret to defeating the Bohrok. And besides, there was no other way out. "An opportunity," replied Tahu. "Everyone take a tunnel... and stay alert." As he stepped through the cloud of dust into his doorway, he saw a hatch opening ahead of him. "More Bohrok?" he thought. "No. Something far mightier than any Bohrok could be."

He caught his breath as he studied the massive suit of armor in front of him. He put his hands on the ancient metal and felt it begin to vibrate. Mechanisms deployed inside, opening the front of the suit. He put one foot on a footrest and swung himself up into the device. He slid his arms into the rocket launcher and massive claw arm of the machine, grasping the controls as the front panels closed around him. He felt the weapons become an extension of his own body, and he sensed the archaic power of the machine merging with his own. "Whoever put these here must have known about our struggle," he marveled. "This island has suffered much at the hands of the Bohrok. Its rivers frozen. Its mountains crumbled. Its jungles reduced to ruin. But by all the power that is mine, I swear--Mata Nui shall be free!"

The Toa of Fire raised his leg to step forward. The mighty armor responded, amplifying his movements. He strode confidently down the corridor toward the light. As the tunnel widened into a large room, he heard a voice speak as if it were inside his head. He recognized it as the voice that he had heard when he disobeyed the orders of the krana, before his body was racked with punishing pain. "Finally, I will face the ones responsible for all this horror. And I will make them pay," he growled. "Who is there? Show yourself!"

Tahu almost lost his balance as an unseen object struck him from the side. He staggered and turned to see a huge blue creature flash a mouthful of sharp white teeth at him. The voice resonated in his head again. "Ah, our failed minion," Cahdok crowed. "You could have joined us, but you chose to rebel. You are an obstacle. You do not belong. You will be removed."

Tahu felt his entire body heat up with fury. "Beware, monster... This ‘obstacle’ has a sting!" He squeezed the trigger of the electro-rocket and watched the hideous bird-like creature recoil, screeching, from the blow of the projectile. But she lunged again, and soon she was soon joined by a similar red beast. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kopaka on the other side of it. They drove the two enemies together. The other Toa soon had them surrounded. But then Tahu noticed that most of their blows were glancing off the Bahrag without harm.

"Fools!" taunted the queens of the swarms. "By bringing us together, you increase our power! Now Mata Nui will be as it was in the Before-Time!"

Lewa levitated and raised his axe to blow a fierce wind at the creatures. Tahu watched Lewa fall, laden with ice. Kopaka struck at them with the claw of his Exo armor, but one creature turned and buried him with earth. He struggled to free himself, hacking at the massive pile with the claw.

“These things must wield all the elemental powers of the Bohrok!” Tahu realized with a start. He winced as the red creature fired a blast of water, sending him staggering backwards, but most of it was deflected off the armor. “They are formidable enemies… but we have this armor, from unknown allies…”

Pohatu and Onua suddenly turned from the fight and began to strive against two unseen attackers. Tahu peered through the dust and realized that their opponents were nothing but shadows projected by the Bahrag. And Gali had fallen to her knees, weakened by waves of heat.

All this was too much for Tahu. He raised his sword and jumped in front of Gali, blocking the heat beam. "This stops NOW! Your fires are nothing compared to mine, monster!" he yelled, and shot flames back at her foe. He felt the intensity of Gahdok's blast, hotter than the lava he had fallen into once before. In spite of his resistance to heat, he felt the pain increasing all over his surface, the Exo absorbing and re-radiating it at him from all sides.

But then the creature changed tactics. "If fire will not defeat you, then taste the power of stone!" She launched a volley of rocks at high speed, battering against Tahu's Hau and forcing him to step back.

"The Mask of Shielding can protect me from this barrage… but the strain…! I…. I…"

Out of the noise, he heard Gali's voice. "Onua! Pohatu! You are fighting shadows--and Tahu needs you!" The Toa of Fire wished he could turn to look at her, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off his attacker. He knew how much Gali cared about the other Toa who were in trouble, and yet she singled him out as needing help. In spite of his dire situation, he felt very privileged, especially when he saw Pohatu’s look of rage as the Toa of Stone realized what was happening.

Pohatu spun around and used his claw arm to rip a huge rock out of the wall of the cavern. He hurled it with all his strength at Gahdok, who collapsed under the weight of the massive stone. Tahu nodded his thanks to Pohatu, who was grinning. “My pleasure.” Onua dug furiously to free Kopaka, who then released Lewa from the block of ice with a wave of his blade.

As Tahu helped Gali to her feet, with some assistance from her armor, he felt his Exo recharging its weapons. And then he realized why the Toa were failing. Although the suit was giving him incredible power in close-range combat, it was drawing on his energy to reach full strength. And the elemental powers were what the Toa needed to attack from a distance. "All of you! Shed your armor! It hinders our elemental powers--and they are our only hope!"

At Tahu’s words, the front of his Exo suit opened. He felt a pang of regret as he stepped down out of the armor, which had responded so well to his movements and even his thoughts, like a silent partner in the battle. It had protected him for a time, but now he needed to be free. Meanwhile, Gahdok had shattered the boulder and was standing again. Ignoring the discouraging mockery of the Bahrag, Tahu remembered how they had worked together to defeat Makuta. "Toa! Surround them! We must combine our powers!"

"But, the danger--" began Lewa.

"The safety of our people is worth any risk," shouted Gali. "If power is all these creatures understand, then we will show them power!" Tahu was relieved to see that she had recovered her strength. They would need it more than ever in this fight.

The Toa took positions around their enemies and fired elemental energy at them. To Tahu's astonishment, instead of blasting the enemy to pieces, as they had done to Makuta, the combined beams of energy began to form a web of luminous fibers, imprisoning the Bahrag. The vicious queens shrieked and gnashed their horrible teeth. "Fools!" one scoffed, as the protodermis cage tightened around them. “You think you have won… but you cannot imagine what you have unleashed!”

The earth began to shake violently. “Looks like Cahdok and Gahdok had one more surprise for us,” remarked Onua.

“This is not their doing!” replied Lewa. “This comes from the very heart of Mata Nui.”

“The floor!” Gali yelled, throwing out her arms to keep her balance. “We’re… we’re sinking!”

As platforms supporting the Toa moved downward into the floor, Tahu shouted, “Prepare yourselves!” He saw that he was inside a tube, and it was filling with a strange, cool liquid. “Oh, no,” he thought, fighting off panic. “I’m going to drown…” He switched to his Kaukau when the silver fluid reached his neck, although he doubted he would be able to breathe in it. “The Bahrag have trapped us… Mata Nui is doomed…” He took a deep breath, possibly his last, as his head went under and he was unable to see. Suspended in the liquid, dizzy and disoriented, he felt a sensation of warmth, beginning on his mask, his hands, and his chest, and then flowing through his whole body. Then the descent stopped, and he felt the floor under him begin to rise again. His head emerged and he gasped for air. The platform reached the floor level and halted.

The Toa of Fire looked down at himself, then glanced at the others. They were wearing silver chest and shoulder armor, and their legs were longer and stronger. And their masks were changed, stretched into smooth, streamlined shapes. They had reverted from gold to the Toa’s elemental colors. But most notable was the change in their tools. Tahu was holding two wide silver blades, each bearing the twisted flame of his old sword. “It is over.” His voice was the same, but it had a new, deeper resonance.

Gali was studying her new axes. “Kopaka,” she said, “what has happened? What have we become?”

The Toa of Ice looked at her and then at himself. “More than we were. More than anyone has ever been.”

Onua tapped his chest armor. “Those chambers were filled with protodermis! It changed us—increased our power…”

Tahu felt the ground move again. “Let us worry about why is happened later,” he warned. “There are more important questions to answer.”

“Questions like these,” added Lewa. “What happened to Cahdok and Gahdok? And how are we going to get out of here?”

“Look out!” called Pohatu. “That stone is falling right for us!”

“It’s no use,” Lewa groaned. “It’s too big, and there’s nowhere to run to!”

Tahu activated his mask, praying it still had the power of shielding. With relief, he felt the familiar invisible shield expanding from his new Hau, this time stronger than ever. He glanced at his companions, whose upturned masks remained unchanged. With a sinking heart he realized that they must have lost the other Kanohi powers in the transformation. They were sure to be crushed under the fast-approaching rocks. In the split second before they hit, scenes flashed through his mind. The other Toa had risked their lives to save him, and Mata Nui, and they had grown as close as brothers in the time they had fought together. How could he live without them? And he thought of Gali… oh, Gali. Maybe if he could cover her somehow—

He pulled Gali close to him just as the stones began to pound against the shield. Tahu braced himself and watched them ricochet away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something amazing. “The Mask of Shielding protected us all!” he cried. The last of the rocks tumbled harmlessly to the floor, and he released Gali. “It could never do that before…!”

“And it never will again,” warned Kopaka, “if we do not escape! Lewa, Pohatu—combine the powers of your masks!”

The Toa took advantage of the new masks, the powers of which extended to those in the vicinity, to levitate and run through the collapsing tunnels, dodging confused Bohrok as they went. Finally the heroes of Mata Nui shot out of the ground as the last of the tremors shook the island.

“We did it!” rejoiced Kopaka. “The threat of Cahdok, Gahdok, and the swarms is ended! But at what price?”

Tahu landed roughly, dusting himself off as he stood up. His heart was racing with exertion and the thrill of their triumph. “Nothing has been lost,” he retorted. A new word suddenly flashed into his mind. “The protodermis has given us the power to protect our people from any danger… and to heal this shattered land! Once we were Toa, but now we are far, far more… Now and forevermore, we are Toa Nuva!”

The Toa of Stone studied his new claws. “Just look at these new tools!” He kicked a rock and watched it fly far away until it fell with a distant thud. “What a difference!”

Lewa nodded. He levitated far above their heads. Then he extended his Miru power to Pohatu, lifting him as well. “Hey!” yelled Pohatu, snapping his claws at the laughing Lewa, who spun out of reach.

Gali tossed her axes into the air and caught them. “I can think of a lot of uses for these,” she grinned. “But I wish we could have brought the Exo armor with us. It’s a pity such fine machines had to be crushed in the cataclysm.”

“I agree,” Kopaka nodded. “Mine seemed to learn from me. The longer I wore it, the better it responded to my commands. I know it wasn’t alive, but it almost seemed intelligent.”

Onua admired his silver saws. He started them and touched the tips to the ground. Sand flew as they sank effortlessly into the earth. “Wow,” he said simply. “And look, under my armor the dent in my shoulder has disappeared.”

Tahu walked up to Gali. She looked stronger, taller, more confident in her new form. “She won’t need my protection any more, now that she is a Toa Nuva,” he smiled to himself. “How is your neck?” he asked, leaning closer. She pointed to the place where the Lehvak acid had eaten through the metal, seemingly ages ago. There was no sign of the old injury. “Amazing! The scar is gone!” Then he felt a chill in the air. He turned to see Kopaka standing behind him.

“Yes, the protodermis healed it nicely,” commented the Toa of Ice. Glaring at Tahu, he reached out and touched Gali’s neck.

Gali looked nervously from one to the other and stepped back. “Yes, I’m grateful to both of you.”

“I propose a contest,” suggested Kopaka, turning to Tahu. “After we check in with our villages, why don’t we meet again and test our new powers against each other? It would be a good way to see how we have been enhanced.”

Tahu’s eyes narrowed. “Gladly.” The Toa all nodded and turned toward their villages. Tahu smiled, thinking about how good it would be to see his people again. He started the long walk home.

He lifted his head and scanned the horizon. Ahead of him loomed the Mangai volcano. He walked into the foothills, relishing the warmth of the wind blowing from the summit. He cut across the base of the mountain about halfway up the slope until he reached the main lava channel that led to Ta-Koro. Pulling one of his new magma swords off his back, he prepared to slice off a chunk of rock on which to surf. But then he hesitated. He stared at the blade in his hand. "It almost looks as if…" He examined the handle and looked down at his feet. "Maybe I could…" He took the other sword off his back, then stooped and slid the handles into the sides of one foot. Rocking back and forth, he tested his balance. Then he jumped into the lava stream.

The new board performed wonderfully. Tahu leaned left and then right, astonished at how well he was able to control it. He tried a jump, and a twist, and finally a full air roll, spraying sparks and drops of magma into the air. "This is great!" he yelled aloud. Unlike the oblong rocks he was accustomed to using, this board was very light, yet it was much stronger than stone. Emboldened, he tried more tricks. Everything he could do before, he was able to do better with his new blades. Finally, breathless with exhilaration, he arrived at the gates of Ta-Koro. The guards closed formation, brandishing their weapons and blocking the doorway.

“Hey! It’s me, Tahu!” called the Toa of Fire, surprised at their actions.

Vakama appeared at the gate and studied him intently for a few seconds. “It really is Toa Tahu,” he reassured the soldiers, who stepped to the side. Vakama waved, and the bridge stones rose out of the lava. Tahu stepped onto one, and he was carried up to the village.

“Vakama, thank you. It’s good to be home.”

“Of course,” replied the village elder. “Welcome back. We know of your great victory, but we look forward to hearing the whole story by the fire tonight.”

“And I look forward to telling it. It is a tale to be remembered.”

The Turaga led his Toa into the gates. “As you know, the Bohrok are directionless without the Bahrag. And we have removed the krana from them, so they can be tamed and put to use restoring the island to its former beauty.”

“As it was in the Before-Time,” said Tahu. When he saw the horrified look on Vakama’s face, he added with a wry smile, “Before the Bohrok messed it up, that is.”

“Whew, you scared me, Toa Tahu!” breathed Vakama.

Tahu laughed and put his arm around Vakama. “There is much work to do, Turaga. But with peace at last, we will finally be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors. And I look forward to spending more time in the village, and learning from you. I haven’t had much time to do that yet.”

“You have learned so much already, I’m not sure what I have left to teach you,” replied Vakama. “As for me, I want to see what kind of new powers you have. The prophecies foretold a transformation, and more power, but they were vague as to the details.”

“I don’t even know yet, myself. But we Toa are going to meet again to try them out on each other, just for practice.” Tahu stiffened as he noticed a group of Ta-Koronans and Tahnok across the river, next to one of the small dams that controlled the lava level in the river around the village. “What is going on over there?” he asked.

The Turaga looked out the porthole. “The Matoran are directing the Tahnok to rebuild one of the dams they destroyed.”

Shaking his head in wonder, Tahu commented, “It’s really hard to get used to seeing such destructive creatures being put to work for good.”

The Toa of Fire stayed in the village for a few hours, observing and helping as the teams of Bohrok and Matorans got to work. Even the Va were pressed into service, carrying tools and materials as they had carried the dangerous krana in previous days.

After assuring himself that the work was progressing safely, Tahu took his leave and returned to Kini-Nui for the contest with the other Toa. He was looking forward to seeing what the others could do with their new powers. And he was anxious to show Kopaka that he was not to be trifled with. He found the others assembled and waiting. “Let’s divide up into two teams. Gali, Pohatu, you come with me.”

Kopaka turned to Onua and Lewa. “Fine. We will go plan our attack.”

Tahu conferred briefly with his group. He watched Gali shoot a potent blast of water at Lewa, who leaped to safety with his Miru Nuva, only to spin out of control as Pohatu raced around him in a tight circle. Then Onua sent Pohatu flying off the side of the hill. Tahu turned to Kopaka.

“That leaves only you and I, Tahu Nuva,” remarked Kopaka.

“No. That leaves only me,” taunted Tahu. He raised his double sword and sent a ring of fierce flames to surround his challenger. He was surprised at the force and the precision of his own attack.

“A fire cage?” laughed Kopaka. “How amusing. That’s enough to imprison a mindless Rahi, perhaps… but not Kopaka Nuva.” The Toa of Ice countered by forming a sphere of ice around himself, which exploded into chunks that flew in all directions. He rested his gaze on Gali for a second, then turned back to his rival. “You always were a little too confident, Tahu.”

“There’s the real reason for this contest,” thought Tahu. “Kopaka has never liked the way I do things. And sometimes he’s been correct where I was wrong. But what right does he have to resent my attention to Gali? I’ve worked hard to gain her trust.” He clenched his jaw, the tension evident in his voice. “Beware, brother. When I turn up the heat, even the Toa of Ice will melt.” But as he prepared for another strike, he felt himself being pushed backwards.

"Enough!" said Gali sharply, stepping between Tahu and Kopaka. "We have learned what we set out to learn. As Toa Nuva, we have greater power--and greater control over that power--than ever before! It is a shame we cannot control our tempers as well."

Kopaka's steely gaze was still locked onto Tahu's fiery eyes. But the Toa of Ice lowered his blades and stepped back. The Toa of Fire looked at Gali, who was frowning at him. With a low growl he extinguished his magma swords.

The other Toa were uneasy. They grasped at explanations for their friends' lack of restraint. "Perhaps we are all on edge, Gali," ventured Pohatu. "The struggle with Cahdok and Gahdok… our transformation into the Toa Nuva…"

"Not to mention making sure the Bohrok swarms and Bohrok Va got put to work repairing the damage they did!" added Lewa.

Pohatu continued. "Maybe Tahu and Kopaka did get a little carried away, but-"

"No, Gali is right," interrupted Tahu. "Maybe it would be best for us to go our separate ways. Our villages need us--more than we need each other."

Kopaka nodded. "I agree. This alliance is no longer necessary."

"The Turaga have said all along that we are six who share one destiny," objected Gali. "Is this how we honor their wisdom? By splitting apart?"

Lewa leaped over a tree trunk. "Maybe the Turaga don't know everything, Gali. If you want me, I'll be helping to rebuild Le-Koro."

The group was breaking up, and each Toa was heading for his village. Gali stood in the clearing and raised her hands in despair. "This is a mistake… I can feel it. Please--what if we are needed once more?" She dropped her arms and stared blankly at the forest floor.

Even though Tahu disagreed with her, he was grateful to her for intervening in the fight. "She just saved me from a serious error," he thought. "I was ready to incinerate Kopaka. He and I might have seriously injured each other, and that could have been disastrous for the safety of Mata Nui." He watched the Toa of Ice turn toward Ko-Koro and walk away. "As angry as he is with me now, it would have been a hundred times worse if Gali had said 'yes' to my advances so long ago. Jealousy would have torn us apart. I must follow my own advice to Onua, and truly accept her as a member of our brotherhood of warriors."

His mind returned to the day he approached her in the woods, and he felt a pang of sadness. "The one time I got to hold her in my arms, she fled in fear." He remembered the look in her eyes, and he was ashamed that he had caused her so much distress. "I want her to forgive me," he realized. "Then I will be free of this burden."

Tahu walked over to the Toa of Water, who was standing with slumped shoulders. "Gali," he said softly. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

She looked up at the sound of his voice. "Of course, Tahu."

He gestured toward a path through the trees. "Let's walk together."

She looked up at him expectantly as they walked. He took a deep breath and began. "I just wanted to thank you. You saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life."

"I did?"

"Yes, back when we were collecting the masks. Remember the day you were attacked by Nui-Jaga and Tarakava, and you had the Toa Kaita vision, and I was carrying you to the meeting, and I stopped in the woods?"

"How could I forget?" teased Gali.

"Well, I'm so glad you said 'no' to me. I was out of line even to ask you."

Gali looked surprised to hear this. Tahu turned his eyes back to the path and continued. "It was wrong of me to try to claim you as my own. You belong to all of Mata Nui. What you said about the symmetry between the Toa was very wise."

"I suppose it was," she replied flatly.

Tahu stopped and turned toward her. "Will you forgive me? I'm so sorry I frightened you."

Gali's voice wavered. "I--yes, I forgive you, Tahu."

Tahu felt a flood of sweet relief surge through his mind. He stood looking at her, remembering all she had done for him. "She saved me from killing myself in the Mangai. And then she saved me from becoming a slave to the Bohrok swarm. Whenever I've been in real trouble, whenever I needed that extra push to do what's right, she's been there for me." He wished he could put his arms around her. But he knew that if he did, he would lose his resolve to treat her like a teammate. And besides, if he frightened her a second time, she would never trust him again. Suddenly he noticed the melancholy look in her eyes.

"Listen, Gali, I know you're sad that the Toa won't be working together anymore. You put so much effort into getting us all to be a team. But it's not like we'll be strangers to one another. Even though we don't need each other to protect the villages anymore, you can come to Ta-Koro to visit me sometime. I'd like that."

"Maybe I will," she replied quietly.

"You know what they say. 'There's no place like home.' Well, goodbye," he said, turning toward Ta-Koro. "May the Great Beings protect you."

The image of Gali's weak smile remained in his head as he walked away. "I know I did the right thing," he thought. "So why do I feel so empty inside? It's not as if I've lost her friendship."

Without a Kakama, Tahu had plenty of time to think as he made his way back to the region of fire. He realized that he was dejected because he had finally given up all hope of romance. "Perhaps that's a joy reserved for the Matorans," he tried to console himself. "The Great Beings have prepared us for combat, not comfort. But that's not the most important thing, anyway. Romance has been a disaster for me, but love has saved my life. And I am stronger knowing that she loves me. Just as I am stronger with the love of my brothers, the other Toa."

He took the same route as before, cutting across the base of the Mangai toward the main channel. But as he sat down to put his blades on his feet, he paused to examine them. "Not a single scratch from when I surfed earlier today," he marveled. "And the edges didn't melt at all."

Suddenly Tahu sat up straight. He looked up at the summit of the smoldering volcano. He leaped to his feet and put the swords on his back. Then he sprinted up the side of the Mangai. Now nothing would stop him from realizing his dream.

Poised on the edge of the crater, Tahu looked down into the boiling cauldron of magma. He studied the terrain carefully. The dark, rugged stone stood out starkly against the brightly glowing orange lava. Since his last visit, the patterns of flow had changed slightly, and with no Kakama, he would have to be more clever about using momentum and gravity. In his mind, he plotted his new course.

The Toa of Fire took a deep breath and jumped. He felt the wind whistling past his head as he bent his knees in anticipation of the impact. Landing with a splash in the lava, he winced as the hot spray stung his body, but he focused on the path ahead of him. He flexed his legs and leaned to avoid a large outcrop of rock. He glanced down, and although the waves of searing heat blurred his vision, he could see that the board was intact. “So far, so good,” he thought. With renewed confidence, he surfed toward the center of the crater.

The Mangai began to bubble more ferociously, as if in response to his challenge. He approached the hottest part, where the magma boiled out of the very depths of the earth, reaching a height of about three bios above the surrounding lava before subsiding and flowing over the edge of the crater. “Should I surf over the very center?” he wondered. “Of course I should!” And he steered himself toward it. He hunched down and directed his elemental energy toward the back of his board to increase his speed. As he swung around a rock, he brought up his knees and lifted himself out of the lava, flying sideways over the magma jet. He cleared the top and landed on the other side, splattering molten rock in all directions. “Woohoo!” he yelled triumphantly, sailing to the edge of the crater and skidding to a stop on the jagged rocks. Tahu sat down, panting. The board was glowing red, and his feet were scorched, but he barely noticed. He leaned his head back and laughed. “I did it! I surfed the Mangai!” Closing his eyes, the Toa of Fire reveled in the intense heat and the feeling of victory.

After a few minutes, he took off the swords, still glowing faintly from the heat, and stood again. “And now for the big lavafall,” he grinned. He walked to the wide notch in the rim of the crater where most of the lava flowed out, dropping a hundred bios into a large, slow-moving pool and then down the channel toward Ta-Koro. He had admired it from below for a long time, and now he was ready to try it.

Once again Tahu stood on the brink between exhilaration and catastrophe. He gripped his blades tightly, breathed deeply of the hot, sulfurous air, and then he was airborne. He reached down as he tumbled, slipped the blades into his foot, and righted himself. Soon the back of his board struck the vertical flow of magma, and he was rotated forward with a j erk. He pushed with his legs and leaned back, balancing with his hands. And he plummeted with the lava, hitting the surface of the pool hard. The board sank almost a bio into the fluid before it shot forward, but Tahu ignored the pain of his burning legs. The momentum of his fall propelled him across the lake almost as fast as a Kakama. He swerved and leaped and rolled in the air, spraying molten rock as he went, his heart racing. Now Tahu knew no enemy was too strong, and no challenge too great, for the master of fire.

THE END
(stay tuned, there will be an epilogue in a couple of days)


Thanks to my friends who helped:

Jasaga
Deadly Kanohi Master
pohatu jr
Takea
Templar Studios (creators of the MNOLG)
and Greg Farshtey, from whose Bionicle comics I stole lots of great dialogue, and who helped me with a couple of questions.



Reply topic here.

Thanks, Huriko!

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Mar 24 2003, 12:04 PM

[GaliGee]

Epilogue

Tahu was surfing down the side of the Mangai, on his way home from checking on the western Bohrok work crew, when he saw a flare shoot up from Ta-Koro. "Oh, no," he thought. "Some kind of emergency. I wonder if a group of Tahnok Va is getting out of line again. I never did trust those things." He continued his descent at a more determined pace, skipping the stunts he would have done if he weren't in a hurry.

He rushed into the village past the guards. Next to his Suva was a Tahnok. But this was no ordinary Tahnok. It had silver hand shields and feet instead of red, and the design on its head plate was different. It was holding Tahu's Nuva symbol, which it had just removed from the Suva. And to one side was Jala, standing stiffly as if frozen in place. He was glowing yellow, with arcs of electricity jumping all over his body. The Bohrok put the symbol on its back and leaped over the row of terrified guards.

Tahu glowered at it. This was some new Bohrok trick, and Mata Nui had suffered enough. He had no love for the Bohrok--and he would have no qualms about incinerating one that was causing trouble. "Halt, creature! I believe you have something of mine. And I want it back."

The Tahnok stopped. Brilliant arcs danced between its hand shields. Then it shot a bolt of electricity at the stone arch above Tahu's head. Rock fragments began to break loose.

“You throw rocks at me?" Tahu sneered, reaching for the swords on his back. "I am Tahu, Toa of--Fire?" A wisp of smoke issued from the tips of his blades. He saw a blinding flash as the first of the stones slammed into his head, and he collapsed under the heap of rubble.

Tahu groaned. He had been too confident to activate his Hau, and he had paid for it. But why hadn’t his fire powers worked? Could that symbol be the key to his elemental skill? What a horrible twist of fate, for the powers with which he was to defend his people--his whole purpose in life—to depend on a carved stone. He burst out of the pile, his face grim with pain and anger.

"Tahu! You're okay!" Jala rejoiced.

"I'm not okay. My elemental powers of heat and flame are gone. Taken by that thing."

"Turaga Vakama, what was that creature?" asked Takua.

Vakama shook his head. "Let us consult the sacred fire. In its flames we may glean the answers we seek."

The four gathered around the hearth in Vakama’s hut, waiting expectantly as Vakama studied the patterns in the flickering flame. It flared up briefly as if in response to the Turaga’s silent question. He turned to the others. "The creature was a Bohrok-Kal, one of six elite Bohrok. I do not know where the other five may be."

"If this one was here, perhaps the others are stealing symbols from the other villages," ventured Takua.

Vakama nodded. "This may be. Tahu, you should seek out the other Toa--even if they do not need aid, you could surely use theirs."

"With respect, Turaga,” growled Tahu, “I do not need their help. Even with out my elemental powers, I am a match for this rogue Bohrok. I will hunt it down myself, and reclaim what it stole!"

As Tahu stormed out of Vakama's hut, he overheard the Turaga speaking to the Matorans. "His pride puts him in grave danger..."

"Pride?" scoffed Tahu to himself. He kicked at the pile of stones that had fallen on him in the doorway. "That creature took away the very thing I have worked so hard to achieve, ever since I came out of my canister. My mastery of fire. I won’t just stand by and let it happen!"

Jala ran up beside him. "Toa Tahu, we want to come with you."

"Perhaps we can help," Takua began. Tahu glared at the Ta-Koronan, who quickly added, "Or at least keep you company."

Jala put his hand on Tahu's arm. "Toa Tahu, there's something you should know. When I was in Ga-Koro, Hahli told me she overheard a discussion between Turaga Nokama and Toa Gali. It seems that Toa Gali is very angry with you for splitting up the Toa."

"First I lose my fire powers," groaned Tahu. "And now Gali doesn't like me. I thought she had forgiven me!"

"Forgiven you?" wondered Takua.

Tahu winced. "It's a long story."

"Sometimes, Toa Tahu," said Vakama as he stepped out of his hut, "you say something that reminds me how very young you are." When Tahu frowned, he added, "Of course she likes you. Often we reserve our strongest emotions for those we care most about."

"Well, I don't need her help, or anyone else's. But if these two want to come along, that's fine with me. They can watch me tear this creature apart. And then I’ll set it on fire." Tahu spun on his heel and strode out the gate, the two Matorans scrambling to catch up. And so began the long walk.



Review topic here.

This post has been edited by GaliGee: Oct 24 2003, 09:48 AM