Cheatsheet

[Pahrak Model ZX]

Blood-soaked fingers clutched the tablet firmly. A chisel was brought along its surface, carving an X over an image of a Kanohi Faxon.

 

Now there are only five of them left…

 

Setting the slab down, Vhisola went to clean her hands. She absent-mindedly mused over how much this project had expanded since she had begun so many months ago. Overcome with frustration one night, she had sat down and made a list: crude carvings of the Kanohi and names of all the Matoran who she held grudges against. There was some variety in the cause—stealing her Kanoka launcher, copying her notes, tripping her up in an akilini match—but most of her enemies shared in one particular sin.

 

She ground her teeth together. They just won’t stay away from Nokama.

 

Vhisola wiped the last of the blood from her hands and examined the rag. It was stained far too badly to disguise, so she merely tossed the evidence into her glowing fireplace and sat down before the tablet once again.

 

They swarm her after class, and I can’t get a word in edgewise. Taking up her time with “tutoring sessions” and “scholarly debates” and whatever other excuse they can come up with. Did they really think I would be fooled? I know their true objective…

 

She turned her head up, facing one of the many pictures of Nokama decorating her home.

 

“They just want to keep us apart…”

 

Her voice cracked slightly. Shaking her head slightly, Vhisola pounded her fist against the table and grunted.

 

At some point in lamenting over these despicable acts, she had thought about the possibility of removing her enemies from the picture. How exactly, she did not know, but a change was necessary. That was when she started planning. Elimination was no easy task within Metru-Nui, with Vahki hiding around every corner and inside every chute. But Vhisola was persistent. She did not care how much effort it took, how elaborate her plans needed to be—this was to protect Nokama from the influence of the fiends seeking to corrupt her, and that was worth any cost.

 

Vhisola’s eyes ran over the hit list. Every little X, all 43 of them, brought a shred of recollection to her mind and a smile to her face. Some methods had been crude, such as “accidentally” shoving a Matoran into a protodermis purification canal. Others, like trapping her victims in abandoned corners of the Archives with escaped exhibits, were personal favorites and had seen much use. Though results were the most important aspect, it was alright, Vhisola had decided, to attempt a little variety in her methods to further her enjoyment of the task.

 

Her pleasant expression reversed as she reached the masks that remained unmarked. Just thinking about those fools still walking around, still spreading seeds of darkness in Nokama’s mind, made Vhisola so angry she could just—

 

She paused. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and paced to the other side of the room, moving just slowly enough that she could admire every individual image of Nokama as she went by. It was a short distance, but her walk took a very long time to complete.

 

Remember what Nokama says, Vhisola: you have to be patient. Just be patient, and wait for each plan to work. It’ll be fine. They can’t escape me. After all, there are only five of them left.

 

There was a knock at the door. Moving swiftly but not frantically, Vhisola jogged back to the desk and slid the list into the bottom drawer beneath some seaweed samples. She next went to the door, leaned against it, and looked carefully through the hole she had carved into it. A Ga-Matoran with a Kanohi Volitak was waiting.

 

“Vhisola? Are you home? I didn’t get the time wrong, did I…?”

 

Vhisola smiled to herself.

 

And soon, it’ll be down to four.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Pahrak #0579

[Master Inika]

It's weird how no one writes a flattering story about any of the Great Disk Matoran.

 

That being said, this was amusing. I wish it was longer, but I like what was there. I didn't notice any grammatical or spelling errors. My enjoyment of this was slightly detracted, because this is very similar to Abyssal Obsession. I read that one six months ago, and actually thought this was the same one at first. I also didn't realize you wrote both of them. I'd recommend connecting these two stories together and posting them as one. I like the title of Abyssal Obsession more. In this one, I'm not entirely sure what the "cheatsheet" is. Is it the stone tablet with all the names and masks? I don't see how that could figuratively be a cheatsheet.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this, but I'd like it more if it wasn't so similar to your previous work (which I found perfect).