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This is the re-post of a song-fic I wrote a while back, but which seems to have disappeared. May this second rendition be a source of amusement and inspiration! The Ballad of the Batman A song fic by BZPower.com member X-Ray Down in Gotham City, twixt Metropolis and New York, There was a man who fought for justice, with the stubbornness of a cork. He was called the Batman, and he was always fighting the good fight. Down in Gotham City, evil fears the knight. He swung through the city on lines as strong as steel He met with the police commissioner via this Bat-signal deal. He rode around in a pimped out ride, called the Batmobile it was If you asked him why all this bat-stuff, he’d say, “Just because.” Oh, the Batman is a detective, a tried and true dark knight He fought the mob and won, and with evil he’s always itching for a fight Criminals fear the Batman, who’ll catch them wherever they go From the East End to Hong Kong, from Tricorner to Congo. His squire was Robin, a bright and cheery lad, He needed this charming acrobat to keep from going mad. He was later joined by Batgirl, and then by Nightwing, you know who And Huntress, Catwoman, Oracle, Azrael, and then Spoiler and Batwoman too. The Bat had many allies, but his enemies numbered great From Two-Face to the Joker, the Harlequin of Hate. The Riddler and the Scarecrow, and of course Black Mask And dirty cops like Jim Corrigan and Detective Arnold Flass. Oh, the Batman is a detective, a tried and true dark knight He fought the mob and won, and with evil he’s always itching for a fight Criminals fear the Batman, who’ll catch them wherever they go From the East End to Hong Kong, from Tricorner to Congo. And don’t forget the Penguin, the gentleman of crime Clayface the shape-shifting actor who’d kill you for a dime Bane with his green venom and Poison Ivy with her green vines And Mad Hatter constantly quoting Alice in Wonderland lines. Batman went through many trials, many bouts from over the years A Death in the Family, Knightfall, No Man’s Land, and R.I.P. brought him tears. And let’s not forget the Contagion, Officer Down and War Games These are but a few of those trials, many of which have no names. Oh, the Batman is a detective, a tried and true dark knight He fought the mob and won, and with evil he’s always itching for a fight Criminals fear the Batman, who’ll catch them wherever they go From the East End to Hong Kong, from Tricorner to Congo. The world will always need the Batman, yes, that much is true Whether it’s this Earth or another, like, say, Earth-2. He’s the scourge of all evil, for evil fears the knight And though he patrols the shadows, he’s the greatest guardian of light. Oh, the Batman is a detective, a tried and true dark knight He fought the mob and won, and with evil he’s always itching for a fight Criminals fear the Batman, who’ll catch them wherever they go From the East End to Hong Kong, from Tricorner to Congo. X-Ray
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Mistletoe The joyous holidays—the holidays where friends come together to rejoice in peace and happiness—were alive. Rohan was celebrating the one holiday loved most, the one holiday all dreamed about: Holendi. Decorating the walls of the famous temple Zerchilek were thousands of branches of pine, decorated by lovely red ribbon and little bells, mistletoe dangling from above by mischievous Toa from the Toa Rohan, dangling from fishing rods to trick their friends into an embarrassing kiss for others to laugh at—of course, the Toa above were holding the fishing rods from the pathway or catwalk above surrounding the upper areas of the temple. It was an easy way of humiliating others, of course until someone sneaks up behind them hangs mistletoe over the mischief-makers’ heads. Holendi was held in the Ice Region of Rohan, where the temple was and where white snow surrounded the area beautifully. The only person that couldn’t care less of the holiday was the Matoran of Lightning, Nagii. She had no reason to celebrate and be happy—not when nobody cared to be with her. She was the bitterest and coldest of the Rohan’s whole military. It didn’t matter—she was the toughest, roughest, and hardest to reach out to, an iron exterior surrounding that was unbreakable. She did not want to come across as heartless, but she showed no warmth. No one had ever seen her happy or expressing any want to be with another person. In all honesty, she was a tough cookie. Not even her kind friend, Sylin, understood her behavior for being so angry to others, uncaring and not at all very kind. But Nagii resisted any one to be a companion or partner with her. There she was, standing with her elbows resting on the railing of the balcony-like walkway that went in several staircases upward to the tower top where the clock of it ticked and rang. Her armor was a glistening amethyst, the amethyst shrouding her Calix in the lavender color while dark purple colored her knees and feet, elbows and shoulder armor. Her heartlight was a cold and icy blue, as was her eyes. Nagii sighed. “Hello there,” Nagii, startled in that brief moment of shock, whirled around while a jagged and deadly sharp knife was pulled at the being’s neck in a split second movement. Nagii saw the speaker’s face and realized her churlish mistake. She slowly brought the knife down and encased it in the scabbard hanging at her waist by a brown leather belt. She gazed up into the cooling dark blue eyes of Jilin, leader of the Toa Rohan and Toa of Fire. But her eyes brightened at his cool and icy glare. His arms crossed, a thin eyebrow rising upward above his eye in that moment. The Matoran of Lightning cleared her throat, regaining a proper posture, stuttered a few words in response. “Err...umm...hello there,” she stammered, bowing to her respectful equal reluctantly as she stumbled back to a standing position, embarrassed. “I am sorry, friend,” Quickly she retained her same position moments before the icy encounter between the two, and she rested her elbows back on the railing. Her voice changed to a smooth seductive remedy of bitterness. “What do you want?” Nagii snapped, her eyes glaring up at him coldly in anger of his shocking entrance. “I wanted to see where you were,” Jilin answered, brow still raised above his eye in a staring contest between the two as hateful glares were shown towards the other. Anger seemed to bounce off each other with ease. He uncrossed his arms and leaned his body against the stone railing. An unclosed eye (Nagii’s) was steadied upon Jilin’s face in concentration, wondering what his next cool and smooth words were to be voiced from him. “Why?” she retorted back, her eyes unwavering. She inclined her head towards him, leaning her back upon the railing and crossing her arms. Her expression was kept in one of still an unbreakable coldness. But Jilin kept stern to rival her attitude. It was only fair to say that he enjoyed this icy banter between the Toa and Matoran. It kept him happy and excited, while on the other hand it annoyed and exasperated Nagii gradually and continuously. But, somehow, eerily she enjoyed it inside. Somehow. “I’ve given you nightshift duty around the Rohan headquarters,” he responded, eyes focused upon her own. A certain playful deadliness crossed the diligent blue eyes of the Matoran. “What I have done so wrong to deserve this little Holendi present?” she questioned him. “You’ve been to rough. Unforgiving, you haven’t had it easy on the new recruits, including the Toa Rohan. They are your friends, not recruits, you should treat them with respect,” Jilin said. A quick reclusive grunt escaped Nagii as her eyes replaced a cool acerbic expression with a solitary iciness. “Hmm.” Jilin simply grinned. Secretly, a tiny firelight blossomed, representing the slightest bit of affection for the Matoran of Lightning. Her solitude made him push further to break her to becoming a sweet, kind, gentle, and appealing person to others. Not a dagger-eyed, glaring, cold, quiet, deadly female smaller than an average Matoran. This made her peculiar—her height difference almost made her more intimidating in her grumpy demeanor. To Jilin, she seemed the slightest bit attractive in her own way. ~:~ “Oh, butterscotch,” The Toa of Psionics shook her head as she realized the small mistake she had made. Having not plugged in the festive holiday lights that were strung around the fifteen-foot high Holendi tree, she quickly climbed down the little ladder she stood on and plugged the lights into the light socket in the wall that had been installed not too long ago. As this happened, the blue, red, green, and yellow lights sprang to life, shining brightly in an array of dazzling colors. The little ornaments on the tree added to the effect. “Nice lighting, Aly,” Alyssia’s head shot towards the familiar voice of her faithful comrade and friend, Kuhi. His gun-metal grey and light brown armor was a different and special coloring for the Toa of Stone, differing from the stereotypical colors of a Toa of Stone, which were dull brown and another random color oriented and associated with it. But on his armor was decorative holiday-spirited green tinsel showered upon his hands and feet. “I told you, never call me Aly,” she responded, a little frazzled by the name. She hesitated, clearing her throat as she sat on the first step of the ladder. “Sorry. Nice glitter. It keeps the Holendi spirit in mind. You remind me of the one Holendi Rohan had when you pretended to be a Holendi tree and have ornaments and tinsel brightened on you,” She grinned as she reminisced of the hysterical memory of the Toa of Stone stumbling and accidentally crashing down on Watua, the Toa of Air. It was a fond and unforgettable memory. “I figure I’d crash down on somebody else instead,” he said, the wide trademark grin of his shining on his expression. “But the tree looks great. I like the ornaments you hung on it—another traditional spirit of Holendi. But where are the others to help you...?” “Stelt and Atuu were helping me earlier,” Alyssia replied. “But sadly Watua thought it would be funny to hang mistletoe over my head when Atuu was next to me helping me hang ornaments, ribbons, and tinsel. Atuu was humiliated and thought I had planned it that way, and since then I haven’t talked to him in over an hour. Maybe he’ll forgive me when I tell him I’m planning on hanging mistletoe over Watua’s head when he’s with Talin,” A smile cracked on her face as her mischievous side prevailed, then she added, “At least I caught it in time before anything happened,” “He’ll be up for that, just for revenge,” Kuhi smiled. “Do you need any help?” “Not really, I have just about everything under control,” she replied. She looked around, looking at the walkways above, staircases’ railings and other things around her. “Then again, why don’t you help me hang some ribbon and branch along the railings? It might add to the effect of the holiday,” “All right,” he responded, smiling. As they set off to work, things became unnaturally quiet, broken by the freewill of Alyssia and Kuhi, joking of memories far back into the past as laughs were shared and many smiles cracked among their presence in the temple, as Holendi Eve was fast approaching, just hours away from nightfall. ~:~ The wind whipped and brushed past the Matoran as she grumbled words unladylike to her nature, saying rather mean and angering words to herself about the Toa of Fire. Oh, why is it his business how I treat my recruits? she thought to herself. For Mata-Nui’s sake, he has enough to take care of, let alone my responsibility of teaching recruits for the Stealth Division... Her thoughts dwindled as she sighed, resting against the wall of the headquarters’ brick wall. The city itself was plagued by the dreadful whipping cold wind that seemed to blow by the area, chilling Nagii to the bone. It made her all the angrier. Though seasons of the year did not affect Rohan bad enough to efficiently change the climate, winter, spring, autumn, and summer changed the climate of some of the regions on Rohan. Oh, that little... Nagii’s thoughts faded again as words rather bitter and acerbic came to mind. Jilin and I have been friends for years...why is he acting like this just now? She sighed. It was typical of a friend to turn foe on her, on such joyous occasion. Not exactly joyous for Nagii, but joyous for the Rohanian civilization. “Nagii?” The voice made her jump up in surprise. Split-second reactions came to her and the jagged-edged knife was quickly released from her hand as she swung it like a boomerang. It was thrown like a dart would, and finally it thudded heavily into the stone of another building not far from the headquarters. Whoever the being was, they had saved themselves by a quick left movement, the knife thudding beside their throat. The being revealed themselves quickly by releasing the knife from the stone and handing it to the Matoran. “Oh,” she retorted quickly. “It’s you,” Jilin’s eyes glowed brightly in the darkness as a sudden snowfall came downward upon them, landing on their shoulders and on their feet, coating the asphalt ground as ice and snow formed. “Sorry, I guess I was too hard on you,” he replied. “Maybe I should let you come and group with the rest of the Toa Rohan, like the rest of us have. I guess Holendi isn’t the same without that old grumpy face of yours. You almost make the place brighter, even though you have a sensitive and serious mood,” Though it seemed impossible, the smallest smile crossed Nagii’s face. “All right, I’ll come,” she said, a darkening grimace turning to a brightening cheery smile. Quickly both began to walk forward towards the Ice Region where singing, joyous stories, happy memories, jokes, and the greatest of happy memories unfolding ever second for Rohan. ~:~ Happy young voices sprang to life of Holendi songs, storytellers telling newcomers of Rohan of memories long before this new Holendi, the battles bravely fought by the Toa Rohan, previous courageous movements and battles and strategies given by many Toa previously years yonder, and all deliriously happy. The talent seemed to come so greatly, as paintings were made of the moments then and writings written made history tomorrow. All of it was proud and gorgeous sight as the Toa of Rohan gloriously told their beginnings and the ends forth coming. The temple Zerchilek had never had so much joyous things made brighter and happier in only one eve. As the Matoran of Lightning gazed around her of the curious happy things she could not understand, not understanding the purpose of why these Matoran and Toa seemed to rejoice in this curious moment of some happiness. Holendi was a special holiday, and she remembered when she was a young springy and eager Matoran before her becoming the eldest of the Stealth Division, the most talented of all the people. She now was perplexed about why these Matoran enjoyed it, but the mere memories of her sharing presents with others brought the happiness back. It reminded her of the constant Holendi spirit shown primary to this moment onward. One of the Toa Rohan, Talin, a Toa of Water, welcomed the pair to the festivities. “Nagii, I was wondering where your face went,” she grinned. Talin embraced the Matoran gently, and Nagii reluctantly gave into returning the gesture as she patted the Toa on the back awkwardly. “And Jilin, pleasure to see you without your face in stacks of paperwork. I remember last Holendi festival you took your old sniper rifle out and shot fireworks for all of us,” Jilin smiled at the memory of the glowing red and green fireworks alternating as the shots emitted from the barrel of the rifle. Another good memory, I suppose, he thought to himself, smiling. “Anyway, Watua wants to see Jilin real quick. He wants to know whether or not throwing a gust of wind at Atuu would be a wise decision,” Talin continued. A quick grin cracked on Jilin’s face at the words. Jilin shrugged in response, then his grin widened, as he snickered quickly at the thought of it. “Maybe I might join him in that,” Jilin responded. With haste, he sprinted toward where Watua waited, behind the quiet and stubborn Atuu upstairs on one of the walkways. Nagii sighed, shaking her head at the mischievous and prankster-like Toa. It only seemed typical of Jilin and Watua—they were the jokesters of all of them, but Kuhi could top them both when working together. But she shook the thought from her mind as she quickly turned her head back to Talin. “So now what?” she asked. “I have a bit of a plan for you and I, I figured you might want to partake in something as clever as dropping an egg or two on a group of Matoran who have been trying to throw buckets of water at me, but I just splash it on them right back,” Talin replied, a sneaky grin shining on her expression. “Maybe I might,” Nagii said, shrugging. “What the Karzhani, I figure I have nothing to lose in some fun doing with roguish Matoran,” The idea of dealing with impish Matoran like that appealed to Nagii very, very much. Having that feeling of her youth as a Matoran when she used to do the same things made her feel that way again. Though she thought of herself as an old Matoran, she wasn’t that way. She in fact was remarkably young for a Matoran having not been turned Toa yet. But she called them her ‘younger days’ before she had become the Elite Stealth’s squadron leader of the division. It brought authority to her and made her a higher-up. But all of that was tossed away in her mind as she planned to have fun. ~:~ As the Toa of Sonics stepped off the hover bike hesitantly, shutting down the motor, he parked it at the front of the temple, waiting to hear music so brilliant and familiar to him sound inside the temple. Of course, he knew that the place would be emptied instantly as the Kolhii tournament begun inside the temple. Indeed, a higher floor in the temple had been a Kolhii stadium, with crowds able to seat themselves inside the large temple room as the famous sport among Rohan was played—Ice Kolhii. The game consisted of playing on ice, the players designed with armor and durable skates to skate on when playing the game. Harder than the regular game of Kolhii, it brought challenge and excitement into one game. But it had seemed that the game had either ended or was soon to begin. As he stepped through the iron chamber doors of the temple, on the inside was a simple dance beginning, as partners paired to waltz across the stone floors of the temple and a little band of musicians beginning to warm-up for their conducted music. Holendi Eve lasted until the crack of dawn, if not longer. It began five-thirty sharp in the afternoon. And it lasted for hours as games and stories produced and partners enjoyed themselves in the beautiful moonlit night. He looked around, looking for the face of Spira, the lovely Toa of Lightning strategist who he most admired. As he looked around, he noticed her standing by the Holendi tree at a corner of the temple, and he sprinted towards her without hesitation. “Stelt,” she said with a smile as she saw the splendidly bright face of Stelt, the Toa of Sonics. “How nice to see you again. I wondered whether or not you would give up levitation, meditation, and psychic powers for this,” He smiled as he gave her a brief hug, as the let go of one another. “Would you...err...” he stammered slightly for words. She nodded, and then slowly laughed at his coy behavior. As they began a slow romantic waltz across the floor of the temple, the music began and Matoran joined with their partners and began the familiar Holendi waltz. “Look at them,” the Toa smirked at one corner of the room. The other with her seemed to smile. “They remind me of how Watua and Talin act like when they’re around each other,” It was an amusing dance that most were following. Slowly the male companion of the pair would throw his female partner from his arms across the dance floor, as she retracted back (spinning) towards him and she would rest her head on his shoulder. They would begin the dance once more and sometimes it is natural that the male would dance with the female, then with both hands hold her slightly above the waist and throw her a little bit in the air as she put her hands on his shoulder. It was a natural dance of the Holendi tradition that would occur and be a familiar waltz played throughout the pairings of Matoran and Toa alike. It had seemed that Spira followed with Stelt’s step rather clumsily, but followed through fine. Alyssia laughed as she watched the two take the Holendi Waltz rather nicely in stride, doing it in the traditional style. Kuhi inclined his head toward Alyssia, who seemed reluctant to give into Kuhi’s own obligation he intended to make Alyssia follow with him in. “Oh, no, no, no....” she dropped her head in her hands as she realized the little mistake she had made in talking about the waltz itself. “Don’t tell me—you want me to dance with you?” Kuhi nodded, grinning as he planned to humiliate Alyssia. “Oh, for Mata-Nui’s sake, just come with me,” Kuhi said as Alyssia awkwardly put her hand on his shoulder, his hand around her waist as they began the waltz. But watching both pairs begin dancing was Nagii, with her Tulya, the so-called ‘twin sister’ of Spira because of her teachings from the eldest Toa of Lightning. Tulya had quickly exited having picking up a dance with a shy but intriguing Ta-Matoran. Nagii now watched all three of the pairs with some interest. As she realized that all the Toa Rohan had seemed to be dancing with one another or with a Matoran, she realized the only person missing was Jilin. “Hullo,” The voice, so familiar from earlier, startled Nagii that she was induced with a bit of fright. She whirled around, expecting as usual Jilin. And it, surprisingly, was him. “Darn it...” she muttered to herself. “I wish you would stop doing that. It startles me,” Jilin seemed to grin. “That’s the point,” he replied, smiling. Reluctantly the two stood as they watched the waltz continuing, as it would last an hour. It had only been a few minutes through—barely thirty minutes. Though the silence was slightly awkward between the two, it also made it harder to wonder what would happen next. “Err...umm...Nagii?” Nagii seemed to ignore him, or unable to hear him. “Nagii?” he prodded, waiting for a response. Nagii’s head shot up towards him, something of a smile on her face as her glowing light blue eyes seemed to light at him saying her name. “Yes?” she responded, again reluctant in answer as she hesitated patiently for a response before continuing her own reply. “Would you...care to...?” His reluctance made it all most adorable for Nagii to watch him struggle and squirm and at a lost for words. He made an odd gesture as he spread out his hands in front of him curiously, shrugging as he waited to try and continue the offer. “...dance?” Nagii’s eyes seem to widen at the offer, or at least the question of that. While Nagii had danced plenty and was rather experienced, she had never heard of Jilin dancing, or hadn’t seen him dance. Nevertheless, the offer seemed the least bit appealing to her. Nagii shrugged. “Why not?” she smiled. Gently she reached up and put her hand on his shoulder, slightly in an awkward way while Jilin in the same behavior put his hand around her waist as they took their empty hands and clasped them together. But as they did this, a curious spark seemed to come. Nagii uncertainly looked at Jilin, but the two continued to begin the Holendi Waltz with a grace and elegance unmatchable to others. The oddly matched pairing found themselves at the center of the crowds of dancing companions and duos, and only kept eyes on each other. They did the familiar traits of the Holendi Waltz, but still they only felt they were alone by themselves among the room’s pairings of Toa and Matoran intertwined in the crowd. In the familiar way, Nagii put her hands on Jilin’s shoulders as she forced herself in the air, and gracefully and gently Jilin held her tightly as she leaped from the floor upward in the air, Jilin holding her tightly still. Lithely she was back on the ground, and once again they continued the waltz with fluid and charming movements with amazing and elegant prowess recognizable any of the Matoran and Toa there. To both of them their movements did not have a graceful dexterity but really just how they danced together. Finally the music stopped—the evening had seemed forever when they danced. And by the time the music ended, both had their eyes closed with Nagii having her head rest on his shoulder, both holding each other gently as they gracefully still danced slowly together. As Nagii opened her eyes, she realized where she was. Quickly she retracted from the position and seemed slightly embarrassed by her initial position. Her demeanor had become fragile and a slightly angry one. Jilin, realizing what had happened, found that Nagii was gone. “Nagii?” he said softly, trying to figure out where she went. But she was long gone, and he was not exactly sure where she had run away to. ~:~ The mistake. The petty wretched little mistake she had made—it ruined her image, her reputation, especially after dancing with the Toa Rohan’s courageous and respected Toa of Fire leader. It made her look like a fool—one that had fallen for an easily brave and higher-ranked individual. But the only question was...had she fallen for him, or she had been falling for him? Oh, it was a petty perplexity in her mind. But she did not care if anybody found her. She had realized that, in the fifteen years of her being the Elite Stealth Division respective and leader, she had for once been happy. The rarity in that was impossible. She did not care admit that she was happy. Nagii humiliated herself. But maybe no one noticed? Then again, Alyssia and Kuhi would make something unusually large of the situation and embarrass the two individuals and their own personal business and privacy invaded. It was Nagii’s error and embarrassing little fault. And it made her angry. And cold. And bitter. But staying outside in the piercing cold of snow flurries and chilling winds didn’t make it any better for her—but going to her cottage was killer. The cottage was far in the Air Region, far southeast near the coastal line next to the Water Region. Walking would take hours, but she preferred to die in the cold than stay humiliated. Her stubborn nature, awfully hard to stand at times, made her bitter. She refused to enjoy herself—in the proper words, she was a workaholic in a way. But, nonetheless, Nagii’s stubborn attitude would possibly leave her frozen in the coldest winter chill yet to come of Rohan—not just in the Ice Region, but through most of the regions. ~:~ “Where’d she go?” the Toa inquired her higher-ranked. “Don’t ask me, by the time I figured out what happened, I was dancing with myself,” Jilin answered. He shrugged, sitting in the chair and looked around. It almost seemed like they were questioning them as though he had murdered somebody. “Look, when I opened my eyes, Nagii was leaving the temple. I tried to track her down, but all her footsteps in the snow I tried to trace were already covered by a fresh layer of new snow,” Canan, the Toa of Earth, shook his head, the expression on his Volitak recurring as a grim and confused one. “Nagii had done this not too long ago with an old colleague of hers,” Canan informed the four other Toa. “Once on Holendi, he offered her to dance with him, and they did. He had found that she was gone from his arms when they had gotten too close for a bitter one’s comfort zone. He didn’t know why she acted so irresponsibly, but we had to send him to another local island not too far from here. Nagii could never face him again and thought that she had been embarrassed. But, on the contrary, nobody noticed. It was a shock to us,” His tone was deep and soothing as he told them the story. It had seemed, from the sound of it, Nagii was repeating a previous phase from not long ago. “Well, obviously Nagii couldn’t handle being close to him, let alone anybody,” Jilin responded. “I guess I brought back those memories for her and she thought the same thing would repeat,” Alyssia nodded her head, like in an ‘I-knew-it-all-long-I’ve-been-right-this-whole-time’ type of way. “It makes sense,” she replied. Litela—a healer and water-Toa—and Silvian—second-in-command of the Toa Rohan—nodded their heads in agreement. The fact of the matter was, Nagii was afraid. Supposedly afraid of being close to any close friends or colleagues. “Well, the next thing we need to do is find her,” Litela said. Logic-monger, Alyssia thought, but grinned at her own thought-oriented comment. She did not mean it personally, but laughed at Litela’s quick-to-the-point intelligence and logic. And quickly all of them began on a hasty search for the Matoran of Lightning who had caused so much trouble of the evening. ~:~ Her eyes, carefully focused on the dancing orange flames glowing in the fireplace, were reflecting the image of the firelight, losing the icy blue color they held. The Matoran of Lightning warmed herself by the fireside, sitting in the comfortable armchair. It was an enjoyable hobby of hers to warm herself and stare into the depths of the firelight. She studied it carefully, as though she saw something burning amidst the piping hot flames. There had seemed to be a lot to be desired of the room. It was quaint and didn’t have a high standard set for itself, but it seemed rather nice and enjoyable to the Matoran. The cabin was easily comfortable and rather lovely, a rug or two in the middle of the wooden floor here, a sofa by the fire with two armchairs opposite of each other with a coffee table. There weren’t any modern equipment, as it seemed to suit the Matoran quite well. It was old-fashioned, a small kitchen connecting to the room, with an upstairs and cellar below. A closet was near the staircase upward, with a coat hanger near the door and a guest bedroom and Nagii’s own room and study upstairs as well. The cottage, looking so small from the outside, was remarkably and magically larger inside. It had seemed that looks can indeed be deceiving. The Toa, stealthily sneaking through the door, carefully closed it behind him as he entered the house. He expected the typical old-fashion look from the inside, and he respected Nagii’s tastes. It had seemed that he would have the same type of cottage if he were to have a small cabin. Before the air blew in to create a draft, Jilin closed the door quietly, hoping to conceal any sign of cold air. As it seemed, Nagii did not catch the drafty wind of cold chilling air. The Toa of Fire slowly brought his foot down upon the wooden floorboards, his footsteps silent as he advanced carefully. Ducking behind the sofa’s back, he laid on the ground with an extreme sense of gradualness. “I know you’re there,” Jilin was awed, despite the fact he remained tacked to the ground. He did not care to move—not only from his position, but in general. Nagii had practically spotted him when he came in, the slightest position of her eyes moving impossible. Nagii had a tactic of keeping her eyes perfectly still; yet move them while the person was not keeping an eye on Nagii. It gave them a sense of false confidence to continue onward on their mission, and made it easier for her to ambush them at any moment. “Reveal yourself, Jilin, you don’t have to sneak up on me to simply talk to me,” Nagii repeated once more. Slowly, and rather reluctantly, Jilin rose, Nagii’s cooling blue eyes focused upon him. Her eyes showed a danger zone warning for Jilin as she gazed quickly into his own darkening blue eyes. It had seemed that he had not outsmarted her, not even on this occasion. “All right, you found me,” Jilin stated, surrendering easily. “What are you going to do to me?” “Just tell me why you’re here and I’ll let you loose,” she replied. Nagii stood from her seated position and carefully walked around the sofa. Her footsteps were made like any one would walk, but they were silent. Her icy eyes lay upon Jilin, who in turn stood, height difference making Nagii look up. “I wanted to discuss this problem with you,” he responded. “Somehow this is...difficult, for you. I understand that. But what I don’t understand is the fact how you can’t face whatever and just go on,” Jilin held a hand out to her, her own hand reaching out to clasp it in his. He laid his other hand on top to hold her hand. And he simply added, softly, “What is the problem?” “May I simply say I have...feelings for you?” Nagii said. “I know it’s hard to understand. It even is for me. But a reputation, a reputation for both of us can be ruined if something as simple as this is provoked into becoming an embarrassing glass structure of public appeal. The press and public on Rohan are crazy for a chance to agitate a secretive bit of privacy. I had the same problem with a close friend of mine. It was a De-Matoran that we decided we could perhaps become...closer. I could not commit to that. I restrict myself from that, only to work with one another. And it happened again, only with you. I couldn’t face that again. Not again, no,” “You’re only proposing to yourself, maybe into a corner with yourself,” Jilin replied calmly. “Well, how ever I did it, I did it!” Nagii shouted. She was shaking her head, little tears seeming to pour down her Calix. She embraced him, trying to find comfort. Jilin held her tightly, and slowly bent down. It perplexed her, a bit of confusion in her mind as she didn’t understand what it was, but whatever it was, she could not face the embarrassment. Only too much she was overwhelmed. Jilin faced her, raising her head with his hand, to gaze into the icy blue eyes that were overwhelmed with tears. He let go and she seemed to look at him back. “Can I....” her words were struggling as she tried to find the words, much like Jilin had done not too long ago. “say...that I possibly, have something that resembles feelings, maybe feelings of affection and admiration towards you?” Jilin smiled. “May I say the same?” he grinned. The grins washed away from both, as Jilin leaned forward to kiss her briefly. It had finally seemed that she did not resist, but only repeated his motion. Unfolding was a brief but passionate and sweet kiss, and they held it. They broke from it, but Nagii had seemed to still resist in the slightest way. She shook her head, holding her head in her hands. “Oh—” she said. A long and reluctant silence lingered, but then she said, “You.” A sly and loving smile cracked on her face as tears still poured. The two embraced, holding each other firmly as time passed, and Holendi was not far off. A stolen kiss had become, and something built between both as a foundation of love and trust. Yet, if that trust was binding, would be another matter entirely. ~:~ “Ah, here’s the happy couple!” Still close to Holendi Eve, there was only an hour left ‘til gifts would be opened and hugs expressed—Holendi itself was close, crack of dawn waiting. Jilin and Nagii, hand in hand, walked together in as Alyssia noted their entrance. Nagii wore a bright grin; bright blue eyes still a little cooling like before, Jilin beaming with excitement. As Alyssia sauntered forward towards them, she looked at Nagii with a discerning eye. “You aren’t going to run out on this crowd again, are you?” Alyssia inquired, her mouth creasing into a smile gradually. Nagii gently seemed to smile, as she shook her head in answer. Alyssia nodded her head, understanding the movement. Kuhi, the Toa of Stone, walked up with the two familiar and friendly faces of Watua and Talin. “So, I see you’re back!” he welcomed them. “We’re about to start another dance. Care to join in, with the past final thirty minutes of Holendi Eve ticking away?” Kuhi’s smile was one not easily refused. Both Nagii and Jilin took a glance at each other, and it seemed that they were smiling in answer. “Fine, we will,” Nagii answered. Nagii and Jilin quickly took into the Holendi Waltz as the piano player started the song that had been made especially for the dance, prematurely named the Holendi Waltz before the dance had been made. It resembled a romantic but sorrowful lament, yet resembled a sentimental and tender song. It was a very pretty song. As the two began, a simple step was performed gracefully, dancing in the Holendi Waltz style, taking dips every once and while. The night melted away with them as they danced the evening’s final minutes of the Holendi Eve. A series of graceful movements were made, astonishingly made and fluent dips and different made stunts in the middle of the dancing step, it all came to a sporadic end. Only was it twenty or so minutes left ‘til the crack of dawn, and soon enough it would be Holendi. For the last of the evening’s minutes, the dance ended, and little conversations started. Next to the blue and gold armored Toa of Psionics was the Matoran of Lightning, with her the Toa of Sonics Stelt. “Nice little dancing, Nagii,” Alyssia started slyly. “You and Jilin I see have smoothened things over, I believe. So, are you going to happily let me joke on numerous occasions in the future about this?” Nagii inclined her head towards her comrade. “You’re never going to let me forget this, are you?” Nagii questioned, grinning almost eerily in a happy way. “Never,” Alyssia replied, her face cracking a beautifully wide grin. The two exchanged hasty but long lasting grins, and as the evening died to silence, a little speech was performed. As the being who was about to speak, they stood up at the stage where the pianist had been playing the lament. A small but intimidating-looking being, they spoke in mildly deep voice. “Attention!” the voice shouted, exclaiming to make the guests yelp in surprise as silence was bestowed upon the room. “Silence! I have been accepted by the Toa Rohan, the defenders and honored members of the team who have taken me up on my offer to give a speech, a sort of highlight of the joyous and sorrowful occasions of the year. We have lost two members of Rohan; the specialty of our team that we had been so fond of, though had—and I mean this in a sense of the truth and most honesty possible—had run away from her comrades; her name had been Tikiani. This resulted with the death of yet another member, the second whom was dearly the kindest, strongest, cleverest, and trustworthy Toa perhaps in the world. Cedral, Toa of Iron, had been killed. By the time he had died, his body disappeared, and we never were able to see him again. “This had been eleven months ago, the beginning of the year as we faced a devastating battle against troublesome Skakdi from an island not far away from here. Without hesitation we attacked them and fought thy back, driving them away from our paradise, and we never saw them again. Rumor hath it that, soon enough, thanks to our honorary Matoran, leader of the Elite Stealth Division part of our military forces, Nagii, informed us not too long ago of an expected attack due to come only a month from now. It has been rumored as well that Tikiani is in association with our coming adversaries, who have been named Fuzan, Uzian, and a mysterious being named Silio. “Uzian, a passerby of Rohan, has been known to have destroyed many islands in the region, reeking havoc every step he takes. Fuzan was once a Matoran himself on our bliss Rohan, and Silio is a curiosity of our neighboring isles, the Echo Isles, Fedra-Nui, and Odus. Odus is also a rumor of being where their cozy fortress is nestled and planning armies larger than ours imaginable. It has come to my attention, as Turaga Hajun of Rohan, previous leader of the Toa Rohan, Turaga of Iron; we must invade the fortress before they invade our own homeland. “It is currently five minutes before Holendi starts. So, before I interrupt your evenings further, begin the feast!” The male voice of Turaga Hajun was an echoing booming voice that got the message across for the Matoran and Toa of Rohan. ~:~ “What do you think will happen?” “What?” “You know, after the incoming attacks,” She pursed her lips as the two stood, watching as the golden, pink, blue, lavender, and orange intertwined in a gorgeous landscape, representing Holendi’s fast approach. Nagii closed her eyes in deep thought. “I would think that many lives will be lost. If Tikiani happens to be on their side, maybe things won’t go as planned. She knows our strategies, our last-minute tactics, secret passages and areas among Rohan,” she responded. “Tikiani was a valued member; she had hunted down every Dark Hunter or mercenary nearby to get closer to becoming the leader. She became second-in-command after fifty full years of slaughtering thieves and unwanted visitors, Zyglak and incoming Vahki. She would have done anything to lead the Toa Rohan, but she never got close enough. Silvian took over after an unexpected death from our leader, and then Hajun came. He knew he had better duties elsewhere, instead becoming Turaga. And then you have come. “You don’t know how bad it is. You’ve been leader, and nothing has happened except for that battle against Skakdi. That has been the only thing, but you were away on an investigation of killings on the Echo Isles. Not a battle has occurred. You’re almost a good luck charm for us, you can’t leave us when that battle comes, regardless of anything,” Nagii stopped. “I won’t,” he smiled. “Promise?” “I promise,” Jilin assured her. With that, he clasped his hand in hers in a reassuring way. All of a sudden, Jilin bent a little bit down, and gave her a passionate long-lasting kiss. Above, two voices whispered to each other, above on the balcony over their heads. The snow was marked on the balcony. “Do you think they noticed?” one whispered, female and rather mischievous-sounding. Her male companion grinned. “Probably not,” Abruptly, a sudden whoosh sounded, startling the two. The duo looked at the fishing rod, which hung a little bit of mistletoe, and they noticed something strange. It had been set fire to. “Let me rephrase that,” the male, Kuhi, said. “Probably.” The two threw the fishing pole on the freezing snow covering the balcony’s floor, and the fire was extinguished quickly as they exited the balcony. As the two separated from the kiss, Jilin seemed to smile at her. “A cheerful Holendi to you, Nagii,” he said gently. “You, too,” she responded, as she leaned forward again for a soft kiss. The sun rose greatly as Holendi began. Laughs to be shared, presents to be given, feasts to eat, dances to be danced—all of this is a part of the universe. All of it was Rohan’s joys. ~:~ Thanks for reading, and yes, some of the coding is screwed-up. Hopefully I'll be able to fix it at some point, but oh well for now. =/
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A/N: So, I was listening to the song, (which I don't own, btw), and was inspired to repost it. I know Neelh has another songfic with the same title (which I reccommend), but they're different stories, I promise. Anyways, slight AU warning to go with this one. As always, written for you. Enjoy! ₪҉₪ Walking Her Home ₪҉₪ Looking back He sees it all It was her first date The night he came to call ₪҉₪ Two Le-Matoran stood bickering in hushed voices outside a school in Ga-Metru."You're hard-thinking about this too much, Matau." Tamaru told his companion."I am not! I don't even know why I let you drag-tow me over here in the first place!" Matau retorted."You were the one speak-saying nonstop about how you found out where this teacher-friend of yours works, and you were in a hurry-rush to get over here before class lets out, and now you want to quick-leave?" Tamaru asked, incredulous."Yes! That's exactly what I'm speak-saying to you! And I'll have you know-" the little Le-Matoran was interrupted by the obnoxious ring of the bell, signaling the end of the class.As students began to pour out of the classroom, Tamaru snagged Matau by the arm, preventing him from making a quick getaway. Ignoring Matau's protests, which sounded suspiciously like, "Unhand me this instant, you criminal!" mixed with various other insults.Tamaru clapped a hand over Matau's mask, muffling his indignant objections, and asked one of the exiting Ga-Matoran, "Is your teacher-friend, Nokama, in there, by any happen-chance?"The she-Matoran eyed the two Le-Matoran with skeptically, like the way a relaxed, dismissive cat would question a passerby . Tamaru smiled innocently at her, all the while grappling with a fighting Matau."Yes, Nokama is in. Mata Nui help her, if you two are going to see her." The Ga-Matoran muttered, before hurrying off to her next class.Matau stopped struggling and straightened up, brushing nonexistent dust off of his shoulder armor, and gave his friend the deathglare. "I hate you.""I know." Tamaru grinned. "But you'll thank me in the end." He finished, as he shoved Matau through the doorway to the classroom. ₪҉₪ Her dad said, "Son Have her home on time And promise me You'll never leave her side." ₪҉₪ "For next class, just remember that we'll be meeting outside the Great Temple." Nokama reminded her class, right before the bell rang, and they all scuffled out the door. Her eyes followed her students out the door, and she saw those two Le-Matoran. They had been waiting out there for the better half of the last class period. She hadn't seen their masks yet.Nokama sighed quietly to herself, chiding herself for hoping. They were probably waiting for two of her students, and then they'd all go and enjoy a night in the city, or maybe a quiet boat ride together. Shaking her head to get back to focusing, Nokama reached for the stack of tablets her students had piled up on her desk, as an in-class assignment. She had just begun to read the first line when a yell and a crash snapped her head back up."Matau?" She laughed, seeing who had made the grand entrance.The Le-Matoran whirled around, and managed a weak smile at her. "Oh, Nokama. Er… fancy finding you here. What a shock-surprise."He laughed nervously.Nokama's voice was laced with amusement and friendly sarcasm. "Yes, what a shock. Me, a teacher, here, in a classroom. Shocking."The Le-Matoran let out his nervous little laugh again, and then stuttered out, "So, I was think- wondering if you wanted to… wait, no. I wanted to ask-invite you to… " He ground to a halt, cursing himself."Yes?"Matau took a deep breath, and spoke slowly, carving out each word. "There's an act-play in the square tonight. I wanted to ask-invite you to go with me to watch-see it.""Of course, I'd love to." Nokama replied, feeling as though the smile on her mask was there to stay forever. ₪҉₪ He took her to a show in town And he was ten feet off the ground He was walking her home Holding her hand All the way, she smiled And stole the breath right out of him ₪҉₪ As the suns sank behind them, Matau felt as though he was a whole new Matoran, as he walked the quiet streets of Ga-Metru with Nokama.He had booked them front and center seats for the play. When Nokama had laughed, he'd laughed with her.When he didn't get what was going on, she'd leaned over and whispered to him.When the two characters strolled happily ever after, hand in hand, into the sunset, Matau wanted nothing more than to do the same. He grinned, and took Nokama's hand in his as the play ended, and said, "Gotta start somewhere, don't we?" ₪҉₪ Down that old road With the stars up above He remembers where he was And that he fell in love ₪҉₪ "Did you like-enjoy the play, Nokama?" Matau asked, as they stood outside Nokama's house."You need to ask?" She replied in her way of answering.Matau chuckled. "I'll take-know that as a 'yes'.""Yes." Nokama returned the smile, and said, "Next time, I think we should go tour the Archives.""The whole Archives?" He frowned, swallowing a groan."Why not?" She shrugged."Can't we just go see the interesting stuff?" He inquired."That would be the whole Archives." She said seriously.Matau's face dropped.Nokama had no choice but to laugh. "I was kidding, Matau. We can go to the top of a Knowledge Tower, you can take me to the Test Track, we can go see the Great Furnace, or to see the Sculpture Fields, whatever you decide. I trust we'll have a good time.""Great, then. I guess I'll find-see you tomorrow, and-" He said, and was about to say more, but was silenced when Nokama quickly pecked the cheek of his Mahiki."Tomorrow sounds great. Thank you, Matau."As he stood there, Matau felt as though he'd been struck by destiny. ₪҉₪ He was walking her home ₪҉₪ Time passed, in that manner it has, uncaring, relentless, tiring, and not stopping for anyone or anything, but generous enough to let one live life to the fullest.It didn't take Nokama long to figure out that the best part of being a Toa was having Matau there with her. She would always have someone to catch her if she fell. Matau would be there to find her, and remind her who she was, if she forgot who she was, and went and lost herself.Time kept moving. ₪҉₪ Ten more years in a waiting room At half past one The doctor said, "Come in and meet your son" ₪҉₪ "Matau, go on!" Whenua urged his Toa-brother."Yeah, what's the worst that can happen?" Onewa said."Go on, Matau. She's waiting for you." Vakama told him, as Nuju pushed the door open for him.Matau didn't trust himself to speak, so he gulped down a breath of air, and held it, as he walked down the long hallway, praying that his nerves would survive, looking for the right room."Matau." Nokama's voice called gently, "In here." ₪҉₪ And his knees went weak When he saw his wife She was smiling as she said, "He's got your eyes." ₪҉₪ Outside, Vakama was pacing nervously. The three others were similarly dealing with their anxiety. How, the Toa Metru of Fire wondered, can one be so nervous on such a joyous occasion?But when the doors opened again, they saw Nokama with a bundle in her arms, in a wheelchair, and Matau. It looked like he needed the wheelchair more than it needed him."I'm an uncle." Whenua said to himself, beaming around at everyone. In turn, everyone beamed back. ₪҉₪ As she slept, he held her tight His mind went back to that first night ₪҉₪ What would life be like now, where would I be standing, Matau asked himself, If Tamaru had never kicked me into that classroom? Would I be happier? Not possible. Sadder? Do I even remember what that feels like? ₪҉₪ He was walking her home Holding her hand All the way, she smiled And stole the breath right out of him Down that old road With the stars up above He remembers where he was And that he fell in love ₪҉₪ And time passed in the way that it does. ₪҉₪ And he walked her through The best days of her life Sixty years together And he never left her side ₪҉₪ Over countless years, countless things happened. Some good, some not so much. But looking back, the good things and happy memories outshine the bad, and chase away any shadowy memories. ₪҉₪ In a nursing home At eighty-five The doctor said It could be her last night The nurse said, "Oh, Should we tell him now, Or should we wait until the morning to find out ₪҉₪ In a new day, in a new land, where life is peaceful and lax, the Matoran and Turaga of Metru Nui, and Mata Nui, the island paradise gather. The occasion is not so joyous this day.Four Turaga, and a Ga-Matoran named Macku stand outside a quiet, somber hut. ₪҉₪ When they checked her room that night He was laying by her side ₪҉₪ Inside, Turaga Nokama sat in a large rocking chair, with her eyes closed, and a faint smile on her old pale Kanohi Rau. Turaga Matau sat faithfully on a stool beside here.She spoke slowly. "Matau?""I'm here." He replied."Do you remember Metru Nui?" She wanted to know."How could I forget? The Morbuzakh, the Krahka, the Makuta, the Visorak." He trailed off."No, no. Before all that. Before we were Toa." She said."The day we met?" He guessed.Nokama chuckled. "No. But I still don't believe that you were dared to jump off the Protodermis Falls. I think you were lost."Matau smiled. "Perhaps I was.""But do you remember the play you took me to, way back when?" She asked."I'm beginning to think-sense that you're insulting my memory.""I would never." The Turaga of Water said.After a stretch of mutual silence, Matau turned serious, and his smile faded, as he took her hand in his, one last time. Nokama grasped it, and Matau knew that the Toa in her still lived.She spoke. "I don't know where I'm going, Matau. I won't be able to come back.""Are you worry-scared?"Nokama nodded. "Yes." She paused, then said, "But I'll wait for you, wherever I'm going. Then we can go together. It's better that way."Matau nodded in his turn, "Anywhere you go, I'll be there too." He promised. ₪҉₪ He was walking her home Holding her hand All the way, she smiled when he said "This is not the end" Just for a while They were eighteen She was still more beautiful To him than anything He was walking her home He was walking her home ₪҉₪ "Wherever you go, Nokama, remember me. Remember us." "I promise." ₪҉₪ Looking back He sees it all It was her first date The night he came to call ₪҉₪
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Roodaka looked out from the stage at the sea of faces that looked up at her. She recognized nearly all of them. Sidorak, Makuta Teridax, The Toa Hagah, Toa Helryx, The Shadowed One, and dozens of others that she had betrayed. The theater was dark, the only source of light was the spotlight that shone on her. The Vortixx was afraid, more afraid than she could ever recall being. But it would soon grow worse. Roodaka suddenly felt a strange sensation fill her body. It was unlike any she had ever felt before. It suddenly dawned on her that she couldn't move. She momentarily thought she was paralyzed. She involuntarily took a step forward. There was no resistance; she had no control over it whatsoever. A second spotlight suddenly appeared only a few yards away. There stood a being whom she had only seen months before; the mad Skakdi known as Vezon. His face was locked in a perpetual grin. But Roodaka could see his eyes. They were wide and fearful, much like she imagined her own would look right now. Then she noticed the strings. They were nearly invisible, but the Voritxx could see them in the spotlight. They were attatched to Vezon. The Skakdi spoke. "Hello Roodaka. What are you doing today?" The words came out as if he was genuinely speaking, but Roodaka could tell the Skakdi was being controlled. "Very well thank you," she replied. The words were out of her mouth before she knew that she had said them. The Skakdi walked toward her. His gait almost looked normal, but had an unnerving quality to it. His movements were slightly wooden. Roodaka could now see that the strings were moving him, like a.....puppet. She was able to look down at her arm. She saw the thin, gossamer string that had bonded with the top of her hand. "I should imagine so. Life's been so kind to you. I wonder if you've been kind back." Some of the audience chuckled, although Roodaka herself thought the joke was terrible. "What about you?" said the Vortixx. The Skakdi struck a thoughtful pose. "I don't recall. I think so. Life once gave me a wondrous mask, but I had to give it back. What about you? Have you ever worn a mask?" "Yes," replied Roodaka, "I wear one to cover my ugly face." The audience broke into a thunderous round of laugher. Roodaka's eyes widened. The hurtful words had come out of her own mouth. "Oh, you're not so ugly," said Vezon, "I once went on a journey with a Vortixx who was so ugly that she frightened Tren Krom. Oh wait, that was you." Roodaka could see into Vezon's eyes, and could tell right away that he was just as horrified as she was that he was saying them."Oh well. We can't have everything." "I guess so. I mean, what would the world be like if we always had what we wanted?" "Pretty good, actually." The audience laughed. Roodaka was terrified. She glanced out at the crowd, who sneered jeeringly at her. She wanted to know what was happening, to know what kind of horror was being brought upon her. But she was only able to move through the will of another, more powerful being. "Roodaka, would you like to dance?" suggested the Skakdi. "Why yes I would Vezon," replied the Vortixx. A bizarre melody began to play from an unseen band. It was a simple tune, and sounded like calliope music. Inside of her mind, Roodaka was screaming. But there was nothing she could do. She moved toward the Skakdi and grabbed his hand. The two of them began a strange, comical dance. The Vortixx could feel herself being put into various poses that no doubt made her look moronic and stupid. The same thing was happening to Vezon. The pair of beings continued their odd dance. It consisted of many twists and turns. At one point, Roodaka's head was pulled upwards. She was now able to see the thing that controlled them. It was a figure who had no definitive shape; it was little more than a wraith half hidden in the shadows. It held the manipulators in spindly claws, and maneuvered them in an expert fashion. Just like her. It suddenly struck Roodaka that this was what she had done to others throughout her life; manipulating them for her own devious ends. But now it was happening to her. She was the puppet now. The music suddenly quickened pace. Roodaka and Vezon danced even faster. With horror, she realized that their strings were becoming tangled up. The audience was laughing manically at the unfortunate beings. Soon, the pair was suspended in a tangled web of string; their bodies hanging at odd angles. Roodaka looked at Vezon through teary eyes. Still grinning, Vezon's eyes told a different story. They looked weary and accepting of his fate, even as the two were pulled upwards. Roodaka heard the audience applaud as the bright red curtain descended.
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Toa Lidel walked through the garden of the asylum. She could already hear the voices of her patients. Near the middle of the grounds was a long table with many chairs, laid out for some sort of party. Seated at the table were a variety of figures. One was a tall, beautiful Vortixx. She was dressed in the jewelry that typically adorned royalty, as well as an ornate crown. The ornaments were tarnished and weathered, as though they had been neglected for years. Not too far away was a tall, green Makuta who had bits of straw tied to his head by the means of an old gauze cloth. Next him was a demented-looking Le-Matoran, who was fast asleep. The next guest was a bizarre Skakdi. He had no head-spine, and instead wore a large top-hat on his cranium. It had been handcrafted by the Skakdi himself during the arts-and-crafts hour at the asylum. A Ga-Matoran was seated next to him. Every now and then she’d throw something into the grass. The only thing she did not throw was a peppermill she held tightly in her fist. The last being was one of the strangest creatures Lidel had ever seen. He had once been an Onu-Matoran named Murkel who had been working deep in the Archives. But a freak accident had turned him into a creature that resembled a Dermis Turtle crossed with a Kane-Ra bull. Unlike his fellow party-goers, this being was much more muddled than he was insane. The transformation had apparently destroyed his previous identity, and he often spent hours conversing with a gryphon statue in the middle of the garden. He looked at Toa Lidel with tearful eyes. He was always crying.“Why aren’t you bowing?” snapped Roodaka. Lidel caught herself and got down on one knee. Once the Vortixx was appeased, she stood up again and looked at Roodaka. She had once ruled Xia, but had been rebelled against when the universe was rescued. The shock had pushed her over edge, and she was stuck in the delusion that she was still a Queen. Due to her deceptive reputation, many had believed that she had been faking it. But a thorough investigation by a Toa of Psionics had discovered that she was quite mad. Lidel took a seat next to Vican. The Le-Matoran’s eyes fluttered open and looked at her for a moment, and closed once more. The little Matoran had undergone such experimentation by his master that it had shattered his sanity and put him in an apparently permanent narcoleptic state. Lidel looked over at Mutran, who was gazing at a spoon with intrigue. The mad Makuta had been captured by the Order of Mata-Nui before he could depart to Karda-Nui. His madness had seemingly mellowed out to become more of an extreme eccentricity. Vhisola threw a fork into a flower bed. She had been suffering from some sort of neurotic disorder as well as delusion, but was referred by the staff as “utterly bonkers.” The last being who was seated was well known by the workers of the asylum. His name was Vezon, and he was the first person to be committed there. He too was detached from reality, although this did not impair his ability to function. He was fond of crafting hats, for his room was full of them.“How goes it in the land of the sane?” he asked as he tipped a teapot over his cup. Nothing came out of course, for there was nothing in it. Lidel smiled.“It’s very well,” she responded, “How are you doing?”“We’re carrying on,” replied Mutran, “How long has it been since the last time you joined us?”“I was here yesterday morning,” said Lidel. Vezon looked surprised.“Really? Oh well, I must be losing track of time,” he said.“You certainly did,” Roodaka said icily, “He hasn’t returned in weeks!”“I didn’t mean to offend him, you know,” answered Vezon. Lidel smiled. The small group shared the delusion that time was in fact a sentient being, and that he had frozen the time stream at exactly six o’clock, which they thought was teatime. Lidel had been trying for over a month to convince them to come inside. But they refused to listen.“Is Nokama coming?” asked Vhisola. Lidel shook her head.“I’m sorry,” she answered, “But no.” Vhisola looked disappointed.“Drat, and I went through all this trouble making this cake.” The Ga-Matoran held up an empty cake pan.“It’s such a waste,” Murkel said in a deep, hollow tone. Vhisola suddenly pitched the pan out into the flower garden.“Don’t be so glum Murky,” said Vezon, “Cheer up a little. It’ll do your hooves good.”“I have an idea,” Mutran proclaimed, “Let’s change the subject.”“I second the notion,” Roodaka agreed, “Let’s get back to business. What is to be done about the white flowers in the garden?” Lidel met the Vortixx’s gaze with an odd look.“What’s wrong with them?” she inquired. Roodaka’s face donned a look of anger.“What’s wrong with them?” echoed the indignant Vortixx, “They’re white! I clearly stated that all flowers in my kingdom are to be red! You’re a very stupid Toa, do you know that?” Lidel shrugged.“I’m sorry for my mistake.”“You should be,” continued Roodaka, “I’d have you beheaded for such language.”“Don’t be so mean to her, Queen Roodaka,” said Vezon, “She is sane after all.” Roodaka leered at Lidel.“I suppose that would account for it,” she muttered under her breath.“Murky, why don’t you teach us another one of your lessons?” said Mutran. Murkel looked reluctant.“I don’t know,” he said, “It has been a long time since I attended the school beneath the sea.” This was another one of Murkel’s delusions. He was convinced that he and his Gryphon friend had attended an imaginary school under the sea.“Please teach us,” agreed Vezon, “Perhaps it will make you feel better.”“Alright,” sighed Murkel, “We had the best education. We went to school every day-”“What’s so special about that?” interjected Roodaka, “I was taught on Destral!”“With extras?” Murkel asked anxiously.“Yes,” said Roodaka, “We learned physiology and biology!”“And washing?” asked Murkel.“Certainly not!” Roodaka cried indignantly.“Ah! Then your school wasn’t a very good school,” Murkel said in a tone of great relief, “Now at our school, they had, at the end of the bill, physiology, biology, and washing-extra.”“Bravo,” cried Vhisola as she clapped her hands, “Bravo!” Murkel bowed and continued.“Now, being at the bottom of the sea, we learned many things pertaining to all things aquatic, such as reeling, writhing, and fainting in coils.”“What was that like?” Lidel asked.“Very difficult to master. I doubt even a Turaga could successfully complete it.”“Could you teach it to us?” asked Vhisola. Murkel sighed and shook his head.“I’m afraid I’m much too stiff. I was a spry lad when I went to school.”“Forgive my intrusion,” said Mutran, “But I must say that these lessons sound quite boring.”“They are,” replied Murkel, “That’s why I shall ask you to speak in my place.”“Thank you,” Mutran said, “Now who wants to hear a tale of epic proportions?” Everyone raised their hands, including Mutran.“Who’s going to tell it?” asked the Makuta. Everyone looked at Lidel. The Toa blushed.“I’m afraid I don’t know any stories,” she said meekly.“Then Vican will,” Mutran said as he and Vezon shook the Matoran.“Wake up, Vican!” called Vezon. Vican, who had been asleep all this time, awoke with a start.“What is it?” he asked.“Tell us a story,” said Vhisola as she threw a spoon into the branches of a tree.“And do it quick before you fall asleep again,” added Vezon.“Alright,” sighed Vican, “Once upon a time there were three Matoran named Radiak, Gavla, and Kirop and they lived at the bottom of a well.”“What did they live on?” asked Vhisola.“Treacle,” replied Vican.“Wouldn’t that have made them ill?” asked Lidel.“It did. It made them very ill,” answered Vican, as his eyes began to close. Everyone watched as he drifted back to sleep. Vezon cleared his throat.“Well then,” he said, “Who wants to listen to a little song I composed just for the occasion?”“I would,” answered Lidel.“Same goes for me,” said Mutran. Everyone grew quiet as Vezon began.“Twinkle, twinkle little bat,How I wonder what you’re at,Up above the world you fly,Like a tea tray in the sky.” His audience clapped as he did a little bow.“Fascinating,” Roodaka said, “That was even worse that the last one.”“I’ve been practicing,” Vezon beamed. Vhisola threw a teacup at a patch of clover.“Does anyone want to hear about the time I lost my mind?” Mutran asked. Vezon raised his hand. Murkel raised his flipper.“Well then, I shall tell you. It was about ninety-eight thousand years ago-in the month of March, I believe-When I was sent to an island in the southern seas. I happened to visit the Island of Tren Krom. He pulled me into his cave to see into my mind. I have no idea why he was so impolite, I would have shown him had he asked. Anyway, I saw into his mind, which was just as horrifying as his appearance that it shattered my mind.”“What did he look like?” asked Vhisola. Mutran thought for a moment.“He resembled a giant spot of jelly,” replied the Makuta.“Who did?” asked Roodaka, who had until this point been admiring herself in her hand mirror.“Tren Krom,” answered Mutran, “Pay attention next time, your majesty.”“Why did he look like jelly?” asked Vhisola, “Wasn’t he worried that someone might come along and spread him on their toast?”“I’m not sure,” said Mutran, “Come to think of it, a great spot of jelly isn’t really all that terrifying.”“It can be, if it’s the very last little bit in the jar,” said Vezon. Everyone nodded in agreement. Vican suddenly stirred in his sleep.“Twinkle, twinkle, winkle, twinkle,” he murmured. He went on for some time before Vhisola reached over and pinched him. She then grabbed the Matoran’s cup and threw it into a nearby hedge. Toa Lidel spoke.“Well, I hate to eat and run, but I must be off now,” she said as she stood up.“Well that’s a shame,” said Mutran, “But if you must, you must.”“Please come back tomorrow if you can,” called out Vezon, “We’ll be counting the Chilton Hundreds.” Lidel smiled and nodded. As she turned away, she heard the lunatics continued their chatter, laughing and bantering.
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The Ga-Matoran looked around nervously at the Spherus Magnian forest. She had been out for too long, and the sun had now set. She could hardly tell where she was anymore. As she moved through the woods, a voice suddenly broke through the air. It was reedy and quiet, yet seemed to echo throughout the forest.Twas Brillig and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy, were the borogoves,and the mome raths outgrabe.The Ga-Matoran was now afraid. She scanned the darkness for some sort of figure, but was unsuccessful. She started walking faster, stumbling along the way. Suddenly she saw the source of the voice. Only a few feet away from the road was a tall, thin Skakdi. He had no head-spine, and was wearing a dark cloak. His massive smile seemed to illuminate his face."Good evening," he said. Although he spoke in a friendly manner, his presence terrified the Ga-Matoran. "Who might you be?" The Ga-Matoran found her voice and replied."M-macku," she stuttered. The Skakdi cocked his head to one side, and his broad smile grew even larger."Macku," he echoed, "That's a lovely name isn't it? Macku, Macku, Macku." He repeated it several times as though he were trying it out. The unfortunate Ga-Matoran wanted to run, but feared he might catch her. He spoke again."Do you know that your name backwards is Ukcam?" he asked."Yes," answered Macku. She could see into his eyes now. They twinkled with madness."Have you ever met a lobster, Macku?" asked the Skakdi, "I have. They're wonderful creatures.""No, I'm afraid I haven't," Macku said, "But I'll take your word for it." The Skakdi sat down in the middle of the path, barring Macku from leaving."Come, sit with me for a while. I'm sure we'll have a good time." Unable to do anything else, Macku accepted his offer. "Now, let me see. There was something I wanted to tell you, but I can't remember what it was. Do you have anything to tell me? That might refresh my memory." Macku shook her head."No, I don't have anything to tell you.""Oh well. Have some more fish." Macku was very confused now."I can't have anymore fish, because I haven't had any yet.""You mean you can't have any less," replied the Skakdi, "It's very easy to take easy to take more than nothing." Macku prepared herself to make a break for it. She did not want to be with this lunatic any longer. He suddenly grinned."I remembered what I wanted to tell you," he said, "Your mask needs polishing." Macku watched in stunned silence as the Skakdi began to disappear. The last thing to go was his massive grin, which hovered in the air for a moment before fading away. And with that, Macku was alone once more.
